web

name	web
description	Web application exploitation — the primary category skill for all web-based attacks. This is a routing skill: read this first to identify the attack type, then load the appropriate specialized sub-skill for detailed procedures. Covers 11 technique areas across injection, file access, authentication, and API exploitation.
allowed-tools	Bash Read Write
metadata	{"subdomain":"execution","when_to_use":"web exploit, web application, http, https, web vulnerability, injection, web attack, web service, api, cookie, session, authentication bypass, web shell, form, parameter, query string, POST, GET, request, response, web server, apache, nginx, flask, django, express, php, java web, asp.net, ruby on rails, spring, node.js, deserialization, SQL injection, sqlmap, SSTI, template injection, SSRF, IDOR, command injection, RCE, xss, cross-site scripting, xxe, xml, lfi, path traversal, file upload, graphql","tags":"web-application, exploitation, injection","mitre_attack":"T1190, T1059, T1203"}

Web Application Exploitation — Category Overview

This is a routing skill. It helps you identify the correct attack technique, then directs you to the specialized sub-skill with full exploitation procedures.

Attack Technique Routing

Match the target's characteristics to the right sub-skill:

Sub-Skill	Covers	When to Load	Path
sqli	Union/Error/Blind/Time-based SQL injection, sqlmap	SQL database, query parameters, login forms, search, filtering	load_skill("/skills/standard/exploit/web/sqli/SKILL.md")
blind-sqli	Manual WAF-bypass companion to sqli — token-fingerprinting probe loops, arithmetic-multiplication boolean evaluation, hex-encoded literals, exponential-probe binary search	Load AFTER sqli when sqlmap with --tamper cannot pass the WAF but a binary oracle (two distinct page states) exists; challenge tag is blind_sqli with active filtering	load_skill("/skills/standard/exploit/web/blind-sqli/SKILL.md")
xss	Reflected/stored/DOM XSS, bot exfiltration, CSP bypass	Client-side JS injection, bot/report URL, cookie stealing	load_skill("/skills/standard/exploit/web/xss/SKILL.md")
ssti	Jinja2, Twig, Freemarker, ERB, Razor template injection	Template rendering, {{}} or ${} in output, Flask/Symfony/Java	load_skill("/skills/standard/exploit/web/ssti/SKILL.md")
ssrf	Cloud metadata, internal service access, Gopher smuggling	URL fetch parameter, redirect, internal network access	load_skill("/skills/standard/exploit/web/ssrf/SKILL.md")
xxe	XML entity injection, SOAP/WSDL, blind OOB	XML processing, SOAP endpoints, XML file uploads	load_skill("/skills/standard/exploit/web/xxe/SKILL.md")
lfi	Path traversal, PHP wrappers, log poisoning	File path parameters, ../, include/require, file download	load_skill("/skills/standard/exploit/web/lfi/SKILL.md")
command-injection	OS command injection, blind/OOB, filter bypass	System commands, ping/traceroute, exec, subprocess	load_skill("/skills/standard/exploit/web/command-injection/SKILL.md")
deserialization	Java/PHP/.NET/Python deserialization RCE	Serialized objects, base64 blobs, ViewState, pickle

Quick Detection — Which Attack Type?

Run these probes to identify which sub-skill to load:

# 1. SQL Injection — single quote error
curl -s 'https://<TARGET>/page?id=1%27' -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}'

# 2. SSTI — math evaluation
curl -s 'https://<TARGET>/page?input={{7*7}}' | grep -o '49'

# 3. XSS — reflection check
curl -s 'https://<TARGET>/search?q=<script>test</script>' | grep '<script>test'

# 4. LFI — path traversal
curl -s 'https://<TARGET>/file?name=../../../etc/passwd' | grep 'root:'

# 5. Command Injection — command chaining
curl -s 'https://<TARGET>/ping?host=127.0.0.1;id' | grep 'uid='

# 6. SSRF — localhost access
curl -s 'https://<TARGET>/fetch?url=http://127.0.0.1/' -o ssrf_test.txt

# 7. XXE — XML acceptance
curl -s 'https://<TARGET>/api' -H 'Content-Type: application/xml' -d '<?xml version="1.0"?><test>hello</test>'

# 8. GraphQL — endpoint discovery
curl -s 'https://<TARGET>/graphql' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"query":"{ __typename }"}'

Decision Flow

Web target identified?
├── Has query parameters → Try sqli.md, then ssti.md
├── Has file/path parameters → Try lfi.md
├── Has URL/fetch parameters → Try ssrf.md
├── Has search/input reflection → Try xss.md
├── Has file upload form → Try file-upload.md
├── Accepts XML input → Try xxe.md
├── Has /graphql endpoint → Try graphql.md
├── Has ping/exec functionality → Try command-injection.md
├── Has serialized data (cookies, POST) → Try deserialization.md
├── Has object IDs in URLs → Try idor.md
├── Tag/hint includes race/concurrent/toctou → Try race-condition.md
├── Tag/hint includes smuggling/desync/hrs OR multi-proxy stack detected → Try smuggling.md
├── Tag/hint includes crypto/cipher/oracle/captcha OR base64 cookie %16==0 with distinct pad-vs-auth errors → Try crypto.md
├── Tag includes business_logic / privilege_escalation / 2fa_bypass / auth_bypass → Try business-logic.md
├── Tag includes cve OR challenge description mentions a specific CVE/plugin vulnerability → Load cve.md
└── Unknown → Run quick detection probes above

CVE / Known-Exploit Methodology

For CVE-class exploitation, load cve.md (full procedure includes fingerprinting → cve_lookup tool call → cve_poc_lookup → PoC adaptation → flag sweep). Once the CVE class is identified (SQLi/LFI/RCE/auth bypass), also load the matching attack-class sub-skill (sqli.md, lfi.md, command-injection.md, etc.) for the continuation primitive.

Payload Pacing — Cross-Technique Rule

After 3 payloads of the same bypass class against the same endpoint all produce the same-class negative result (all blocked / all 404 / all no-reflection), pivot to the next bypass class from the sub-skill's cookbook. Do not iterate further within the exhausted class.

Blocked class	Next class to try
<script> tag variants	Event handlers (onerror, onload, onfocus, ontoggle)
Event handlers	javascript: URL / srcdoc iframe
javascript: URL	Template literal / charcode encoding
Quote-escape SQLi	UNION-based or stacked-query
;cmd injection	Backtick / $() subshell
{{7*7}} Jinja2	${7*7} Freemarker, <%= 7*7 %> ERB

A "class" is the bypass mechanism, not the payload string. Three payloads that differ only in the injected JS expression (e.g. alert(1) → alert(2) → confirm(1)) are ONE class.

After exhausting 3 bypass classes on the same endpoint: the endpoint is hardened. Write exploit/PIVOT.md and switch to a different endpoint or vulnerability class from recon SUMMARY.md.

Sub-Skill Loading Rule

ALWAYS load the specialized sub-skill before executing any attack. This overview provides routing only — the sub-skills contain the actual exploitation procedures, tool commands, bypass techniques, and decision trees needed for successful exploitation.

The agent loop (intake handoff verification, confirm-gate phase, verification, silent-stall recovery, three-strike rule) is already loaded into your system prompt at agent boot — no load_skill call needed for it.