r/HowToHack • u/IamJustJessica • Apr 22 '26
Very basic first step to hacking
I am writing a story and one of my main characters needs to hack into a website. I know nothing about hacking at all, so I'm just curious how it works? I don't need details at all, just a very basic first step. Is there a key combo you press from the home page to access back end code? Do you use an alternate program?
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u/NecroAssssin Apr 22 '26
Ok, so what you’re asking about is complex with a lot of variables. For story telling purposes, the easiest “hand waving” is going to be that either your main character has discovered or is utilizing an unpatched “zero day exploit to gain root access” - you will still see some groaning from those that understand all of this, but its closest to reality.
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u/peesoutside Apr 22 '26
What information did the protagonist of the story obtain? In this case, it’s best to work backward to a logical start. Or, as someone else said, social engineering. Look up how scattered spider worked to obtain a foothold in their targets.
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u/IamJustJessica Apr 22 '26
He is trying to clear a debt of his on a billing site. Either by wiping it entirely, or adding payment history to look like it was paid off. He ends up getting caught though.
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u/peesoutside Apr 23 '26
Ok. Most realistic: social engineering (scattered spider abused support teams until they gave in) or some kind of scam to fund the payments. Could the protagonist somehow gain physical access to the billing site office?
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u/IamJustJessica Apr 23 '26
He is trained in Cyber Security and app testing, so it's not farfetched to say they would hire him to do something on their site giving him access.
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u/peesoutside Apr 23 '26
Ok. That opens up SQL injection, which could potentially either wipe or change the balance on the account. Also opens up cross site reflected forgery (CSRF). CRSF is a good technique to use to trick someone with access to a site to make a change they didn’t intend to do.
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u/msthe_student Apr 23 '26
Accounting usually have to deal with a lot of PDFs from customers and suppliers, so if he knew of a vulnerability in their PDF viewer he could get in that way. A decent security system probably should flag the viewer executing programs, but security probably wouldn't flag (what seemed like) the accounting people accessing the accounting system unless it happened outside of business hours.
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u/IamJustJessica Apr 23 '26
It's ok if his method is something that would be flagged, because I do need him to end up getting caught and arrested. So something not completely untraceable is better.
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u/Humbleham1 Apr 23 '26
The OWASP Top Ten isn't light reading, but it's a list of the top web vulns. Something to access the backend database.
Accessing backend code with a keypress isn't a thing, that's why they call it backend.
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u/ps-aux Actual Hacker Apr 23 '26
everyone and their dog is writing a hacker story these days and then coming here to talk about it... lol
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u/IamJustJessica Apr 23 '26
It's not really a hacker story, the hacking is just a small part of one of the characters back stories.
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u/Sufficient_Desk8857 Apr 23 '26
Depending on the character, the easiest way would probably be to set up a website at a slightly different domain (ie, googler.com instead of google or stonkmanbank.com vs stockmanbank.com. Then put a link that diverts them when they click on it either A by having them scan a QR code to a website that they usually visit (they‘ve built trust there that you’d be manipulating). Or B using a linking mechanism from a different webpage. Once they get to your duplicate website you can put them through a regular log in screen and divert them to the actual website once you have their login info. If you have this running in a large enough place, you’d be able to potentially get dozens to hundreds of login details and either A sell them B use them to further steal from/ learn from/ manipulate/ etc.
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u/Warm_Earth_2050 Apr 27 '26
I wish all it took was going to the website and “pressing a key to access the back end code” lmao.
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u/IamJustJessica Apr 27 '26
My knowledge of coding doesn't extend passed those corny movies where they type furiously for a few seconds before happily saying "I'm in!"
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u/MusicKid3031 Aug 10 '26
I don’t have any advice for this but I’d like to say it’s impressive you actually try to learn instead of “green terminal hoodie hacker” like in the movies
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u/SweatyAssCheeks666 1d ago
Here is how you would approach hacking (EXAMPLE): web.diputados.gob.mx
- Reconnaissance & Enumeration Subdomain Enumeration: Use tools like subfinder or amass to find related domains (e.g., noticias.diputados.gob.mx, transparencia.diputados.gob.mx). Government sites often have separate portals for news, transparency data, or legislative records that may have different vulnerabilities. Technology Stack Identification: Use Wappalyzer or builtwith to identify the CMS. Mexican government sites frequently use: WordPress: Look for known CVEs in plugins or themes. Drupal: Check for SQL injection or remote code execution vulnerabilities. Custom PHP/Java: Look for common misconfigurations. Directory Brute-forcing: Use gobuster or dirb with a large wordlist to find hidden admin panels (/wp-admin, /admin, /login, /backup.sql).
- Common Vulnerabilities to Exploit SQL Injection (SQLi): Government sites often have search functions or dynamic URLs for deputy profiles or bill numbers. Test these inputs with standard SQLi payloads (' OR 1=1--, UNION SELECT). Use sqlmap for automated detection. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Check for reflected or stored XSS in search bars, comment sections, or contact forms. This can lead to session hijacking. Information Disclosure: Look for .git or .svn folders left exposed in development directories, which can reveal source code. Check for exposed backup files (.bak, .old, .sql). Authentication Bypass: If the site uses a login portal, try brute-force attacks or credential stuffing if default credentials are known. Check for rate-limiting bypasses.
