home / skills / jcastillotx / vibe-skeleton-app / network-101

network-101 skill

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/setup/skills/network-101

This skill helps you set up and test HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, and SMB services for penetration testing labs.

This is most likely a fork of the network-101 skill from xfstudio

npx playbooks add skill jcastillotx/vibe-skeleton-app --skill network-101

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md

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---
name: Network 101
description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "set up a web server", "configure HTTP or HTTPS", "perform SNMP enumeration", "configure SMB shares", "test network services", or needs guidance on configuring and testing network services for penetration testing labs.
---

# Network 101

## Purpose

Configure and test common network services (HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, SMB) for penetration testing lab environments. Enable hands-on practice with service enumeration, log analysis, and security testing against properly configured target systems.

## Inputs/Prerequisites

- Windows Server or Linux system for hosting services
- Kali Linux or similar for testing
- Administrative access to target system
- Basic networking knowledge (IP addressing, ports)
- Firewall access for port configuration

## Outputs/Deliverables

- Configured HTTP/HTTPS web server
- SNMP service with accessible communities
- SMB file shares with various permission levels
- Captured logs for analysis
- Documented enumeration results

## Core Workflow

### 1. Configure HTTP Server (Port 80)

Set up a basic HTTP web server for testing:

**Windows IIS Setup:**
1. Open IIS Manager (Internet Information Services)
2. Right-click Sites → Add Website
3. Configure site name and physical path
4. Bind to IP address and port 80

**Linux Apache Setup:**

```bash
# Install Apache
sudo apt update && sudo apt install apache2

# Start service
sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

# Create test page
echo "<html><body><h1>Test Page</h1></body></html>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/index.html

# Verify service
curl http://localhost
```

**Configure Firewall for HTTP:**

```bash
# Linux (UFW)
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp

# Windows PowerShell
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "HTTP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 80 -Action Allow
```

### 2. Configure HTTPS Server (Port 443)

Set up secure HTTPS with SSL/TLS:

**Generate Self-Signed Certificate:**

```bash
# Linux - Generate certificate
sudo openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -newkey rsa:2048 \
  -keyout /etc/ssl/private/apache-selfsigned.key \
  -out /etc/ssl/certs/apache-selfsigned.crt

# Enable SSL module
sudo a2enmod ssl
sudo systemctl restart apache2
```

**Configure Apache for HTTPS:**

```bash
# Edit SSL virtual host
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/default-ssl.conf

# Enable site
sudo a2ensite default-ssl
sudo systemctl reload apache2
```

**Verify HTTPS Setup:**

```bash
# Check port 443 is open
nmap -p 443 192.168.1.1

# Test SSL connection
openssl s_client -connect 192.168.1.1:443

# Check certificate
curl -kv https://192.168.1.1
```

### 3. Configure SNMP Service (Port 161)

Set up SNMP for enumeration practice:

**Linux SNMP Setup:**

```bash
# Install SNMP daemon
sudo apt install snmpd snmp

# Configure community strings
sudo nano /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf

# Add these lines:
# rocommunity public
# rwcommunity private

# Restart service
sudo systemctl restart snmpd
```

**Windows SNMP Setup:**
1. Open Server Manager → Add Features
2. Select SNMP Service
3. Configure community strings in Services → SNMP Service → Properties

**SNMP Enumeration Commands:**

```bash
# Basic SNMP walk
snmpwalk -c public -v1 192.168.1.1

# Enumerate system info
snmpwalk -c public -v1 192.168.1.1 1.3.6.1.2.1.1

# Get running processes
snmpwalk -c public -v1 192.168.1.1 1.3.6.1.2.1.25.4.2.1.2

# SNMP check tool
snmp-check 192.168.1.1 -c public

# Brute force community strings
onesixtyone -c /usr/share/seclists/Discovery/SNMP/common-snmp-community-strings.txt 192.168.1.1
```

### 4. Configure SMB Service (Port 445)

Set up SMB file shares for enumeration:

**Windows SMB Share:**
1. Create folder to share
2. Right-click → Properties → Sharing → Advanced Sharing
3. Enable sharing and set permissions
4. Configure NTFS permissions

**Linux Samba Setup:**

```bash
# Install Samba
sudo apt install samba

# Create share directory
sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/share
sudo chmod 777 /srv/samba/share

# Configure Samba
sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

# Add share:
# [public]
#    path = /srv/samba/share
#    browsable = yes
#    guest ok = yes
#    read only = no

# Restart service
sudo systemctl restart smbd
```

**SMB Enumeration Commands:**

```bash
# List shares anonymously
smbclient -L //192.168.1.1 -N

# Connect to share
smbclient //192.168.1.1/share -N

# Enumerate with smbmap
smbmap -H 192.168.1.1

# Full enumeration
enum4linux -a 192.168.1.1

# Check for vulnerabilities
nmap --script smb-vuln* 192.168.1.1
```

### 5. Analyze Service Logs

Review logs for security analysis:

