HackTheBox - Artificial
Source: YouTube · IppSec · published Oct 25, 2025 · 30:58
The video demonstrates an artificial hack of the "Backrest" box, exploiting a Flask web app to execute code, dump the database, and compromise the backup application.
Key Takeaways:
• The initial target is a Flask-based web app for testing TensorFlow H5 models, which contains a known path to code execution via malicious model files 0:06.
• Exploiting this vulnerability allows the attacker to gain shell access and dump the application database 0:12.
• Cracked database credentials reveal access to another user who can retrieve a backup file of the Backrest application 0:17.
• Accessing the backup application provides control over company files, enabling secret discovery or arbitrary file restoration 0:25.
• The presenter demonstrates three distinct methods to exploit the backup application for full compromise 0:36.
This walkthrough highlights how chaining web app vulnerabilities with credential reuse leads to complete system compromise.
Sources:
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First 800 characters of the transcript
What's going on YouTube? This is IPSC and we're doing an artificial from hack the box which is a nice easy box starting off with a web app coded in flask that lets users test their TensorFlow H5 models. Googling this reveals we have a path to code execution through writing a malicious model and with the shell we dump the database crack credentials and gain access to another user which has access to a backup file of the back rest application. Cracking the password in this lets us access the backup application which will almost always result into a complete compromise because gaining access to the backup application means you gain access to all the company files. You can either find secrets in the backups or just command it to back up something sensitive and restore it. We'll exploit the bac…