I also found a bunch of "my journey" websites. Please note that once your exam and lab report is submitted, your submission is final. The dark, albeit necessary, side was that I had to dedicate a lot of time, energy and effort to accomplish this. The preferred method of contact is through the live chat available at https://chat.offensive-security.com or via email to "help AT offensive-security DOT com". Proctoring started at 3.15 AM, took a little time but went smoothly. 8 hours later I had gotten NO other points. The OSCP was just the beginning and since then, I’ve also acquired my OSWE and am about to sit for my Red Team Operator exam by Zero-Point Security. To learn more, view the exam support page. But what's stopping them from doing something outside of their given protocol? Anything you don't fully understand from the text will be clarified by watching the videos after. When Keepnote crashes on you and detroys all of your notes, you'll thank me later. The exam is designed to test one’s ability to think outside the box with the very mindset necessary to be good in this professional role. Along with pen test boxes the site contains additional challenges such as crypto and reversing. In this repository there is two exam templates : OSCP-exam-report-template_whoisflynn_v3.2.md; OSCP-exam-report-template_OS_v1.md; Choose the one that you prefer between these two, you can see what they’ll look like once in PDF format here : Documenting multiple attack vectors for the same machine will not grant additional points. The OSCP certification challengers learn to put themselves in the shoes of an attacker by using the same tools and techniques that they will later apply to defending applications against real-world attacks. Note that the control panel will not indicate whether the submitted proof is correct or not. Put in … Know that if the course doesn't teach you something, you won't need to know it. Basically, if you rooted two linux boxes using the 'dirty cow' exploit, you need to choose a new box to add to your report or go back to one of the boxes and root it a different way. Money Back Policy. There are a ton of OSCP guides and reviews. The exam is grueling. Aside from one or two of those sites, there's just a lack of anything comprehensive out there. But, did you get closer to 60? It happens but not often that someone passes on their first attempt. That was the hardest part, I mean, to start the OSCP exam in the middle of the night. The whole experience was greatly rewarding and the PWK lab got me really hooked. Instead, what you should do is remove the Keepnote note taking application and install CherryTree. The exam is designed to test one’s ability to think outside the box with the very mindset necessary to be good in this professional role. In this repository there is two exam templates : OSCP-exam-report-template_whoisflynn_v3.2.md; OSCP-exam-report-template_OS_v1.md; Choose the one that you prefer between these two, you can see what they’ll look like once in PDF format here : Some with professional pen test jobs, some who find it interesting and just want the knowledge, and those who are trying to get into the industry. Your exam report must be submitted in PDF format archived into a .7z file. Do you really want some stranger able to watch them, take screenshots, and save those off discreetly, should that child walk by the camera? Yes, you have to know your shit tech-wise … I would mentally treat the experience like my upcoming OSCP exam and I felt like this helped me be more comfortable on the exam. You, the student, are provided with objectives and point values for each machine. Each box contains a total number of points that you can receive on it. -Profit, you’re going to get the 70 points. Part 1: So it was a cold, dark and rainy November morning in Surrey, back in 2018. Have those munchies and coffee ready. You may only use Metasploit modules ( Auxiliary, Exploit, and Post ) or the Meterpreter payload against one single target machine of your choice. Please make sure to read and understand it carefully. If you do not upload your exam-report via https://upload.offsec.com , it will not be graded. ), Automatic exploitation tools (e.g. By totallyunreachable in Certification Cyber Security August 17, 2020. Have a plan for the exam boxes. I had knowledge of Windows, Linux, firewalls, networking, and other security topics prior to the course. My strategy when you receive your course materials is to attempt to work through both at the same time. OSCP exams upgrading period. Other machines will be fully exploitable remotely. So find yourself a person that will talk about the course with you, help with motivation (you'll definitely get burnout), and that you can trade hints and nudges with. There are 5 bonus points that you can receive on the exam from your course exercises and lab boxes. The OSCP Exam consists of 5 machines. While we cannot provide your exact exam score, you can use the point assignment outlined in the exam guide to approximate your score. It was my second year of studying a MSc in Information Security at Royal Holloway, University of London. I found some of the commands and service escalation