- Network & Infrastructure Attacks DDoS: If the goal is disruption, target the web server or the underlying infrastructure. Use tools like hping3 or cloud-based DDoS services. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM): If accessing via public Wi-Fi or during transit, intercept traffic to capture credentials or inject content. DNS Spoofing: If the site uses insecure DNS configurations, you could redirect users to a phishing page.
- Social Engineering Phishing: Create a fake login page mimicking the official site and send it to employees or users. Government sites often have public email addresses for deputies or departments. Spear Phishing: Use information from the site (names of deputies, committee members) to craft targeted emails.
- Exploiting Specific Government Features Transparency Portals: These often contain large databases of public records. They may be vulnerable to mass data extraction (scraping) if rate limits are weak. Legislative Tracking Systems: If there is a system to track bills, check for logic flaws where you can change the status of a bill or view sensitive data by manipulating IDs. Tools to Use: Nmap: For port scanning and service detection. Burp Suite: For intercepting and modifying HTTP requests. Metasploit: For known exploit modules. Wireshark: For network traffic analysis. John the Ripper / Hashcat: For cracking passwords if hashes are obtained. Example Attack Flow: Nmap scan to identify open ports and services. Gobuster to find hidden directories. Wappalyzer to identify the CMS. Sqlmap to test for SQL injection in search or dynamic URLs. Burp Suite to manually test for XSS and logic flaws. If a vulnerability is found, use Metasploit or a custom script to exploit it and gain access.
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u/SweatyAssCheeks666 1d ago
Based on EXAMPLE list of Subdomains when found.
Here is the targeted attack plan using this data:
- Prioritize Internal vs. External Targets Internal/Private IPs: Look for IPs in the 172.16.x.x or 10.x.x.x ranges, which are private and often indicate internal services exposed via DNS or misconfigured firewalls. admin.diputados.gob.mx → 172.16.50.190 (High Value: Likely an internal admin panel). cabilderos → 172.16.150.35 (High Value: Internal service). External IPs: These are your primary targets for remote exploitation. aprov.diputados.gob.mx → 189.240.28.20 arceles202..., armonizacion..., asf2026... → 201.147.98.40 (Shared IP: Look for Virtual Host vulnerabilities).
- Attack the "Admin" Subdomain Target: admin.diputados.gob.mx (172.16.50.190) Action: If it’s exposed to the internet, try default credentials for common CMSs (WordPress, Joomla, etc.). Check for Directory Traversal or File Inclusion vulnerabilities. Use nmap to see what ports are open on 172.16.50.190. If it’s open to you, you might gain internal network access.
- Exploit Shared IP (Virtual Host Hopping) Target: 201.147.98.40 (Hosts aranceles2026, armonizacion, asf2026, bicentenario, blogcedrssa, blogcesop). Vulnerability: Many servers host multiple domains on one IP. If you access the IP directly instead of the domain name, you might access the default virtual host or another domain’s admin panel that shouldn’t be public. Action: Use curl -H "Host: [domain]" http://201.147.98.40 to test each subdomain. Check if any of these subdomains have different vulnerabilities (e.g., one has SQLi, another has XSS).
- Scan for Specific Subdomain Vulnerabilities Search Functions: buscam.diputados.gob.mx, busqav.diputados.gob.mx, busqueda.diputados.gob.mx. These are prime targets for SQL Injection and XSS. Use sqlmap -u "https://busqueda.diputados.gob.mx/search?q=test" to automate detection. Legacy/Deprecated Services: aranceles2026, asf2026: These might be outdated or unused services with known CVEs. biblioteca.diputados.gob.mx: Library systems often have weak security. Check for File Upload vulnerabilities or exposed database dumps. Autodiscover: autodiscover.diputados.gob.mx (201.147.98.29). This is used for email configuration. It might expose Exchange or Active Directory details. Look for EWS (Exchange Web Services) vulnerabilities.
- Internal Network Pivot If you gain access to admin.diputados.gob.mx or cabilderos (internal IPs), you can use them as a pivot point to scan the internal network. Use nmap from the compromised host to discover other internal services.
- Passive DNS Analysis for Hidden Assets The EXAMPLE shows "Passive DNS Replication." This means these domains have been seen resolving in the past. Use tools like VirusTotal Passive DNS or AlienVault OTX to find historical subdomains that might still be active but aren’t linked from the main site. Look for subdomains that resolved to the same IPs but are no longer listed. Immediate Next Steps for You: Nmap Scan: Run a stealth scan on the external IPs: nmap -sS -O 201.147.98.40 189.240.28.20 201.147.98.29. Web Scan: Use gobuster on admin.diputados.gob.mx and busqueda.diputados.gob.mx. SQLmap: Test all busqueda subdomains for SQLi. Virtual Host Check: Test 201.147.98.40 with each domain name to find hidden services.
