How to Install BeEF on Windows 10

BeEF (The Browser Exploitation Framework) is an advanced penetration testing tool that focuses on the web browser. BeEF pioneers client-side attack techniques that allow pentesters to assess the security posture of target systems Unlike other frameworks, BeEF specializes in leveraging browser vulnerabilities rather than network or operating system weaknesses. This makes it an indispensable tool for web application and browser security testing

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through installing BeEF on Windows 10 from scratch

Overview of BeEF

BeEF is an open source framework written in Ruby. It leverages hooks injected into a web page which allow an attacker to manipulate the DOM and perform other browser-based attacks.

Some key features and capabilities of BeEF include:

• Browser fingerprinting – Gather detailed data about the target browser environment including type version plugins, etc.

• Distributed architecture – The BeEF server coordinates attacks across multiple zombie browsers. This allows large scale campaigns.

• Broad module library – BeEF has over 70 built-in modules for browser reconnaissance, host scanning, phishing and more. Modules can also be created using the API.

• Command and control – Issue commands and gather results from hooked browsers. Useful for post-exploitation.

• Cross-origin communication – Browsers hooked by BeEF can communicate and share data cross-domain.

• Persistence – Maintain hooks across browser restarts and tab closures.

Overall, BeEF opens up a wide range of attack opportunities and data gathering capabilities against the client-side application layer.

Prerequisites

Before installing BeEF, there are a few prerequisites that must be setup:

• Ruby – BeEF is written in Ruby, so an interpreter is required. The latest Ruby 2.x version is recommended.

• Bundler – Used to manage Ruby dependencies and gems for the BeEF framework.

• SQLite3 – An embedded database used by BeEF to store data like modules, logs, etc.

• Node.js – Javascript runtime used by the BeEF UI and some modules.

Optionally, a Git client can be installed to clone the BeEF repository from GitHub.

Step 1 – Install Ruby

First, install a Ruby interpreter on your Windows system. The RubyInstaller is the easiest way to do this on Windows.

Download and run the RubyInstaller for the latest Ruby 2.x version. Use the default options during installation.

After installing Ruby, verify it is in your PATH by opening a command prompt and typing:

ruby -v

This should print the installed Ruby version.

Step 2 – Install Bundler

Next, we need to install Bundler to manage Ruby gems and dependencies for BeEF:

gem install bundler

Check that Bundler installed correctly:

bundler -v

Step 3 – Install SQLite3

The embedded SQLite3 database is required for BeEF’s data storage. Download the SQLite DLL for Windows.

Extract the DLL file to your Ruby binary folder:

C:Ruby23bin

Step 4 – Install Node.js

The BeEF UI and some modules are built on Node.js. Download and install the current Node.js release.

Verify the installation:

node -v

Step 5 – Download BeEF

Next, we need to download the latest source code for BeEF. This can be done through Git or by downloading a ZIP archive of the code.

To use Git (recommended), open a terminal and clone the BeEF repository:

git clone https://github.com/beefproject/beef

Alternatively, grab the latest ZIP archive from the BeEF releases page.

Extract the archive contents to a folder like C:beEF.

Step 6 – Install BeEF Dependencies

Navigate into the extracted BeEF folder. We need to install all the Ruby gem dependencies using Bundler:

cd beefbundle install

This will read the Gemfile and install the required gems.

Step 7 – Configure Database

Before starting BeEF, we need to configure the SQLite database. This is done by migrating the database schema:

rake db:migrate

This command sets up the required tables and schema in the beef.db file.

Step 8 – Start the BeEF Server

We’re now ready to launch the BeEF server. From within the BeEF install directory, run:

ruby beef

This will start the BeEF REST API and web UI on port 3000.

To access the BeEF interface, browse to:

http://your-ip:3000/ui/panel

Log in using the default credentials:

• Username: beef
• Password: beef

The BeEF dashboard should now be accessible indicating a successful install!

Hooking Browsers

With the BeEF server running, the next step is hooking browsers to establish the command and control channel. This is done by getting the target to load a JavaScript hook in their browser.

The BeEF UI provides several hook injection vectors including:

• Basic hook URL – Directly open a URL like http://your-ip:3000/hook.js. Useful for testing but unlikely to work against an actual target.

• Web page clones – Create a staged copy of a legitimate webpage injected with the hook script. Requires some social engineering to get the target to visit.

• Man-in-the-browser proxy – Intercept and inject hooks into web traffic using MiTM techniques like ARP spoofing.

• Metasploit integration – Leverage Metasploit browser autopwn features to fingerprint and hook browsers.

• Social engineering modules – Phishing attacks, tabnabbing, and other methods to transparently load the hook.

Once hooked, the target browser will appear under the Online Browsers section ready to be exploited through BeEF’s extensive module library.

BeEF Community and Support

BeEF has an active community with new releases coming out periodically. Bug reports and feature requests can be submitted through the GitHub issues.

For additional help and support, check out the #beef channel on Freenode IRC or join the BeEF Discord server.

In this guide, we walked through installing BeEF from scratch on Windows 10. While not officially supported on Windows, this process gets BeEF up and running by installing the necessary dependencies like Ruby and Node.js.

BeEF is a powerful browser exploitation framework that expands the attack surface to the client-side. With the server configured, browsers can be hooked to establish command and control for further exploitation.

There are many directions for further exploring BeEF including building custom modules, integrating with other tools like Metasploit, and developing creative phishing techniques to embed the hook. As browsers and web applications continue to be rich targets, BeEF provides an ideal platform for browser-focused security assessments.

Frequency of Entities: https://www.hackingarticles.in/how-to-install-beef-in-windows-pc/ – 2, https://github.com/beefproject/beef/issues/805 – 10