helpful but some of it didn't work either. You never know if you'll end up with the same box for the next attempt. Real-world Benefits You have 23 hours and 45 minutes to complete the exam. Then there's the other side that agree that Offsec should implement anti-cheating but is going about it the wrong way. Welcome to the dark side. As for commands, I would find myself running down a list of them with no real purpose at to why I would use them. Modern ways to study Offensive-Security OSCP certification. Exam-Day(s) In the 24h exam you are faced with 5 servers, which distribute between 25 and 10 points each. If the size constraints are not met, you would not be able to upload your archive. In my 2nd attempt on the OSCP exam, I did a few more boxes: 20 OSCP lab machines (I had to use hints from the forum) Along with the above restrictions you need to make sure that you're submitting the local.txt or proof.txt hash into your control panel, have the correct minimum number of screenshots, and take a screenshot of the local.txt plus IP address and the proof.txt plus IP address. Each target machine contains at least one proof file, which you must retrieve, submit in your control panel, and include in a screenshot with your documentation. In fact, the caller can install it as a service without the callee knowing and connect back at any time (assuming you don't uninstall it). There were multiple job applications and LinkedIn careers available online: https://ph.linkedin.com/jobs/view/manager-exam-proctors-at-offensive-security-592470208. I had scheduled my exam at 3.30 AM, everyone is asleep, can peacefully work on my stuff without any external disturbances. It had taken me 40 days to root all machines in each subnet of the lab environment and 19 hours to achieve 5/5 machines in the exam. Material and Lab The material will guide you through the basics only, and not EVERYTHING the true learning is in the labs. If you feel like you're down a path that dead ends, you're probably right. You may use Metasploit/Meterpreter as many times as you would like against your one target machine. There are groups that take the exam together. Yup. The PWK Course, PWK Lab, and the OSCP Exam. Some of the machines will require multiple exploitation steps, resulting first in low-level local access, and then in root or administrative privilege escalation. I highly recommend taking note of the authorized_keys escalation part of the video. This is definitely on the top of my list when someone asks what site they should go to for practice boxes. 8 hours later I had gotten NO other points. Another option is to created a temporary account with extremely limited access. (I came across this tip in a review before the exam, it worked quite well during the exam ). Practical pen test labs (free and paid): https://practicalpentestlabs.com Spend two hours on any given box, use a timer to keep yourself honest. The OSCP Exam. All questions related to the exam documentation and submission, or other non-technical exam related issues should be sent to "challenges AT offensive-security DOT com". On all Windows targets, you must have a shell running with the permissions of one of the following to receive full points: On all Linux targets, you must have a root shell in order to receive full points. The OSCP Certification Exam The Labs. Exam time, BoF took 2 hours, I was feeling great. The boxes are set up in a way in which you don't have to. This course is self-paced and online and is often referred to as The Labs in online forums or blogs.. During the labs, you'll have access to 8hrs of videos and 350 pages of course materials. I recently passed the Offensive Security OSCP exam a week ago and wanted to share a few tips along with my personal experience to help others on their journey. As you might have already known, the OSCP exam is 24 hours long and you have to score at least 65 points to pass. That leads to suffering and potentially giving up. The size limit for extracted files is 400MB and the archive is 300MB. OSCP exam consists of 2 phases with each is a day long. “Wait, Kali Linux is the same thing as Linux?” I can still recall the sheer embarrassment hitting my face. The mantra for offsec is "Try Harder" and I believe 100% that you should, but don't push yourself to the point that you fear discussion between your peers. The exam itself consists of five targets: one easy Windows x86 buffer overflow, and four random targets which range in difficulty and are chosen at random. You must submit your documentation in a .7z file. This is a tutorial on the PwnOS box by g0tm1lk. When I started with the OSCP lab, I was confident because I had already solved lots of machines on HTB. Each box contains a total number of points that you can receive on it. You will receive an email with your certification exam results (pass/fail) within ten (10) business days after submitting your documentation. The OSCP certification exam simulates a live network in a private VPN, which contains a small number of vulnerable machines. With roughly 650-700 students signing up per month, you get to meet quite a mix of people. Please read this entire document carefully before beginning