What is Headerpwn Tool? How to use it? | Offensive Security Tool


Headerpwn, created by the talented developer Devansh Batham, stands as an indispensable addition to the toolkit of security professionals and penetration testers. This cutting-edge fuzzing tool is meticulously designed to unveil anomalies and dissect server responses to various HTTP headers. In a world where digital security is paramount, Headerpwn takes center stage by empowering experts with critical insights.

In practice, Headerpwn offers pentesters an unparalleled advantage. By subjecting HTTP headers to meticulous scrutiny, it uncovers a multitude of security concerns. Whether it's the absence of vital security headers, frail configurations, or lurking web application vulnerabilities, this tool's prowess is evident. 

By leveraging Headerpwn, pentesters can meticulously examine headers, shedding light on potential vulnerabilities that might otherwise remain concealed. This is a pivotal asset in safeguarding against malicious exploits and ensuring robust security postures.

In a landscape where cyber threats constantly evolve, Headerpwn's role in fortifying web applications and servers cannot be overstated. It not only reveals vulnerabilities but also serves as a proactive instrument to rectify them, making it an indispensable companion for those dedicated to digital defense.

Installation:

Before installing Headerpwn, ensure you have the Go programming language and the Git version control system installed on your system. Follow these detailed instructions:

1. **Install Go**: Visit the official Go website (https://golang.org/) and download the latest stable version of Go for your operating system. Follow the installation instructions specific to your OS.

2. **Install Git**: If Git is not already installed on your system, download and install it from the official Git website (https://git-scm.com/).

3. **Set Up Go Environment**: Ensure your Go environment variables are correctly set up. You may need to add Go's bin directory to your system's PATH.

4. **Clone the Repository**: Open your terminal and run the following command to clone the Headerpwn repository:

   ```shell
   git clone https://github.com/devanshbatham/headerpwn.git
   ```

5. **Navigate to the Directory**: Change your current directory to the Headerpwn repository:

   ```shell
   cd headerpwn
   ```

6. **Install Headerpwn**: Use the following Go command to install Headerpwn, specifying the version you want (v0.0.3 in this case):

   ```shell
   go install github.com/devanshbatham/headerpwn@v0.0.3
   ```

7. **Verify Installation**: After the installation is complete, you can verify that Headerpwn is installed correctly by running:

   ```shell
   headerpwn --version
   ```

   This should display the installed version of Headerpwn.

You're now ready to use Headerpwn for analyzing HTTP headers and enhancing your web security assessments.

Usage:


To effectively utilize Headerpwn for testing and analyzing HTTP headers on a target URL, follow these usage instructions:

1. **Specify the Target URL**: Use the `-url` flag to provide the URL you want to test. For example:

   ```shell
   headerpwn -url https://example.com
   ```

   Replace `https://example.com` with your target URL.

2. **Prepare a Headers File**: Create a text file that contains the headers you wish to test, with one header per line. This file should list the headers you want to analyze. For instance:

   ```
   User-Agent
   X-Frame-Options
   X-XSS-Protection
   ```

3. **Specify the Headers File**: Utilize the `-headers` flag to indicate the path to the file containing the headers you want to test. For example:

   ```shell
   headerpwn -url https://example.com -headers headers.txt
   ```

   Replace `headers.txt` with the actual filename of your headers file.

4. **Run the Analysis**: Execute the above command, and Headerpwn will send requests with the specified headers to the target URL. It will then analyze and report the responses, providing insights into potential security risks, anomalies, or misconfigurations related to those headers.

By following these steps, you can harness Headerpwn's capabilities to enhance your web security assessments and gain a deeper understanding of how your target server responds to various HTTP headers.

Example Usage:


Here's an example of using Headerpwn with a target URL and a headers file named `my_headers.txt`. This example assumes that `my_headers.txt` contains headers in the format you specified:

```shell
headerpwn -url https://example.com -headers my_headers.txt
```

The `my_headers.txt` file should have the headers listed one per line, with their values (e.g., `Proxy-Authenticate: foobar`). This command will instruct Headerpwn to send requests to `https://example.com` with the headers specified in `my_headers.txt` and analyze the responses for potential security issues or anomalies related to those headers.

Proxying requests through Burp Suite:

Export Burp’s Certificate:

To proxy requests through Burp Suite, you can follow these steps to export Burp's certificate:

1. Open Burp Suite and navigate to the "Proxy" tab.

2. In the "Proxy Listeners" section, locate and select the listener that is configured for `127.0.0.1:8080`. This is the listener that Burp Suite uses to intercept and manipulate traffic.

3. Once the listener is selected, you will find an "Import/Export CA Certificate" button. Click on it to open the certificate export window.

4. In the certificate window, look for an option like "Export Certificate" or "Export CA Certificate." Click on this option to initiate the export process.

5. Choose a location on your filesystem to save the certificate file. Typically, this file has a `.der` extension, so you can name it something like `burp.der`.

By following these steps, you will have successfully exported Burp Suite's CA certificate. This certificate will be needed for configuring your client applications to trust Burp Suite's proxy so that it can intercept and analyze encrypted traffic.

Install Burp’s Certificate:

Here are the instructions for installing Burp's exported certificate as a trusted certificate on different operating systems:

**Windows:**

1. Locate the exported `.cer` certificate file (e.g., `burp.der`) on your system.

2. Double-click the certificate file. This will open the Certificate Import Wizard.

3. Choose the option to "Place all certificates in the following store."

4. Click the "Browse" button and select "Trusted Root Certification Authorities" as the certificate store.

5. Click "Next" and follow the prompts to complete the certificate installation.

**macOS:**

1. Locate the exported `.cer` certificate file (e.g., `burp.der`) on your system.

2. Double-click the certificate file to open it with the Keychain Access application.

3. The certificate should open in the "System" keychain. You may need to authenticate with your macOS user password.

4. Once opened, right-click on the certificate, select "Get Info," and expand the "Trust" section.

5. Set the "When using this certificate" option to "Always Trust."

6. Close the certificate information window. macOS should now trust the Burp Suite certificate.

**Linux:**

1. Copy the exported `.cer` certificate file (e.g., `burp.der`) to a directory where trusted certificates are stored. On many Linux systems, this is `/usr/local/share/ca-certificates/`.

2. Open a terminal and run the following command to update the trusted certificates store:

   ```shell
   sudo update-ca-certificates
   ```

   This command will scan for certificates in the trusted store location and update the certificate store.

After completing these steps, Burp Suite's certificate should be installed as a trusted certificate on your system, allowing it to intercept and analyze encrypted traffic from applications that rely on system trust stores.

Full Command:

With Burp Suite's certificate installed and configured as a trusted certificate, you can now seamlessly use Headerpwn with Burp Suite's proxy for enhanced security testing. Here's the command:

```shell
headerpwn -url https://example.com -headers my_headers.txt -proxy 127.0.0.1:8080
```

This command will instruct Headerpwn to send requests through the Burp Suite proxy, allowing you to analyze how the target URL responds to various HTTP headers while benefiting from the security analysis capabilities of Burp Suite.

Images:





Next Post Previous Post
2 Comments
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous 27 September 2023 at 11:05

    hu

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous 27 September 2023 at 11:06

    I think there's something wrong with your markdown interpreter.

Add Comment
comment url