**HTTP/HTTPS Logs:**

```bash
# Apache access log
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/access.log

# Apache error log
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

# Windows IIS logs
# Location: C:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles\W3SVC1\
```

**Parse Log for Credentials:**

```bash
# Search for POST requests
grep "POST" /var/log/apache2/access.log

# Extract user agents
awk '{print $12}' /var/log/apache2/access.log | sort | uniq -c
```

## Quick Reference

### Essential Ports

| Service | Port | Protocol |
|---------|------|----------|
| HTTP | 80 | TCP |
| HTTPS | 443 | TCP |
| SNMP | 161 | UDP |
| SMB | 445 | TCP |
| NetBIOS | 137-139 | TCP/UDP |

### Service Verification Commands

```bash
# Check HTTP
curl -I http://target

# Check HTTPS
curl -kI https://target

# Check SNMP
snmpwalk -c public -v1 target

# Check SMB
smbclient -L //target -N
```

### Common Enumeration Tools

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| nmap | Port scanning and scripts |
| nikto | Web vulnerability scanning |
| snmpwalk | SNMP enumeration |
| enum4linux | SMB/NetBIOS enumeration |
| smbclient | SMB connection |
| gobuster | Directory brute forcing |

## Constraints

- Self-signed certificates trigger browser warnings
- SNMP v1/v2c communities transmit in cleartext
- Anonymous SMB access is often disabled by default
- Firewall rules must allow inbound connections
- Lab environments should be isolated from production

## Examples

### Example 1: Complete HTTP Lab Setup

```bash
# Install and configure
sudo apt install apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

# Create login page
cat << 'EOF' | sudo tee /var/www/html/login.html
<html>
<body>
<form method="POST" action="login.php">
Username: <input type="text" name="user"><br>
Password: <input type="password" name="pass"><br>
<input type="submit" value="Login">
</form>
</body>
</html>
EOF

# Allow through firewall
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
```

### Example 2: SNMP Testing Setup

```bash
# Quick SNMP configuration
sudo apt install snmpd
echo "rocommunity public" | sudo tee -a /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf
sudo systemctl restart snmpd

# Test enumeration
snmpwalk -c public -v1 localhost
```

### Example 3: SMB Anonymous Access

```bash
# Configure anonymous share
sudo apt install samba
sudo mkdir /srv/samba/anonymous
sudo chmod 777 /srv/samba/anonymous

# Test access
smbclient //localhost/anonymous -N
```

## Troubleshooting

| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| Port not accessible | Check firewall rules (ufw, iptables, Windows Firewall) |
| Service not starting | Check logs with `journalctl -u service-name` |
| SNMP timeout | Verify UDP 161 is open, check community string |
| SMB access denied | Verify share permissions and user credentials |
| HTTPS certificate error | Accept self-signed cert or add to trusted store |
| Cannot connect remotely | Bind service to 0.0.0.0 instead of localhost |

Overview

This skill configures and tests common network services (HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, SMB) for penetration testing lab environments. It guides you through practical setups, verification commands, and log analysis so you can build repeatable, isolated labs for enumeration and security testing. Use it to create realistic targets and capture evidence for analysis.

How this skill works

The skill provides step‑by‑step configuration for web servers (IIS/Apache), SSL/TLS for HTTPS, SNMP daemons with community strings, and Samba/SMB shares. It also supplies verification commands and enumeration workflows using tools like curl, nmap, snmpwalk, smbclient, enum4linux, and logging tips for Apache/IIS. Troubleshooting hints and constraints help you resolve common lab issues and keep environments isolated.

When to use it

Setting up a web server for vulnerability or log analysis practice
Configuring HTTPS with self‑signed certificates for testing TLS behavior
Creating SNMP targets to practice enumeration and community discovery
Building SMB shares with varied permissions for access control testing
Validating network services and firewall rules in a lab before exercises

Best practices

Isolate lab networks from production to avoid accidental exposure
Keep services bound to appropriate interfaces (use 0.0.0.0 for remote lab access when safe)
Prefer documented, minimal configurations and capture logs for each test
Use distinct accounts and permission levels for SMB shares to simulate real scenarios
Accept or provision certs intentionally and note that self‑signed certificates will warn in browsers

Example use cases

Create an Apache HTTP site with a simple login form to practice web enumeration and POST analysis
Enable HTTPS with a self‑signed cert to test TLS scanning and certificate inspection workflows
Install snmpd with public/ private communities to practice snmpwalk, snmp‑check, and community brute forcing
Configure a Samba anonymous share and a restricted share to practice smbmap, enum4linux, and permission escalation techniques
Use nmap and service‑specific scripts to validate ports 80, 443, 161, and 445 are reachable through lab firewalls

FAQ

Will self‑signed certificates work for HTTPS testing?

Yes. Self‑signed certs are fine for testing but will trigger browser warnings; add them to the trusted store or use curl -k for command‑line testing.

Are SNMP communities secure?

No. SNMP v1/v2c community strings are sent in cleartext. Use them only in isolated labs and prefer SNMPv3 for secure production testing.