404 to 0wnage: How a Broken Link Led Me to Admin Panel Access
1 min read
Summary
An IT expert recounts an episode in which they gained access to the admin panel of a target company by following a broken link.
They were engaging in digital recon of the company, a common practice in cybersecurity, when they stumbled upon the link.
The link initially seemed irrelevant, but upon further investigation, they found that it linked to the company’s login portal for admins.
The expert realized that the redirect itself was vulnerable to an open redirection bug, a type of web application vulnerability.
They were able to use this vulnerability to manipulate the redirect and instead of redirecting to the counseling portal, it would redirect to their own devious portal for nabbing Admin credentials.
In a few days, they were able to get admin access and continue indenting the environment.
This story exemplifies the value of checking broken links and recognizing vulnerabilities, even for seemingly insignificant aspects of websites.
It also emphasizes the vigilance and creativity required to navigate digital spaces securely.
At the end of the day, it is important to appreciate that even a broken link can lead to “0wnage” or ownership of an admin panel.