vermilion: Linux post exploitation tool for info gathering and exfiltration
Vermilion
Vermilion is a simple and lightweight CLI tool designed for rapid collection, and optional exfiltration of sensitive information from Linux systems. Its primary purpose is to streamline the process of gathering critical data in red teaming scenarios.
How It Works
Vermilion is a Linux-focused tool designed for efficient information gathering and sensitive data exfiltration. It collects:
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System Information : OS details, hostname, network configurations, public and local IPs, active connections, system uptime, and more.
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Environment Variables : Captures all available environment variables.
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User and System Files : Gathers sensitive directories and files, including:
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User-specific files:
.ssh,.bash_history,.zsh_history,.aws,.docker,.kube,.azure,.gnupg,.git-credentials, and more. -
System-level files:
/etc/passwd,/etc/shadow,/etc/group,/etc/hostname,/etc/hosts,/etc/ssl, and cron configurations. -
Logs and temporary files: Authentication logs, system logs, and temporary files.
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User Enumeration : Automatically enumerates all system users and collects sensitive files from accessible home directories.
The tool creates a compressed archive of the collected data for easy local storage or exfiltration to a specified endpoint.
Additionally, it provides the option to exfiltrate the collected data via an HTTP POST request to a specified endpoint.
The implementation of the endpoint for exfiltration is outside the scope of this tool; for an example, refer to this resource.
Vermilion supports amd64, arm and arm64 architectures.
Example Use Case
Imagine being engaged in a red teaming campaign and successfully compromising a user on a Linux machine.
Linux environments often are treasure trove of sensitive data and information due to their use as servers and their integration with other systems and softwares.
Therefore, it is crucial to have an automated tool that enables rapid collection and exfiltration of sensitive information, such as environment variables and strategic directories, within seconds.
This is where Vermilion proves helpful!
Since many modern production environments are based on Linux, Vermilion proves to be a highly versatile tool.
Read this article to discover how Vermilion helped us identify a suboptimal configuration in GitHub Actions cloud runners.
