A technical case study on gaining Root access via the vsftpd backdoor, performing post-exploitation forensics, and implementing anti-forensics log sanitization.

The goal of this lab was to identify, exploit, and perform post-exploitation forensics on the vsftpd 2.3.4 service. This project demonstrates a full attack lifecycle, from initial access to clearing system logs.

• Environment: Kali Linux & Metasploitable 2

• Metasploit Framework: Exploit execution and session management.
• Linux Terminal: System navigation and advanced searching (grep, find).
• John the Ripper: Credential cracking of system password hashes.
• Anti-Forensics: Manual sanitization of auth.log and bash history.

• Gained Root Access: Successfully triggered the service backdoor to gain the highest system privileges.
• Deep-System Search: Used recursive grep filters to locate hidden "flag" files within documentation and system directories.
• Persistence Troubleshooting: Manually resolved terminal freezes and "clogged" connections by restarting the victim VM and managing Metasploit sessions.
• Log Clearing: Successfully cleared login trails to simulate a covert penetration test.