New Lab Machine: 12 eCommerce

Virtual Hacking Labs is excited to introduce 12 – eCommerce, a new advanced penetration testing machine focused on web application security, vulnerability chaining, and Linux privilege escalation.

The lab machine simulates a modern e-commerce scenario, challenging students to identify multiple weaknesses, develop an attack strategy, and progress from initial access to full system compromise. Rather than relying on a single exploit, successfully completing this lab machine requires thorough enumeration and methodical exploitation by chaining vulnerabilities.

Quick Lab Overview

Lab Machine Name: 12 – eCommerce

Difficulty level: Advanced

Core Focus: Web application security, vulnerability chaining and Linux privilege escalation (featuring Ansible and misconfigurations).

Key Tactics: Directory traversal, Local File Inclusion (LFI), filter bypass, reverse shells, Ansible vaults and misconfigurations.

Great Preparation For: OSCP, PNPT, eCPPT, and the VHL PT01 certification.

Ready to test your skills? Connect to the VHL Lab environment and launch the lab or read on to see what’s inside this new challenge.

Web Application Assessment

Modern web applications are rarely compromised through a single, isolated critical vulnerability. Instead, attackers combine information gathered during reconnaissance with multiple smaller weaknesses to achieve their objectives, such as obtaining remote code execution (RCE) on a target.

This machine perfectly reflects that real-world approach. Students are encouraged to thoroughly investigate the applications and configurations to understand their inner workings and determine how individual findings can be combined into a successful attack path.

Local File Inclusion (LFI) and File Upload Vulnerabilities

Local File Inclusion and file upload vulnerabilities remain common vulnerabilities in poorly designed web applications. During this assessment, students will discover how insecure file handling can expose sensitive information and assist further exploitation. LFI topics include:

  • Discovering Local File Inclusion vulnerabilities
  • Reading sensitive files
  • Evaluating the impact of LFI
  • Exploiting LFI during a penetration test

File upload functionality is another major focus of this machine. Students will analyse upload mechanisms, identify validation weaknesses, and learn how improperly secured upload features can be abused in an attack chain with other vulnerabilities. File upload topics include:

  • Discovering insecure upload functionality
  • Analysing exploitation techniques
  • Exploiting File Upload Vulnerabilities

One of the primary objectives of this machine is developing strong enumeration and exploitation skills. Students are expected to manually analyse the application, identify exposed functionality, validate potential attack vectors, and distinguish meaningful findings from background noise. Areas covered for this lab machine include:

  • Web application enumeration
  • Manual vulnerability discovery
  • Identifying insecure configurations
  • Prioritising attack vectors
  • Chaining Multiple Vulnerabilities

Privilege Escalation

Advanced level VHL lab machines are not designed as one-shot root challenges. They require you to perform privilege escalation after gaining an initial foothold. After obtaining an initial foothold on the machine, the focus shifts to privilege escalation and post-exploitation. Students will investigate the system configuration, enumerate local services, and identify weaknesses that allow for local privilege escalation. Particular attention is given to Ansible vault misconfigurations, demonstrating how insecure automation and configuration management can introduce unexpected, high-impact security risks. Privilege escalation topics for this machine include:

  • Linux enumeration
  • Configuration analysis
  • Ansible misconfigurations
  • Privilege escalation techniques (horizontal and vertical)
  • Post exploitation techniques

What you will take away

After completing this new lab machine, you will have gained practical experience with:

  • Web application enumeration
  • Local File Inclusion (LFI)
  • File Upload vulnerabilities
  • Manual vulnerability discovery
  • Vulnerability chaining
  • Linux privilege escalation
  • Post-exploitation methodologies

This machine is highly recommended for students preparing for industry certifications such as OSCP, eCPPT, and the VHL PT01 certification.