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Fingerprint Web Application Framework

OWASP Web Security Testing Guide 4.2 > 1. Information Gathering > 1.8. Fingerprint Web Application Framework

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1.8 WSTG-INFO-08 Fingerprint Web Application Framework - Fingerprint the components being used by the web applications. - Find the type of web application framework/CMS from HTTP headers, Cookies, Source code, Specific files and folders, Error message.

HTTP headers

  • Note the response header X-Powered-By, or X-Generator as well.
  • Identify framework specific cookies. For instance, the cookie CAKEPHP for php.

HTML source code

  • Framework is often include in the META tag.
  • Revise header and footer sections carefully: general markers and specific markers.
  • See typical file and folders structure. An example would be wp-includes folder for a wordpress installation, or a CHANGELOG file for a Drupal one.
  • Check out file extensions, as sometimes they reveals the underlying framework.
  • Revise error messages. They commonly reveals framework.

See WSTG-INFO-07 for a reference to HTTRack for mirrowing the code and EyeWitness. These utilities replicated the source code of the target domain.

Tools

1. HTTP headers:

X-Powered-By and cookies: - .NET: ASPSESSIONID<RANDOM>=<COOKIE_VALUE> - PHP: PHPSESSID=<COOKIE_VALUE> - JAVA: JSESSION=<COOKIE_VALUE>

2. whatweb.

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whatweb -a3 https://www.example.com -v
# -a3: aggression level 3
# -v: verbose mode

3. Wappalyzer: https://www.wappalyzer.com.

4. wafw00f:

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wafw00f -v https://www.example.com

# -a: check all possible WAFs in place instead of stopping scanning at the first match.
# -i: read targets from an input file 
# -p proxy the requests

5. Aquatone

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cat example_of_list.txt | aquatone -out ./aquatone -screenshot-timeout 1000

6. Addons for browsers:

  • BuiltWith: BuiltWith® covers 93,551+ internet technologies which include analytics, advertising, hosting, CMS and many more.

7. Curl:

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curl -IL https://<TARGET>
# -I: --head (HTTP  FTP  FILE) Fetch the headers only!
# -L, --location: (HTTP) If the server reports that the requested page has moved to a different location (indicated with a Location: header and a 3XX response  code),  this  option  will make  curl  redo the request on the new place. If used together with -i, --include or -I, --head, headers from all requested pages will be shown.

8. nmap:

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sudo nmap -v $ip --script banner.nse
Last update: 2024-02-04
Created: December 24, 2023 11:19:43