your exam! If you just read up on SMB, use nmap to search for ports 139 and 445. Personally, since joining the Cyber Security Industry full-time 2.5 years ago, this certification was a goal to prove to myself I have the technical experience that my job required as a Cyber Security Analyst. The contents of the local.txt and proof.txt files obtained from your exam machines must be submitted in the control panel before your exam has ended. But they will see you through your webcam, your host PC, and your screen at all times. You need 70 points – but this isn’t always easy to determine. I proceeded to get about 5 to 6 hours of sleep. ... We find in their comment session that many people were happy to pass the OSCP exam by using their services. The OSCP Exam consists of 5 machines. Initially I signed up for the course to better hone my skills. Once you register, you select the week you want to start your studies - specifically a Saturday/Sunday is when a new course beings. I spent a total of 6 months from beginning to end (not 100% in the offsec labs) before completing the OSCP cert on my second attempt. The minimal points to pass is 70. If you have passed the exam, you will receive an exam results email containing a link to update and confirm your certificate delivery address. Check out my escalation commands and blackwinterSRV Windows service instead (password: blackwinter). Please make sure to read the proctoring tool student manual and the proctoring FAQ at the following URL: https://help.offensive-security.com/hc/en-us/sections/360008126631-Proctored-Exams. Five bonus points may be earned by submitting your lab report and course exercises. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to try them. Whatever you decide, I hope you make the best choice that makes sense to you. If you are well prepared and rehearsed for the buffer overflow machine, you can make fast work of it and have more time for the four other machines in your exam. From what I've seen, students have a higher rate of passing when they can work for a few hours, rest, and begin work again refreshed. Unless you have 10 years in the pen testing industry, I highly recommend a minimum of 90 days initially. Lab. Virtual hacking labs (paid): https://www.virtualhackinglabs.com My Strategy:-I think people take OSCP too seriously but that’s still better than taking it lightly , it’s one of the most difficult exams in the world for a reason. Those precious points might be the difference between a pass or fail. make sure you have access to a backup Internet connection), You have used the following format for the PDF file name "OSCP-OS-XXXXX-Exam-Report.pdf", where "OS-XXXXX" is your OSID, Your PDF has been archived into a .7z file (Please do NOT archive it with a password), You have used the following format for the .7z file name "OSCP-OS-XXXXX-Exam-Report.7z", where "OS-XXXXX" is your OSID, You have made sure that the your archive is not more than 300MB and the extracted files are not more than 400MB, You have uploaded your .7z file to https://upload.offsec.com. Like most exam takers, I started with the 25 point Buffer Overflow machine, and was able to knock this out in a little under an hour. An example of this is provided below: Each local.txt and proof.txt found must be shown in a screenshot that includes the contents of the file, as well as the IP address of the target by using ipconfig, ifconfig or ip addr. You have an option to register for 30, 60, or 90 days of lab time. Unfortunately the tool is broken at the moment. Don't think for a second that you're going to go the full 24 hours. The course also utilizes a custom-built version of Kali linux. You are ultimately responsible for knowing what features or external utilities any chosen tool is using. Thinking of getting your feet wet before jumping into the OSCP course? In that moment I realized I was being deserted by my peers, and a change was needed. It had taken me 40 days to root all machines in each subnet of the lab environment and 19 hours to achieve 5/5 machines in the exam. Knowing this, you should not think complicated. Its initial goal is to prove that you have a good foundation of the penetration testing cycle, and to prove that you actually learned and retained your training. If blackwinter were a box name, you could type: !blackwinter and the channel bot will post a "hint" for that lab. They've got you covered. I didn’t have time to do all of them because I wanted to stay on course to meet the deadline. Please note that we will not be able to assist with, or give hints on, any exam objectives and will only be available for technical problems during the exam. Nessus, NeXpose, OpenVAS, Canvas, Core Impact, SAINT, etc. Should you need more organic hints, the forums and IRC channel offer them. The 10-points machine is based on the numbering of a unique service. I highly recommend the Kioptrix set to begin with, Vulnix, and PwnOS. The 10 point box seemed to be a waste of time, as the way the points add up, I would have had to complete 2 other boxes anyway. We also recommend you to check your email spam and junk folders in case the confirmation email has been flagged as spam. Now the day