Repository: z0rs.github.io
Stack: Gatsby 5 · React 18 · Tailwind CSS 3 · gatsby-plugin-mdx 3 · GitHub Actions
Reviewer: Senior SWE / DevOps / Security
Date: 2026-03-07
Reviewer: SWE / DevOps / Security
This is a Gatsby 5 static blog / personal site for a security researcher ("Eno Leriand"). It publishes MDX-based articles and CTF write-ups, rendered with React 18 and styled with Tailwind CSS v3 + the typography plugin. Content is stored under content/ (articles, CTFs, pages) and source code lives in src/. The site is deployed automatically to GitHub Pages via a GitHub Actions workflow on every push to master. Serverless Gatsby Functions in src/api/ provide a reaction system (FaunaDB), newsletter subscription (ConvertKit via axios), and a Google Analytics UA visitor-map endpoint.
⚠️ ETHICAL CONSTRAINT: Every technique, tool, and payload in this guide is used EXCLUSIVELY against: your own Docker lab containers, local VMs, CTF platforms, or systems with explicit written authorization. Unauthorized use is illegal. OpenClaw enforces this.
⚠️ ETHICAL NOTICE: Every attack technique in this guide is performed exclusively against:
- Your own local virtual machines
- Docker lab containers (DVWA, Juice Shop, Metasploitable2)
- CTF platforms
- Systems you own or have explicit written authorization to test >
Ethical Notice: This guide is strictly for authorized environments — personal labs, CTF platforms, intentionally vulnerable systems (DVWA, Juice Shop, Metasploitable), and authorized penetration testing engagements. Never use these tools against systems you do not own or have explicit written permission to test.
This guide is designed for a Linux Systems Engineer workflow. We are going to build a hardened, performant environment for OpenClaw on your ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Given your i7-8650U and 16GB RAM, we have plenty of overhead, but we will optimize for efficiency.
- OS: Arch Linux x86_64 (latest rolling release)
- Host: 20KGS9HK00 ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th
- Kernel: 6.19.6-arch1-1
- Shell: bash 5.3.9
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Window Manager: DWM
Incident Summary
This report outlines the compromise of a WordPress server exploited through a vulnerable plugin by a threat actor. The attack, simulated in HackTheBox's Sherlock: Ultimatum challenge, targeted a known vulnerability in the Ultimate Member plugin, enabling the attacker to create a backdoor admin account and gain full control over the server. This detailed report examines the attack timeline, indicators of compromise (IoCs), and post-exploitation activities.
1. Objective
The objective of this investigation was to analyze the compromise of a WordPress server suspected of being attacked via a vulnerable plugin. The aim was to identify the exploit, document the attacker's methods, and gather actionable intelligence for remediation.
- Challenge: Serialization Saga
- Points: 100
- Category: Insecure Deserialization
This challenge is a CTF designed to test the ability to identify and exploit insecure deserialization vulnerabilities. Participants are required to perform certain functions by exploiting these vulnerabilities and obtaining flags as a result.
I am happy to share vulnerability findings on Fortinet FortiMail, focusing on versions v7.0.1, v7.0.0, v6.4.5 & below, v6.3.7 & below, and v6.0.11 & below. During this assessment, I was able to identify an unpatched XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) vulnerability, tagged as CVE-2021-43062. The vulnerability allowed arbitrary code execution via a specially crafted HTTP GET request to the FortiGuard URI protection service.
| Product | Fortinet FortiMail |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Fortinet |
| Severity | Medium |
| Affected Versions | v7.0.1, v7.0.0, v6.4.5 & below, v6.3.7 & below, v6.0.11 & below |