Post Exploitation

Vermilion : Mastering Linux Post-Exploitation For Red Team Success

Vermilion is a simple and lightweight CLI tool designed for rapid collection, and optional exfiltration of sensitive information from Linux systems.
Its primary purpose is to streamline the process of gathering critical data in red teaming scenarios.

How It Works

Vermilion is a Linux-focused tool designed for efficient information gathering and sensitive data exfiltration. It collects:

  • System Information : OS details, hostname, network configurations, public and local IPs, active connections, system uptime, and more.
  • Environment Variables : Captures all available environment variables.
  • User and System Files : Gathers sensitive directories and files, including:
    • User-specific files: .ssh, .bash_history, .zsh_history, .aws, .docker, .kube, .azure, .gnupg, .git-credentials, and more.
    • System-level files: /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, /etc/group, /etc/hostname, /etc/hosts, /etc/ssl, and cron configurations.
    • Logs and temporary files: Authentication logs, system logs, and temporary files.
  • User Enumeration : Automatically enumerates all system users and collects sensitive files from accessible home directories.

The tool creates a compressed archive of the collected data for easy local storage or exfiltration to a specified endpoint.
Additionally, it provides the option to exfiltrate the collected data via an HTTP POST request to a specified endpoint.

The implementation of the endpoint for exfiltration is outside the scope of this tool; for an example, refer to this resource.

Vermilion supports amd64, arm and arm64 architectures.

Example Use Case

Imagine being engaged in a red teaming campaign and successfully compromising a user on a Linux machine.
Linux environments often are treasure trove of sensitive data and information due to their use as servers and their integration with other systems and softwares.
Therefore, it is crucial to have an automated tool that enables rapid collection and exfiltration of sensitive information, such as environment variables and strategic directories, within seconds.

Varshini

Varshini is a Cyber Security expert in Threat Analysis, Vulnerability Assessment, and Research. Passionate about staying ahead of emerging Threats and Technologies.

Recent Posts

Best OSINT Tools for Journalists 2026: Verify Sources, Images and Claims

Journalists use OSINT to verify public information before publishing. In 2026, misinformation, AI-generated images, fake…

5 hours ago

Install Docker on Ubuntu 20.04: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

DockerĀ is an open-source platform that lets you package and run applications inside containers. Each container…

15 hours ago

Install PostgreSQL on Ubuntu: Database Setup and Admin Guide

PostgreSQL (often called Postgres) is an open-source relational database system. It supports advanced features like JSON…

16 hours ago

Install Xrdp Remote Desktop on Ubuntu: Setup and Connect

Xrdp is an open-source server that lets you connect to your Ubuntu machine from another computer…

16 hours ago

Tomcat 9 on Ubuntu 20.04: Install, Configure, and Start

Apache Tomcat is an open-source web server and Java servlet container. It is one of the…

16 hours ago

Automatic Updates on Ubuntu: Set Up unattended-upgrades

Keeping your Ubuntu system updated is one of the best ways to protect it. Security…

17 hours ago