SNMP[161]

Basics

Overview

• SNMP is used for monitoring and managing network devices.

• Supports configuration tasks and remote settings changes.

• Common SNMP-enabled devices: routers, switches, servers, IoT devices.

• Current version: SNMPv3, which enhances security but increases complexity.

Communication Mechanism

• Uses UDP port 161 for information exchange and control commands.

• Allows clients to set values, change options, and settings on network devices.

• Supports SNMP traps (UDP port 162), enabling devices to send alerts without a request.

• Requires unique SNMP object addresses for successful data transmission.

Management Information Base (MIB)

• Ensures SNMP access works across manufacturers and different client-server combinations.

• MIB is a text file listing all queryable SNMP objects in a standardized tree hierarchy.

• Each Object Identifier (OID) provides:

  • Unique address

  • Name

  • Data type

  • Access rights

  • Description

• MIBs do not store data but explain where to find specific information.

Object Identifier (OID)

• OID represents a node in a hierarchical namespace.

• Dot notation sequence of numbers uniquely identifies each node.

• Longer sequences indicate more specific information.

• Some OID nodes serve only as references to other nodes.

• MIBs can be looked up in Object Identifier Registry.

SNMP Versions

SNMPv1

• First version, still used in small networks.

• Supports:

  • Information retrieval from network devices.

  • Device configuration.

  • Traps (event notifications).

• Security Issues:

  • No authentication mechanism (anyone can access data).

  • No encryption (data sent in plain text, vulnerable to interception).

SNMPv2 (SNMPv2c)

• Community-based SNMP.

• Additional functions compared to SNMPv1.

• Security Issues:

  • Community string is transmitted in plain text.

  • No built-in encryption.

SNMPv3

• Improved security with:

  • Authentication using username and password.

  • Encryption using a pre-shared key.

• More complex configuration than SNMPv2c.

Community Strings

• Act as passwords to control information access.

• Security concerns:

  • SNMPv2 is still widely used due to complex SNMPv3 transition.

  • Community strings are sent in plain text and can be intercepted.

  • Lack of knowledge about how attackers exploit SNMP makes networks vulnerable.

Summary

• SNMP is essential for network monitoring and management.

• SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c have security vulnerabilities due to lack of encryption.

• SNMPv3 offers security improvements but requires more complex configuration.

• MIBs and OIDs structure SNMP data, ensuring interoperability across devices.

• Community strings are a security risk if not properly secured.

• Organizations must balance security and usability when choosing an SNMP version.

Default Configuration

The default configuration of the SNMP daemon defines the basic settings for the service, which include the IP addresses, ports, MIB, OIDs, authentication, and community strings.

SNMP Daemon Config

SNMP

z3tssu@htb[/htb]$ cat /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf | grep -v "#" | sed -r '/^\s*$/d'

sysLocation    Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
sysContact     Me <[e-mail]>
sysServices    72
master  agentx
agentaddress  127.0.0.1,[::1]
view   systemonly  included   .1.3.6.1.2.1.1
view   systemonly  included   .1.3.6.1.2.1.25.1
rocommunity  public default -V systemonly
rocommunity6 public default -V systemonly
rouser authPrivUser authpriv -V systemonly

The configuration of this service can also be changed in many ways. Therefore, we recommend setting up a VM to install and configure the SNMP server ourselves. All the settings that can be made for the SNMP daemon are defined and described in the manpage.

Dangerous Settings

Some dangerous settings that the administrator can make with SNMP are:

Settings	Description
rwuser noauth	Provides access to the full OID tree without authentication.
rwcommunity <community string> <IPv4 address>	Provides access to the full OID tree regardless of where the requests were sent from.
rwcommunity6 <community string> <IPv6 address>	Same access as with rwcommunity with the difference of using IPv6.

---

Cheatsheet

Command	Description
snmpwalk -v2c -c <community string> <FQDN/IP>	Querying OIDs using snmpwalk.
onesixtyone -c community-strings.list <FQDN/IP>	Bruteforcing community strings of the SNMP service.
braa <community string>@<FQDN/IP>:.1.*	Bruteforcing SNMP service OIDs.

Footprinting the Service

For footprinting SNMP, we can use tools like snmpwalk, onesixtyone, and braa.

• Snmpwalk is used to query the OIDs with their information.

• Onesixtyone can be used to brute-force the names of the community strings since they can be named arbitrarily by the administrator. Since these community strings can be bound to any source, identifying the existing community strings can take quite some time.

