Pown CDB

Pown CDB is a Chrome Debug Protocol utility. The main goal of the tool is to automate common tasks to help debug web applications from the command-line and actively monitor and intercept HTTP requests and responses. This is particularly useful during penetration tests and other types of security assessments and investigations.

Credits

This tool is part of secapps.com open-source initiative.

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  https://secapps.com

Authors

• @pdp - https://pdparchitect.github.io/www/

Quickstart

This tool is meant to be used as part of Pown.js but it can be invoked separately as an independent tool.

Install Pown first as usual:

$ npm install -g pown@latest

Invoke directly from Pown:

$ pown cdb

Library Use

Install this module locally from the root of your project:

$ npm install @pown/cdb --save

Once done, invoke pown cli:

$ POWN_ROOT=. ./node_modules/.bin/pown-cli cdb

You can also use the global pown to invoke the tool locally:

$ POWN_ROOT=. pown cdb

Usage

WARNING: This pown command is currently under development and as a result will be subject to breaking changes.

pown cdb <command>

Chrome Debug Protocol Tool

Commands:
  pown cdb launch             Launch server application such as chrome, firefox, opera and edge  [aliases: start]
  pown cdb navigate <url>     Go to the specified url  [aliases: goto, go]
  pown cdb network            Chrome Debug Protocol Network Monitor  [aliases: net, sniff, proxy, mon, monitor]
  pown cdb cookies            Dump current page cookies  [aliases: cookie]
  pown cdb screenshot <file>  Screenshot the current page  [aliases: capture, shoot, shot]

Options:
  --version  Show version number  [boolean]
  --help     Show help  [boolean]

pown cdb launch

pown cdb launch

Launch server application such as chrome, firefox, opera and edge

Options:
  --version                 Show version number  [boolean]
  --help                    Show help  [boolean]
  --port, -p                Remote debugging port  [number] [default: 9222]
  --xss-auditor, -x         Turn on/off XSS auditor  [boolean] [default: true]
  --certificate-errors, -c  Turn on/off certificate errors  [boolean] [default: true]
  --pentest, -t             Start with prefered settings for pentesting  [boolean] [default: false]

pown cdb navigate

pown cdb navigate <url>

Go to the specified url

Options:
  --version     Show version number  [boolean]
  --help        Show help  [boolean]
  --host, -H    Remote debugging host  [string] [default: "localhost"]
  --port, -p    Remote debugging port  [number] [default: 9222]
  --secure, -s  HTTPS/WSS frontend  [boolean] [default: false]

pown cdb network

pown cdb network

Chrome Debug Protocol Network Monitor

Options:
  --version      Show version number  [boolean]
  --help         Show help  [boolean]
  --host, -H     Remote debugging host  [string] [default: "localhost"]
  --port, -p     Remote debugging port  [number] [default: 9222]
  --secure, -s   HTTPS/WSS frontend  [boolean] [default: false]
  --output, -o   Output directory/file  [array] [default: []]
  --blessed, -b  Start with blessed ui  [boolean] [default: false]

pown cdb cookies

pown cdb cookies

Dump current page cookies

Options:
  --version     Show version number  [boolean]
  --help        Show help  [boolean]
  --host, -H    Remote debugging host  [string] [default: "localhost"]
  --port, -p    Remote debugging port  [number] [default: 9222]
  --secure, -s  HTTPS/WSS frontend  [boolean] [default: false]

pown cdb screenshot

pown cdb screenshot <file>

Screenshot the current page

Options:
  --version     Show version number  [boolean]
  --help        Show help  [boolean]
  --host, -H    Remote debugging host  [string] [default: "localhost"]
  --port, -p    Remote debugging port  [number] [default: 9222]
  --secure, -s  HTTPS/WSS frontend  [boolean] [default: false]

Tutorials

Web Application Security Assessment

Let's explore how to use Pown CDB during a typical web app security engagments.

First, ensure that you have the latest pown installed:

$ npm install -g pown

If you have pown installed, make sure you have the latest version:

$ pown update

To get started with Pown CDB we need a Chrome browser instance (other browsers are also supported) with chrome debug remote interface enabled and listening on localhost:

$ pown cdb launch --port 9333

Once the chrome browser instance is running, hook it with pown cdb network utility:

$ pown cdb network --port 9333 -b

The -b flag is used to start Pown CDB with a curses-based user interface:

Use key-combo shift + ? to get a list of available shortcuts:

As soon as you start using the browser, Pown CDB will record and display the traffic in the user interface. To intercept requests use key-combo ctrl + t.

Requests are captured and opened in your default shell editor ($EDITOR). Make the desired changes, save and quit. The original request will be replaced with your changes.