Project 1 · Hack The Box

Meow

A beginner machine completed by connecting to the HTB network, scanning the assigned target, identifying Telnet, and accessing the lab system through the exposed service.

Objective

Use a structured reconnaissance workflow to identify an accessible service on the assigned training target and complete the machine without relying on guesswork.

Tools used

OpenVPNNmapWindows PowerShellTelnet

Methodology

1. Connected to the lab: Established the Hack The Box VPN connection using OpenVPN.

2. Confirmed the target: Used the assigned target IP from the HTB Starting Point environment.

3. Scanned the target: Ran an Nmap service scan from Windows PowerShell to identify open ports and services.

nmap -sV TARGET_IP

4. Identified Telnet: The scan showed the Telnet service available on TCP port 23.

5. Connected to the service: Used a Telnet client to access the authorized training machine and followed the lab prompts.

6. Verified completion: Located the required proof within the machine and submitted it through Hack The Box. The proof value is intentionally omitted from this public page.

Skills demonstrated

VPN connectivityPort scanningService identificationCommand-line navigationBasic remote access

Lessons learned

Reconnaissance comes first. A simple Nmap scan can reveal the exact service that should be investigated, and exposed legacy protocols such as Telnet create serious security risk because they do not protect traffic like modern secure alternatives.

Evidence

Screenshots were captured during the lab. They will be added after the original images are organized and uploaded to the repository.

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