comes when I enrolled for OSCP — 3 months lab and booked my exam on the 28th of Nov. My exam started at 9am local time, and I was able to get myself set up with the proctoring conditions without too much issue. If you haven't had the chance to play with it yet, it's VERY intrusive and this is what everyone is pissed about. The point being, always keep recon going until you know what the next steps are. If you have not received the email, please ensure that you uploaded your report and clicked the Submit File button on the final page of https://upload.offsec.com after verifying your MD5 hash. While you might be inclined to try to pop all the boxes, it's not needed to pass the exam. Before signing up for the OSCP certification, I did what everyone else does and read up on what it's like. My recommendation is to find someone that you can talk to either because you know them personally or, like me, met them through the #offsec IRC channel. Remember though- you will need to document your findings in a formal report with your PWK machines and coursework for 5 bonus points on the exam. Material and Lab The material will guide you through the basics only, and not EVERYTHING the true learning is in the labs. I quickly moved on to the 10 point machine, and finished this off in a similar amount of time. Points are awarded for each machine for which you have gained partial or complete administrative control. Metasploit/Meterpreter should not be used to test vulnerabilities on multiple machines before selecting your one target machine ( this includes the use of check ) . 25 point buffer overflow machine; 25 point behemoth riddled with rabbit holes; 2 x 20 point machines; 10 point … The course exercises must be appended to the end of your lab report, The course exercises must ALL be complete and correct, with the exception of those which explicitly state otherwise, You are expected to take rest breaks, eat, drink and sleep, You are also expected to have a contingency plan in the event that there is an issue outside your control. However, I didn’t finish all the exercises. Both need to be written up so that the person grading the exam could easily follow the instructions and replicate the vulnerability, Meterpreter has been used only once on a box, Metasploit has been used only once on a box, Modules other than the approved "auxiliary", "exploit", or "post" have not been used, Commercial auto-root or auto-vulnerability programs were not used. You can read more here: OSCP Proctoring. If you straight up get root on enough machines to make 70 points, then you’re fine. So only a quarter of everyone taking the exam is going to pass. Please submit your .7z file via https://upload.offsec.com within 24 hours of completion of the exam and follow the provided instructions in order to upload your archived exam report. I had hacked all 56 machines in about 40 days and passed the exam on my first attempt. There are five machines in the exam network with two 25 point machines, two 20 point machines, and one 10 point machine. As everyone is writing, there were 5 machines: 1 for 10 points, 2 for 20 points and 2 for 25 points. The exam was scheduled for Saturday, May 11th, 2019 at 6pm local time. While in the labs, do remember to take notes. 2 hours in and I had 35 points, a solid start. When I started with the OSCP lab, I was confident because I had already solved lots of machines on HTB. Once the exam is finished, you will have another 24 hours to upload your documentation. You, the student, are provided with objectives and point values for each machine. The OSCP is a serious penetration testing certification for professional penetration testers, so if you intend to be a senior level penetration tester, you’ll probably need this certification exam at some point. My exam started at 9am local time, and I was able to get myself set up with the proctoring conditions without too much issue. There is a bit of a love hate relationship with the lab however it is by far the best part of the course. And eat and drink. Please note that we will not comment on allowed or restricted tools, other than what is included inside this exam guide. After the file has been uploaded, you will be presented with a "Submit File" button where a MD5 hash of your exam report will be displayed. I was 20 hours in with no sleep, so I went to bed with 70 points. No other file formats will be accepted within the .7z file other than PDF file format.If you submit your report in any other file format, we will not request or remind you to send a PDF report archived into a .7z file and your exam report will not be scored. There's no telling which group you'll get, but it's possible to see the same lab box in another group depending on your number of exam attempts. Some are vague and you'll only understand it after you've rooted a box, but some of them will definitely give you that edge you need. This was me, a 20 year old novice in October of 2017, at one of my school’s Cyber Defense Club meetings. The primary objective of the OSCP exam is to evaluate your skills in identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities, not in automating the process. Just make sure you