root@thehacksparrow:~/writeups$ SYSTEM ONLINE
root@sparrow:~/writeups$ cat nibbles.md
// writeups

Nibbles

13 Jan 2018 · 11 min read · root access
Nibbles - maquina de Hack The Box

Executive summary — Nibbles is an Easy Linux box teaching a full but approachable chain: a hidden Nibbleblog is discovered, entered with weak credentials (admin:nibbles), and exploited via an arbitrary file upload (CVE-2015-6967) for RCE; then as nibbler, a script runnable via sudo and editable by us yields root. A web → CMS → RCE → sudo → root path. Not a technically hard box, but proof that a chain of small mistakes is enough to fully compromise a system.

PlatformHack The Box
Operating systemLinux
DifficultyEasy
StatusRetired
Target IP10.129.96.84

Attack map

[80] gobuster → /nibbleblog  (Nibbleblog CMS)
   │  admin.php · weak credentials (admin:nibbles)
   │  CVE-2015-6967 — arbitrary file upload («My image» plugin) → RCE
   ▼
[SHELL]  nibbler  (user.txt)
   │  sudo -l → NOPASSWD monitor.sh (packed inside personal.zip, writable by nibbler)
   ▼
[ROOT]  echo "/bin/bash -p" > monitor.sh  →  sudo ./monitor.sh

1. Reconnaissance

As with any box, the first step is identifying the attack surface before trying anything:

nmap -sC -sV -p- 10.129.96.84

-sC runs Nmap's default scripts (they usually give useful info with zero extra setup), -sV detects service versions, and -p- scans all 65535 TCP ports, not just the common ones.

22/tcp  open  ssh
80/tcp  open  http

SSH without credentials is no direct way in, though it may matter later (e.g. if we get a key). Port 80 gives us a web surface that almost always deserves deep enumeration, so that's the logical next focus.

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