PuTTY

3 Aug 2021

Playing with PuTTY

This article explores techniques for manipulating PuTTY's source code and session sharing mechanism to capture credentials and execute remote commands. Multiple methods are demonstrated for backdooring PuTTY, including capturing user commands, stealing authentication details, and hijacking SSH sessions through named pipe communications. The techniques provide creative approaches for bypassing security controls during adversarial simulations without traditional keylogging methods.

Stuart Morgan
16 Mar 2016

Abusing PuTTY & Pageant through native functionality

A technique for remotely interacting with SSH keys stored in PuTTY's Pageant SSH agent on Windows is explored. The method leverages native functionality to proxy SSH authentication requests through a compromised workstation without traditional exploitation. An attack tool called PageantJacker enables forwarding authentication requests to a remote Pageant instance, allowing an attacker to use a target's SSH keys from their own machine.

Stuart Morgan
1 Feb 2016

The Pageantry of Lateral Movement

A presentation on lateral movement techniques in network penetration testing explores abusing Pageant (PuTTY's SSH agent) on Windows hosts. The talk demonstrates a nearly undetectable method of tunneling SSH agent traffic using a meterpreter extension. Improvements were made to an existing reconnaissance tool to enhance its utility during simulated attacks.