Windows Script Host

WSH

Using Windows Script Host and COM to Hack Windows | SANS Institute

Can be useful if you exploited something and now have a “beachhead”, e.g limited tools and possibly the necessity to evade antivirus.

Windows Script Host can be used to:

• Move binary files across a firewall via HTTP or email

• Discover and alter system configuration

• Access databases and network services

• Control local hardware on the target to gather intelligence and perform social engineering attacks

Windows Script Host (WSH) is used by Windows and admins to script stuff in windows. WSH based scripts are less likely to get flagged by antivirus programs. Written in JScript or VBScript as uncompiled text files.

They should be run in “real mode” using Cscript.exe

Example programs you can execute (CTRL+F in the whitepaper):

• Retrieving External Files via HTTP

• Dumping Configuration Information

• Accessing a Database

• Modifying System Configuration (without UAC prompt)

• Talking to a User with the Microsoft Speech API

• Capturing Audio and Sending it to a Web Page

• Calling a Web Service

• Sending an Email Attachment with Microsoft Outlook