Hack The Box: Chemistry Machine Walkthrough – Easy Difficulty
A vulnerability in **Pymatgen (CVE-2024-23346)** allowed for **Remote Code Execution (RCE)** through a **malicious CIF file**. By injecting code into the **_space_group_magn.transform_BNS_Pp_abc** field and uploading it to the dashboard, nothing happened initially. However, clicking the **View button** triggered execution, leading to a **reverse shell**. With remote access secured, an **SQLite3 database** was explored, revealing **password hashes**, which were cracked to obtain valid credentials and retrieve the **user flag**.
Further exploration uncovered an **aiohttp/3.9.1** service running on **port 8080**, restricting access to the **assets directory** with a **403 Forbidden** response. Leveraging an **LFI attack**, an **SSH key** was extracted, allowing for **privilege escalation** and access to the **root flag**.
This scenario highlights the importance of **sanitizing file uploads, restricting directory access, and keeping dependencies updated** to mitigate security risks.
#CyberSecurity #BugBounty #EthicalHacking #PrivilegeEscalation #RedTeam #WebSecurity #InfoSec #CTF
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