SQL Injection Leading to PHP RCE and YAML-Based Privilege Escalation to Root | HackTheBox Gavel

Description:
In this video, we walk through the HackTheBox Gavel machine, a medium-difficulty Linux target that demonstrates how multiple vulnerabilities can be chained together to achieve full system compromise.

We begin by analyzing a misconfigured PHP application that improperly uses PDO statements, leading to a **SQL Injection vulnerability**. By exploiting this flaw, we extract sensitive data from an internal database, which provides us with valuable insight into the system and potential entry points.

Next, we identify and exploit a **PHP code injection vulnerability**, allowing us to execute arbitrary commands on the target system. This step grants us initial access and a foothold on the machine.

Finally, we escalate our privileges by targeting a **root-owned daemon** that processes user-supplied YAML files. By crafting a malicious YAML payload, we trigger **PHP code execution within a sandboxed environment running as root**, ultimately achieving full root access.

This walkthrough highlights the importance of:

* Secure database query handling (avoiding unsafe PDO usage)
* Proper input validation and sanitization in PHP applications
* The risks of insecure file parsing (YAML deserialization / processing)
* Chaining multiple vulnerabilities for full system compromise

Whether you're preparing for certifications like OSCP or improving your penetration testing skills, this machine provides a great example of real-world exploitation techniques.

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Video For Thank's ; Mohamad Alamin Yassin
Mohamad Alamin Yassin Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/strikoder/

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