Troubleshooting Hack The Box Nagios XI Port 80: A Metasploit Downgrade Guide

Encountering issues while attempting to penetrate a Nagios XI server on port 80 within Hack The Box using Metasploit is not uncommon. Many penetration testers, especially those new to the platform or specific exploits, can find themselves stuck. If you’re facing roadblocks with Metasploit version 6 (msf6) during your Hack The Box Nagios XI port 80 challenge, downgrading to Metasploit version 5 (msf5) might offer a more stable and effective path forward. This guide will walk you through the steps to downgrade and potentially resolve your exploit issues.

Many users have reported that Metasploit 5 exhibits greater stability compared to its successor, Metasploit 6. For specific engagements like exploiting a Nagios XI server on port 80 in Hack The Box, this stability can be crucial. Version 5’s more mature codebase may handle certain exploits or environments more reliably, making it a pragmatic choice when troubleshooting complex scenarios. If you suspect version incompatibility or instability is hindering your progress, consider the following downgrade procedure.

To effectively downgrade your Metasploit installation, follow these steps:

First, uninstall Metasploit 6 completely. Open your terminal and execute the following command to remove the framework and its associated packages:

sudo apt-get --auto-remove metasploit-framework

(Hint: Typing meta and pressing the Tab key will often autocomplete the package name.)

Next, you will need to acquire the Metasploit 5 archive. Download msf5.tar.gz from the official Rapid7 GitHub repository: Release 5.0.101 · rapid7/metasploit-framework · GitHub. Once downloaded, extract the archive using the tar command:

tar xvzf filename.tar.gz

Navigate to your home directory by typing cd ~ in the terminal. Metasploit relies on Ruby gems for dependencies. Ensure you have the Bundler gem installed by running:

gem install bundle

Bundler is essential for managing and installing the required gems (dependencies) for Metasploit.

Change your directory back into the extracted Metasploit folder. To install all necessary gems, execute the bundle install command:

bundle install

Important: You might need to run bundle install multiple times during this process. Always ensure you are within the extracted Metasploit folder before running this command. These gems are the dependencies critical for Metasploit to function correctly, and resolving dependency issues is often key to fixing problems encountered during Hack The Box challenges like exploiting Nagios XI on port 80.

During the bundle install process, you might encounter errors. Carefully read the error messages line by line. These messages are usually informative and will often suggest commands to resolve missing dependencies. For example, an error might indicate a missing system library. It might suggest a command like: “make sure [something] is installed before bundling.” Use the suggested command. This might lead to further errors, often directing you to a log file.

If you encounter a log file error, use the cat command to view its content:

cat /path/to/log/file

The log file will likely pinpoint the exact missing dependency. Often, the error will state something like “directory/file does not exist.” Copy this error message and search online (e.g., using Stack Overflow). The solution typically involves installing the missing dependency using apt. For instance:

sudo apt-get install packagename

Install the suggested dependencies and then re-run bundle install within the Metasploit extracted folder. Repeat this process of reading error messages, identifying missing dependencies from logs, installing them with apt, and re-running bundle install until the command completes successfully without errors, displaying a “bundle is complete” message.

At this point, Metasploit 5 should be functional. To run it, navigate to the extracted folder and execute:

./msfconsole

For easier access, you can create an alias to run Metasploit 5 from any directory. This avoids navigating to the extracted folder every time. To create an alias for msfconsole that points to your Metasploit 5 installation, use a command like this:

alias msfconsole='cd "/path/to/metasploit extracted folder" && ./msfconsole -q'

(Replace /path/to/metasploit extracted folder with the actual path to your extracted Metasploit 5 directory.) The -q flag starts Metasploit in quiet mode, which can speed up the startup process. Be mindful that if you have or later install Metasploit 6, this alias might conflict. Consider using a distinct alias name like msfconsole5 or msf5console to prevent conflicts.

Downgrading to Metasploit 5 can often resolve unexpected issues encountered when tackling Hack The Box challenges like exploiting Nagios XI on port 80. By following these detailed steps, you should be able to establish a stable Metasploit environment and continue your penetration testing endeavors more effectively.