CompTIA Security+ Exam Notes

CompTIA Security+ Exam Notes
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Sunday, November 24, 2024

WPScan: The Ultimate Tool for WordPress Vulnerability Detection

 WPScan

WPScan is a free, open-source command line tool that scans WordPress websites for vulnerabilities:

What it does

WPScan checks for vulnerabilities in WordPress core, plugins, and themes. It also checks for weak passwords and exposed files.

How it works

WPScan mimics an attacker by not relying on access to your WordPress dashboard or source code.

Features

WPScan includes:

  • A database of WordPress vulnerabilities that's continuously updated by WordPress security professionals
  • A plugin that fits into existing workflows
  • A CLI security scanner for security professionals
  • An API for accessing the vulnerability database

Key Features:

  • Vulnerability Detection: WPScan scans for known vulnerabilities in WordPress core, themes, and plugins using the WPScan Vulnerability Database.
  • Enumeration: It can enumerate various aspects of a WordPress site, such as installed plugins, themes, and user accounts.
  • Brute Force Testing: WPScan can perform brute force attacks to test the strength of user passwords.
  • Customizable Scans: Users can customize their scans with various options, such as using a random user agent, throttling requests, or running in stealth mode to avoid detection.

How WPScan Works:

  • Basic Scan: To perform a basic scan, you can use the following command: 

wpscan --url yourwebsite.com

This command will scan the specified website and provide information about its WordPress version, themes, plugins, and other potential vulnerabilities.

  • Enumerating Plugins:

wpscan --url yourwebsite.com --enumerate vp

This command will enumerate all vulnerable plugins on the specified website.

  • User Enumeration:

wpscan --url yourwebsite.com --enumerate u

This command will list all user accounts that can be discovered from the outside.

  • Brute Force Attack:

wpscan --url yourwebsite.com --passwords /path/to/passwordlist.txt --usernames admin

This command will attempt to brute force the password for the specified username using a list of passwords.

How to use it

You can use additional flags to get specific information. For example, to search for vulnerable plugins, you can use the command wpscan --url yourwebsite.com -e vp --api-token YOUR_TOKEN.

Who uses it

WordPress administrators and security teams use WPScan to assess the security of their WordPress installations.

You can regularly scan your WordPress site for malware at least once per month. You should also run a scan whenever you change your website's structure or install new plugins.

This post is covered in CySA+ and Pentest+

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