Advanced Google Dorking: A Masterclass in Search and Cybersecurity
Google Dorking, often referred to as Google hacking, utilizes the advanced search capabilities of the Google search engine to uncover hidden or sensitive information that is publicly accessible but not meant to be exposed. By leveraging specific search operators, professionals can pinpoint files, configurations, or vulnerabilities indexed by Google. In this blog, we explore Google Dorking from its basics to advanced usage with detailed examples, tools, and ethical considerations.
Introduction
The internet is a vast repository of information, much of which is deliberately shared with the world. However, not all data indexed by search engines like Google is meant to be openly accessible. Misconfigurations, errors, or ignorance can lead to sensitive data being exposed to public scrutiny. Google Dorking is a technique that takes advantage of these oversights. Originally used for benign purposes, such as enhancing search precision, it has evolved into a potent tool in the fields of cybersecurity, penetration testing, and OSINT (Open Source Intelligence).
This blog is your gateway to mastering the art of Google Dorking. Whether you are a cybersecurity professional looking to strengthen your defensive strategies or an ethical hacker aiming to uncover vulnerabilities responsibly, understanding how to wield Google Dorking effectively is essential. Through this guide, we will:
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Demystify the key search operators that power Google Dorking.
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Explore advanced techniques with practical examples.
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Highlight the tools that enhance its efficiency.
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Discuss how to defend against Google Dorking as an organization.
As you delve into the following sections, remember that with great power comes great responsibility. Ethical considerations must always be at the forefront of your efforts, ensuring this knowledge is used constructively and within the bounds of the law.
1️⃣ GEOSERVER
inurl:"/geoserver/ows?service=wfs" site:*.gov
#use nuclei and hunt for CVE vulnerabilities for geoserver
nuclei -l urls_endpoints.txt -tags geoserver -severity critical,high,medium
2️⃣ Previously Vulnerable Parameters
We do recon for previously vulnerable parameters, already disclosed and patched reports via openbugbounty.org , and then we target same parameter to test all injection category vulnerabilities and also try to bypass the fix, as well as grep for same parameter in other endpoints.
site:openbugbounty.org inurl:reports "dell.com"
cat waymore_domain.txt | grep “searched=” | sort -u | uro > xss_vuln.txt
site:hackerone.com inurl:reports "XSS" "domain.com"
3️⃣ Unauthenticated File Upload Endpoints
While it may not narrow down directly to the most unauthenticated ones, but helps to find interesting endpoints where might be some possibility for it.
#matching via keywords in URL
site:domain.com inurl:upload
site:domain.com inurl:uploadfile
//we combine with below extensions
ext:php
ext:asp
ext:aspx
ext:do
ext:action
ext:jsp
ext:jspx
ext:ashx
ext:axd
ext:xd
#If ext value doesn't work , we use like inurl:.php (dot)
#matching via keywords in HTML DOM
site:domain.com "Choose File"
site:domain.com "No file chosen"
site:domain.com "Upload"
site:domain.com "Upload here"
site:domain.com "Upload a file"
site:domain.com "Please upload your"
4️⃣ PORT NUMBER + DASHBOARD
inurl:portnumberhere inurl:dashboard
Each product / service has unique keywords in the URL that can be hunted and grepped for, which helps to further narrow down to most interesting endpoints, you can go through the documentation and research further.
5️⃣ WORDPRESS NUCLEI TESTING
#find wordpress endpoints
intitle:"index of /wp-content"
nuclei -l endpoints.txt -tags wordpress -severity critical,high,medium,low
Possible findings can be related to CVE results, vulnerable plugins & themes, information disclosure, and misconfigurations.