In this walkthrough, we'll be diving into a network forensics challenge that presents us with a packet capture (PCAP) file containing evidence of a sophisticated cyber attack. The NukeTheBrowser lab simulates a real-world scenario where a SOC analyst must analyze network traffic to understand the nature and scope of an attack that has already occurred. Throughout this walkthrough, we'll employ several powerful network analysis tools including Wireshark, NetworkMiner, and various command-line utilities to dissect the captured traffic and identify malicious activities. We'll analyze HTTP communications, examine JavaScript code obfuscation techniques, trace the delivery of malicious executables, and uncover the exploit chain used by the attackers.
The attack scenario we're investigating involves multiple targeted systems, browser exploitation, and the delivery of malware through sophisticated techniques. By methodically analyzing the network artifacts, we'll reconstruct the attack path, identify the vulnerabilities being exploited, and determine the characteristics of the malicious payloads. This lab provides an excellent opportunity to practice essential network forensics skills, including traffic analysis, malware identification, exploit detection, and attack attribution. The techniques demonstrated here are directly applicable to real-world incident response scenarios where understanding the attack methodology is crucial for effective remediation and future prevention.