HTB Silentium

Overview

Silentium is an Easy-difficulty Linux machine featuring Flowise AI framework exploitation and Gogs privilege escalation. This machine teaches:

• Vhost enumeration techniques
• Flowise vulnerability exploitation
• Password reset token manipulation
• JavaScript injection for RCE
• Git repository exploitation
• Symlink-based privilege escalation

Enumeration

Domain Discovery

The box requires vhost enumeration to discover:

• Main domain: silentium.htb
• Subdomain: staging.silentium.htb

Web Applications

Main Site (silentium.htb):

• Static fintech/corporate website
• Staff member names (potential usernames)

Staging Site (staging.silentium.htb):

• Flowise 3.0.5 - AI agent builder
• Login portal
• API endpoints

Initial Foothold

CVE Chain Overview

Email Enumerationchr(10)    ↓chr(10)CVE-2025-58434 (Password Reset Token Leak)chr(10)    ↓chr(10)Account Takeoverchr(10)    ↓chr(10)CVE-2025-59528 (JS Injection RCE)chr(10)    ↓chr(10)Shell Access

Email Enumeration

Flowise login endpoint reveals whether an email exists:

• 404 - Email doesn't exist
• 401 - Email exists, wrong password

Attack: Enumerate valid emails using staff names from main site

Password Reset Vulnerability

CVE-2025-58434 - Password reset tokens leak in API responses

Exploitation:

1. Request password reset for valid email
2. Capture reset token from response
3. Use token to set new password
4. Login with compromised account

JavaScript Injection RCE

CVE-2025-59528 - JavaScript code execution in Flowise workflows

Once authenticated, exploit workflow configuration to inject malicious JavaScript that executes on the server.

Privilege Escalation

Git Repository Exploitation

After initial access, discover:

• Gogs - Self-hosted Git service
• Running version vulnerable to CVE-2025-8110

Symlink Privilege Escalation

The vulnerability allows:

1. Create malicious Git repository with symlinks
2. Upload to Gogs
3. Trigger server-side processing
4. Symlink traversal to read/write privileged files
5. SSH key injection or SUID binary creation

Root Flag Location: /root/root.txt

Key Takeaways

• Vhost enumeration is essential
• Email enumeration enables targeted attacks
• Password reset flows need protection
• JavaScript execution contexts are dangerous
• Git servers have unique attack surface
• Symlinks can bypass restrictions

Tools Used

• nmap - Port scanning
• gobuster - Vhost/directory enumeration
• curl - API testing
• burpsuite - Request manipulation
• Custom exploit scripts
• git - Repository interaction

Want the full exploitation chain? Get the PAID version on Buy Me a Coffee with all commands, CVE exploitation details, and complete privilege escalation walkthrough.