TryHackMe | File Inclusion | Walkthrough

This room introduces file inclusion vulnerabilities, including Local File Inclusion (LFI), Remote File Inclusion (RFI), and directory traversal. *As always, I recommend to read through every task to get a complete understanding of each room. Happy learning!* ♾️TIMESTAMP ♾️ 0:50 Task 1 - Introduction 1:04 Task 2 - Deploy the VM 2:03 Task 3 - Path Traversal 2:54 Task 4 - Local File Inclusion - LFI 5:26 Task 5 - Local File Inclusion - LFI #2 9:05 Task 6 - Remote File Inclusion - RFI 9:37 Task 7 - Remediation 9:55 Task 8 - Challenge File inclusion, also known as "file inclusion vulnerability" or "LFI/RFI" (Local File Inclusion / Remote File Inclusion), is a security vulnerability commonly found in web applications. It occurs when a web application allows user input to be used to include external files, which can be abused by attackers to execute malicious code or access sensitive files on the server. There are two types of file inclusion: Local File Inclusion (LFI): In this type, an attacker manipulates user-controlled input (such as URL parameters, cookies, or POST data) to include files that reside on the same server. By doing so, the attacker may gain unauthorized access to critical files, execute arbitrary code, or retrieve sensitive data. Remote File Inclusion (RFI): In RFI, the attacker exploits the web application's input to include files from external servers controlled by the attacker. This can lead to the execution of malicious code hosted on the attacker's server, potentially compromising the entire web application or server. File inclusion vulnerabilities are serious security risks as they can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, and complete compromise of the web application or server. Developers should adopt proper input validation and output encoding techniques to prevent file inclusion vulnerabilities in their web applications. Additionally, keeping software and frameworks up-to-date helps in mitigating potential risks. Security audits and penetration testing can also be performed to identify and address such vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.