Metasploit Postgres Setup

NOTE: You no longer have to setup the Postgres database manually for MSF, see the updated guide on how to install the Metasploit Penetration Testing Framework with bundled embedded Postgresql database.

This page adapts the instructions on Metasploit Wiki:Postgres setup to Fedora.

Allowing password authentication to access postgres on localhost

Allow the possibility for account msf_user to use password based authentication to connect to databasse msf_user. Edit "/var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf", change:

host     all            all            127.0.0.1/32          ident

to

host    "msf_database"	"msf_user"      127.0.0.1/32          md5
host     all             all            127.0.0.1/32          ident

See also: Postgresql Wiki: Client Authentication and Postgresql Documentation: pg_hba.conf

Starting postgres

user@magnolia:$ sudo -s
user@magnolia:$ postgresql-setup initdb
user@magnolia:$ systemctl start postgresql.service

Becoming the postgres user

root@magnolia:# su postgres

Creating a database user

postgres@magnolia:$ createuser msf_user -P
Enter password for new role: yourmsfpassword
Enter it again: yourmsfpassword 
Shall the new role be a superuser? (y/n) n
Shall the new role be allowed to create databases? (y/n) n
Shall the new role be allowed to create more new roles? (y/n) n

Creating a database

postgres@magnolia:$ createdb --owner=msf_user msf_database

Configure Metasploit

Start the framework by running msfconsole, then enter the following commands:

msf > db_status 
[*] postgresql selected, no connection
msf> db_connect msf_user:yourmsfpassword@127.0.0.1:5432/msf_database
NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE will create implicit sequence "hosts_id_seq" for serial column "hosts.id"
NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE / PRIMARY KEY will create implicit index "hosts_pkey" for table "hosts"
[..]
NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE will create implicit sequence "mod_refs_id_seq" for serial column "mod_refs.id"
NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE / PRIMARY KEY will create implicit index "mod_refs_pkey" for table "mod_refs"

Enable the database on startup

Write the database configuration to separate configuration file so the password doesn't get printed on the screen during each start of the msfconsole.Please not the attributes are prepended with spaces characters not tabs.

$ cat > /opt/metasploit4/config/database.yml << EOF
production:
    adapter: postgresql
    database: msf_database
    username: msf_user
    password: yourmsfpassword
    host: 127.0.0.1
    port: 5432
    pool: 75
    timeout: 5
EOF

Use the database configuration file and connect to this database during each startup of msfconsole. Also change to the workspace of yur current pentesting project.

$ cat > ~/.msf4/msfconsole.rc << EOF
db_connect -y /opt/metasploit4/config/database.yml
workspace -a YourProject
EOF

Using the database

Once you have database configured and connected you can use it to store information. First check the database status:

msf > db_status
[*] postgresql connected to msf_database

Scan the local network network:

msf > db_nmap 192.168.1.0/24

List hosts which are in the database:

msf > hosts

Hosts
=====

address        mac                name       os_name  os_flavor  os_sp  purpose  info  comments
-------        ---                ----       -------  ---------  -----  -------  ----  --------
192.168.1.1    11:22:33:44:55:66  router     Linux    2.6.X             device         
192.168.1.100  22:33:44:55:66:77  mixer      Linux    2.6.X             device         

List all the db commands for the version of metasploit you have installed:

msf > help database

Database Backend Commands
=========================

    Command        Description
    -------        -----------
    creds          List all credentials in the database
    db_connect     Connect to an existing database
    db_disconnect  Disconnect from the current database instance
    db_export      Export a file containing the contents of the database
    db_import      Import a scan result file (filetype will be auto-detected)
    db_nmap        Executes nmap and records the output automatically
    db_status      Show the current database status
    hosts          List all hosts in the database
    loot           List all loot in the database
    notes          List all notes in the database
    services       List all services in the database
    vulns          List all vulnerabilities in the database
    workspace      Switch between database workspaces

Troubleshooting

If you run into issues, or need to modify the user or database, you can always use the psql command to do this. Asusming you're using IDENT authentication (default on Fedora and RHEL), you'll have to become the 'postgres' user before you can modify users or databases with psql. (see Becoming the postgres user above)

To list databases

postgres@magnolia:$ psql -l

To assign ownership of a database

To change the owner of a database, pass the following command to psql: "ALTER DATABASE name OWNER TO new_owner" For example:

postgres@magnolia:$ psql -c "ALTER DATABASE msf_database OWNER TO msf_user;" 

To add or change the password for a user

To change the password for a postgres user, pass the following command to psql: "ALTER USER username WITH ENCRYPTED PASSWORD 'passwd';" For example:

postgres@magnolia:$ psql -c "ALTER USER msf_user WITH ENCRYPTED PASSWORD 'omgwtfbbq';" 

To drop a database

Postgres provides a handy 'dropdb' command.

postgres@magnolia:$ dropdb msf_database

To drop a user

Postgres provides a handy 'dropuser' command.

postgres@magnolia:$ dropuser msf_user

Other useful postgres tips

psql is a handy tool if you need to modify anything inside the postgres system. If you prefer a graphical tool, pgadmin3 is quite good. For more information, see the (extensive) documentation here: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/manuals/

psql commands

• select version(); - show the db version
• \h - get help
• \q - quit

See Also

• Metasploit Wiki:Postgres setup
• Metasploit