## Course #464: Proxychains-ng Mastery
### Section 1: Introduction & Installation of Proxychains-ng
#### What is Proxychains-ng?
Proxychains-ng is an advanced tool used in penetration testing that allows you to redirect network traffic through a chain of proxies, ensuring anonymity and security while conducting assessments. With Proxychains-ng, security professionals can mask their IP addresses and avoid detection during testing, making it an essential tool in the arsenal of any ethical hacker.
#### Installing Proxychains-ng on Kali Linux
Kali Linux, the leading distribution for penetration testing, comes pre-installed with Proxychains-ng, but it is always prudent to ensure you have the latest version. Below are the steps for installing and configuring Proxychains-ng on your Kali Linux system.
1. **Update Your Package List:**
Open your terminal and run the following command to update your package list:
sudo apt update
2. **Install Proxychains-ng:**
If Proxychains-ng is not installed, you can install it using the following command:
sudo apt install proxychains4
3. **Verify Installation:**
To verify that Proxychains-ng has been installed correctly, type:
proxychains4 -h
This command displays the help menu if Proxychains-ng is successfully installed.
#### Configuration of Proxychains-ng
The next step involves configuring Proxychains-ng to work with your preferred proxies. By default, Proxychains-ng uses a file located at `/etc/proxychains.conf`. Here’s how you can configure it:
1. **Open the Configuration File:**
Use a text editor to open the `proxychains.conf` file:
sudo nano /etc/proxychains.conf
2. **Choose the Proxy Type:**
Proxychains-ng supports several types of proxies, including HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5. You need to uncomment or add the relevant proxy entries in the configuration file. For example, to set up a SOCKS5 proxy, you might add:
[/dm_code_snippet]plaintext
socks5 127.0.0.1 9050
[/dm_code_snippet]
This entry indicates that Proxychains-ng will use a SOCKS5 proxy running on localhost at port 9050.
3. **Set the Proxy Chain:**
You can specify the type of proxy chain you want to use. The default setting is `dynamic_chain`, which means Proxychains-ng will try the proxies in order until it successfully establishes a connection. You can also set `strict_chain` if you want to enforce the order of the proxies strictly.
4. **Save and Exit:**
After making the necessary changes, save the file (Ctrl + O in nano) and exit (Ctrl + X).
5. **Additional Configuration:**
You may want to enable the `quiet_mode` option to reduce the verbosity of Proxychains-ng logs for cleaner output while testing:
[/dm_code_snippet]plaintext
quiet_mode
[/dm_code_snippet]
This setting will help you maintain focus on the results rather than the logs.
### Step-by-Step Usage of Proxychains-ng
Now that Proxychains-ng is installed and configured, let’s explore how to use it in practical scenarios.
#### Using Proxychains-ng with Nmap
Nmap is a powerful network scanning tool. To conduct scans without revealing your actual IP address, you can use Proxychains-ng as follows:
1. **Basic Nmap Scan via Proxychains-ng:**
proxychains4 nmap -sT -Pn
In this command:
– `-sT` indicates a TCP connect scan.
– `-Pn` disables host discovery, which is useful if you know the target is up.
2. **Stealth Scan:**
You can also use a stealth scan (SYN scan), which is the most common scan type:
proxychains4 nmap -sS -Pn
3. **Service Version Detection:**
To detect the version of services running on the open ports:
proxychains4 nmap -sV -Pn
#### Using Proxychains-ng with Curl
Curl is a command-line tool for transferring data with URLs. You can use it to fetch web pages while anonymizing your request:
"`bash
proxychains4 curl http://example.com
"`
#### Real-World Use Cases of Proxychains-ng
1. **Bypassing Censorship:**
Proxychains-ng can help security professionals access restricted content in different regions by rerouting traffic through various geographical locations.
2. **Testing Application Security:**
When conducting assessments on web applications, Proxychains-ng can be used to identify vulnerabilities without exposing the tester’s identity, making it easier to analyze behavior under attack conditions.
3. **Anonymizing Network Traffic:**
For reconnaissance phases, where the tester needs to gather information about targets without being detected, Proxychains-ng is crucial in hiding the tester's IP from the target network.
### Detailed Technical Explanations
#### How Proxychains-ng Works
Proxychains-ng achieves its functionality through a technique known as *dynamic library preloading*. This means it intercepts the network calls made by applications and reroutes them through the specified proxies. This is done by injecting its own shared library (`libproxychains.so`) into the application’s address space.
#### Chaining Proxies
Proxychains-ng allows for chaining multiple proxies together. This not only enhances anonymity but also provides redundancy. For instance, if you set up two SOCKS5 proxies, the traffic will first go to the first proxy, then be forwarded to the second, before reaching the final destination.
"`
[Your PC] -> [Proxy 1] -> [Proxy 2] -> [Target]
"`
This configuration can greatly increase the difficulty for anyone trying to trace the source of the traffic.
### External References
– [Proxychains-ng GitHub Repository](https://github.com/rofl0r/proxychains-ng): The official GitHub repository where you can find the latest updates and community contributions.
– [Nmap Official Documentation](https://nmap.org/docs.html): Comprehensive documentation on using Nmap, including advanced usage scenarios.
– [Curl Documentation](https://curl.se/docs/manpage.html): Detailed man page for Curl, explaining all options and usage.
### Code Examples
Here are some code examples to further illustrate the usage of Proxychains-ng:
#### Example: Using Proxychains-ng with Nmap
"`bash
proxychains4 nmap -sS -Pn -p 80,443 example.com
"`
#### Example: Fetching a Page with Curl
"`bash
proxychains4 curl -I http://example.com
"`
#### Example: Using Multiple Proxies
In your `/etc/proxychains.conf`, you might list multiple proxies like this:
"`plaintext
# proxy types are:
# dynamic_chain
# strict_chain
# random_chain
dynamic_chain
# Add your proxies below
socks5 127.0.0.1 9050
socks5 192.168.1.10 1080
http 10.10.1.1 8080
"`
### Conclusion
In this section, you learned about the installation, configuration, and usage of Proxychains-ng in various scenarios. Proxychains-ng is a versatile tool that can greatly enhance your penetration testing efforts by allowing you to anonymize your traffic and bypass restrictions.
As you advance in your ethical hacking journey, mastering tools like Proxychains-ng will be crucial in ensuring secure and anonymous testing.
—
Made by pablo rotem / פבלו רותם