SNMPwalk

z3tssu@htb[/htb]$ snmpwalk -v2c -c public 10.129.14.128

iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0 = STRING: "Linux htb 5.11.0-34-generic #36~20.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Fri Aug 27 08:06:32 UTC 2021 x86_64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.2.0 = OID: iso.3.6.1.4.1.8072.3.2.10
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.3.0 = Timeticks: (5134) 0:00:51.34
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.4.0 = STRING: "[e-mail]"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.5.0 = STRING: "htb"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.6.0 = STRING: "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.7.0 = INTEGER: 72
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.8.0 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.1 = OID: iso.3.6.1.6.3.10.3.1.1
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.2 = OID: iso.3.6.1.6.3.11.3.1.1
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.3 = OID: iso.3.6.1.6.3.15.2.1.1
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.4 = OID: iso.3.6.1.6.3.1
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.5 = OID: iso.3.6.1.6.3.16.2.2.1
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.6 = OID: iso.3.6.1.2.1.49
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.7 = OID: iso.3.6.1.2.1.4
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.8 = OID: iso.3.6.1.2.1.50
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.9 = OID: iso.3.6.1.6.3.13.3.1.3
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.10 = OID: iso.3.6.1.2.1.92
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.1 = STRING: "The SNMP Management Architecture MIB."
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.2 = STRING: "The MIB for Message Processing and Dispatching."
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.3 = STRING: "The management information definitions for the SNMP User-based Security Model."
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.4 = STRING: "The MIB module for SNMPv2 entities"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.5 = STRING: "View-based Access Control Model for SNMP."
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.6 = STRING: "The MIB module for managing TCP implementations"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.7 = STRING: "The MIB module for managing IP and ICMP implementations"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.8 = STRING: "The MIB module for managing UDP implementations"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.9 = STRING: "The MIB modules for managing SNMP Notification, plus filtering."
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.3.10 = STRING: "The MIB module for logging SNMP Notifications."
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.1 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.2 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.3 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.4 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.5 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.6 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.7 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.8 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.9 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.4.10 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.1.0 = Timeticks: (3676678) 10:12:46.78
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.2.0 = Hex-STRING: 07 E5 09 14 0E 2B 2D 00 2B 02 00 
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.3.0 = INTEGER: 393216
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.4.0 = STRING: "BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-34-generic root=UUID=9a6a5c52-f92a-42ea-8ddf-940d7e0f4223 ro quiet splash"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.5.0 = Gauge32: 3
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.6.0 = Gauge32: 411
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.7.0 = INTEGER: 0
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.7.0 = No more variables left in this MIB View (It is past the end of the MIB tree)

...SNIP...

iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1232 = STRING: "printer-driver-sag-gdi_0.1-7_all"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1233 = STRING: "printer-driver-splix_2.0.0+svn315-7fakesync1build1_amd64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1234 = STRING: "procps_2:3.3.16-1ubuntu2.3_amd64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1235 = STRING: "proftpd-basic_1.3.6c-2_amd64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1236 = STRING: "proftpd-doc_1.3.6c-2_all"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1237 = STRING: "psmisc_23.3-1_amd64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1238 = STRING: "publicsuffix_20200303.0012-1_all"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1239 = STRING: "pulseaudio_1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.12_amd64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1240 = STRING: "pulseaudio-module-bluetooth_1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.12_amd64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1241 = STRING: "pulseaudio-utils_1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.12_amd64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1242 = STRING: "python-apt-common_2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.6_all"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1243 = STRING: "python3_3.8.2-0ubuntu2_amd64"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1244 = STRING: "python3-acme_1.1.0-1_all"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1245 = STRING: "python3-apport_2.20.11-0ubuntu27.21_all"
iso.3.6.1.2.1.25.6.3.1.2.1246 = STRING: "python3-apt_2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.6_amd64" 

...SNIP...

In the case of a misconfiguration, we would get approximately the same results from snmpwalk as just shown above. Once we know the community string and the SNMP service that does not require authentication (versions 1, 2c), we can query internal system information like in the previous example.

OneSixtyOne

OneSixtyOne

If we do not know the community string, we can use onesixtyone and SecLists wordlists to identify these community strings.

z3tssu@htb[/htb]$ sudo apt install onesixtyone
z3tssu@htb[/htb]$ onesixtyone -c /opt/useful/seclists/Discovery/SNMP/snmp.txt 10.129.14.128

Scanning 1 hosts, 3220 communities
10.129.14.128 [public] Linux htb 5.11.0-37-generic #41~20.04.2-Ubuntu SMP Fri Sep 24 09:06:38 UTC 2021 x86_64

Often, when certain community strings are bound to specific IP addresses, they are named with the hostname of the host, and sometimes even symbols are added to these names to make them more challenging to identify. However, if we imagine an extensive network with over 100 different servers managed using SNMP, the labels, in that case, will have some pattern to them. Therefore, we can use different rules to guess them. We can use the tool crunch to create custom wordlists. Creating custom wordlists is not an essential part of this module, but more details can be found in the module Cracking Passwords With Hashcat.

Once we know a community string, we can use it with braa to brute-force the individual OIDs and enumerate the information behind them.

Braa

z3tssu@htb[/htb]$ sudo apt install braa
z3tssu@htb[/htb]$ braa <community string>@<IP>:.1.3.6.*   # Syntax
z3tssu@htb[/htb]$ braa public@10.129.14.128:.1.3.6.*

10.129.14.128:20ms:.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0:Linux htb 5.11.0-34-generic #36~20.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Fri Aug 27 08:06:32 UTC 2021 x86_64
10.129.14.128:20ms:.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.2.0:.1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.3.2.10
10.129.14.128:20ms:.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.3.0:548
10.129.14.128:20ms:.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.4.0:[e-mail]
10.129.14.128:20ms:.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.5.0:htb
10.129.14.128:20ms:.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.6.0:US
10.129.14.128:20ms:.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.7.0:78
...SNIP...

Once again, we would like to point out that the independent configuration of the SNMP service will bring us a great variety of different experiences that no tutorial can replace. Therefore, we highly recommend setting up a VM with SNMP, experimenting with it, and trying different configurations. SNMP can be a boon for an I.T. systems administrator as well as a curse for Security analysts and managers alike.