Lab: Manipulating the WebSocket handshake to exploit vulnerabilities

PRACTITIONER

This online shop has a live chat feature implemented using WebSockets.

It has an aggressive but flawed XSS filter.

To solve the lab, use a WebSocket message to trigger an alert() popup in the support agent's browser.

If you're struggling to bypass the XSS filter, try out our XSS labs.
Sometimes you can bypass IP-based restrictions using HTTP headers like X-Forwarded-For.

Click "Live chat" and send a chat message.
In Burp Proxy, go to the WebSockets history tab, and observe that the chat message has been sent via a WebSocket message.
Right click on the message and select "Send to Repeater".
Edit and resend the message containing a basic XSS payload: <img src=1 onerror='alert(1)'>
Observe that the attack has been blocked, and that your WebSocket connection has been terminated.
Click "Reconnect", and observe that the connection attempt fails because your IP address has been banned.
Click "Request", and add the following header to the handshake: X-Forwarded-For: 1.1.1.1
Click "Connect" to reconnect the WebSocket.
Send a WebSocket message containing an obfuscated XSS payload like: <iframe src='jAvAsCripT:alert`1`'></iframe>

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SQL injection XSS CSRF Clickjacking CORS XXE SSRF Request smuggling Command injection Directory traversal Access control WebSockets