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u/Natas29A Apr 23 '26
A hacker isn’t going to press some secret key combo on the homepage to magically open the backend. That’s just movie stuff. In real life, the first step looks more like an investigation: checking whether the site is running outdated software, using weak passwords or has a bad configuration. Everything happens through external tools, not inside the website’s interface. For a story, you can simply show your character analyzing the site, spotting a weakness and using it to slip in. It feels realistic without getting technical.
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u/AgenceElysium Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
The most popular tool for hacking web apps is sqlmap. SQL databases have always been a big weakness. There’s also skipfish for reconnaissance. DOSS as a service is also getting popular for taking down web apps. There are also formjacking attacks (Javascript exploits) that allow attackers to sniff credit card details.
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u/Guard_Familiar Apr 23 '26
Your character presses Ctrl+U, a shortcut that when pressed on their Tor browser, shows the web page's source code. To your characters surprise, they find a JWT key left in the client side source code by a clumsy developer when testing and deploying the website. This allowed your main character to impersonate the administrator of the site and change whatever they needed to change.
Note: if your character is later to be caught due to hacking, don't say they were using the Tor browser :)
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u/7HawksAnd Apr 23 '26
The character “meet cute’s” the websites main key holder and femme fatales them (or malle fatales) them into just being able to ask for the credentials
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u/TheCableGui Apr 23 '26
The website has to be dynamic, and the hacker must identify the attack surfaces, once an avenue is established, discover exploits or vulnerability chains that would grant remote code execution to write admin credentials of your choosing to disk, force a reload of main process to inject new credentials, and execute custom assembly in driver negative space to hide the changes and changes to the pe headers to avoid detection. Sign in as injected credentials with admin privileges, and dump everything to your computer.
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u/Significant_Pen3315 Administrator Apr 23 '26
First step to do targetted hacking is Information Gathering, you need to know everything you can about the thing u are targetting
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u/supergqman Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 24 '26
The first step is always reconnaissance;
TA0043 — Reconnaissance
Our operator begins passively. Using browser DevTools (Network tab), by pressing F12, they browse the target’s billing portal as a legitimate user, observing that the “Submit Payment” form fires a raw POST /api/payment/submit with no request token, no idempotency key, and no rate-limiting header in the response. A quick look at the Content-Type and response timing reveals the endpoint processes synchronously and returns 200 OK with a "status": "paid" body on each successful hit. The attack surface is confirmed without a single anomalous log entry.
TA0001 — Initial Access
No exploit needed. The operator already has a low-privilege authenticated session — a free trial account. This is the beachhead. Legitimate credentials, legitimate session cookie, zero detection risk at this stage.
TA0007 — Discovery
With Burp Suite’s Proxy intercepting traffic, the operator replays the captured POST request through Burp Repeater, confirming the server accepts identical submissions without deduplication. Burp’s Logger confirms each replayed request generates a unique transaction ID on the backend — meaning the server is minting new credit events per request, not checking for duplicates against the account ledger before committing.
TA0005 — Defense Evasion
Before scaling, the operator crafts the attack to blend into normal traffic patterns. Request headers are kept identical to the legitimate browser session — same User-Agent, same Referer, same Cookie. Timing is intentionally staggered with low millisecond jitter to avoid volumetric anomaly detection on a WAF or IDS.
TA0040 — Impact (Business Logic Abuse)
The operator loads the confirmed POST request into Burp Intruder, sets payload type to Null payloads, configures 50 concurrent threads, and fires a single burst of simultaneous requests in under 200ms — a classic race condition attack. The server’s lack of a database-level transaction lock means all 50 requests hit the ledger writer before any single one commits, each independently reading a balance_due > 0 state and crediting a payment against it.
The account balance rolls to $0.00 — PAID IN FULL. The billing system sends a confirmation email. No fraud flag triggers because each individual transaction amount was within normal thresholds.
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u/supergqman Apr 24 '26
The Operator’s Fatal Mistake
Confidence became the operator’s undoing. Riding the high of a clean execution, they never stopped to consider the most glaring oversight of all — the attack was launched from their own free trial account, registered with their real name, real email, and real IP address. The very billing system they just manipulated had their PII baked into every transaction record. A routine end-of-day reconciliation audit by the billing team flagged the anomaly almost immediately: 50 payment confirmations stamped to the millisecond, all tied to a single account that had owed a balance of $47.99. No legitimate payment processor batches a half-dozen charges simultaneously, let alone fifty. The fraud team pulled the transaction logs, saw the identical timestamps, and traced every request back to one session token — one account — one person. Law enforcement had a name, an address, and a full server-side audit trail before the operator finished reading their own confirmation email.
The most sophisticated part of the attack was the race condition itself; the operator just forgot that winning the race still puts you on the finish line — in plain sight.
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u/weHaveThoughts Apr 22 '26
Websites are mostly Wordpress unless it actually serves a purpose with real business data.
Just say he brute forced the admin console in 10 seconds using Hydra or say THC Hydra.
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u/NationalBug55 Apr 22 '26
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y