number the machine well Don’t get stuck on a single machine. You should receive an email 5 mins prior to your start time detailing everything you need to get started. Specific instructions for each target will be located in your Exam Control Panel, which will only become available to you once your exam begins. The exam pack contains information on the machines, along with various rules that you must adhere to when attacking them. For those curious, my certs include: Network+, Security+, CCNA R&S, VMware VCP-DCV, CEH, and most recently the OSCP. By looking at the video sections, you should be able to determine how far into the reading you should get. Take that nap. The exam is out of a possible 100 points (technically 105 if you root everything and turn in your bonus) with a passing score of 70/100. The usage of Metasploit and the Meterpreter payload are restricted during the exam. I started off by running my scans on the exam machines whilst I worked on the Buffer Overflow, which I was able to complete fairly quickly. The labs are open immediately upon receiving your course materials. The order in which the exam machines are documented inside your exam report is the same order in which the exam machines will be graded and valued, Points will be awarded for partial and complete administrative control of each target machine, Each machine has a specific set of objectives that must be met in order to receive full points, You must achieve a minimum score of 70 points to pass the exam, It is possible to achieve a maximum of 100 points on the exam, Specific objectives and point values for each machine are located in your exam control panel, Using Metasploit Auxiliary, Exploit, or Post modules on multiple machines, Using the Meterpreter payload on multiple machines, Failure to provide the local.txt and proof.txt file contents in both the control panel and in a screenshot, In order to receive five bonus points, you must complete the lab report AND the course exercises, The lab report must be submitted in a separate PDF file, archived with your exam report. See below for additional details, The lab report must contain a description of your attack steps for no less than 10 fully compromised unique machines, All Information provided regarding the machines' configurations or exploits used must be correct, Each machine's proof.txt must be shown in a screenshot that includes the contents of the file, as well as the IP address of the target by using, Machines which are clones may only be used once, All vulnerabilities exploited within the lab report must be unique. I've listed some more sites that you may want to check out. Lab. This version has been customized in a way in which you do not (and should not) update the tools or kernel until you've completed your OSCP exam. You don't get to see them. Click on "Select a new file" and upload your archive again. If a tools helps you enumerate a system (nmap, nikto, dirbuster, e.g. Do note that during the exercises you will presented with a task to use ncat with the --ssl option to connect to your student lab machine. Are you having to wait a few weeks before your course begins? I was 20 hours in with no sleep, so I went to bed with 70 points. Learn more about the OSCP exam. will be accessible. Also, DO read the exam guide at least twice before you start the exam, it will help you to avoid losing unnecessary points and meet the requirements of the Offensive Security set. Exam-Day(s) In the 24h exam you are faced with 5 servers, which distribute between 25 and 10 points each. Pen tester lab (free and paid): https://pentesterlab.com/exercises The exam consists of several target machines that must be compromised. Get up, walk around the block, smoke a cigarette, talk to the girlfriend or wife during that break time. Only the public dept. • Realistically, I don’t have 24 hours because I need sleep. OSCP – how to pass first time, like I didn’t. You may not use the same exploit against multiple machines. After signing up you'll receive links for your course materials via email within about 2 weeks. moments in the morning where I realized I had forgotten to use a tool or forgot to attempt an attack that I might have learned while in the labs. Even if you don't have enough points to pass, I recommend you send in an exam report as practice. Nothing. How I approached the exam If you don’t know the grading, you need 70 points to pass. Pay close attention to the privilege escalation on both Vulnix and PwnOS. db_autopwn, browser_autopwn, SQLmap, SQLninja etc. The OSCP Exam consists of 5 machines. I say 65 because you can send the exercises solution along with the exam report and get 5 extra points, which would complete your minimum 70 points to pass the OSCP exam. There are those that will take a test for a candidate for roughly $500. I think the monthly price is around $20, so not bad at all. As you might have already known, the OSCP exam is 24 hours long and you have to score at least 65 points to pass. In my first attempt of the OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) Exam, I’ve only almost completed the course exercises and so only managed to work a couple of OSCP boxes with Metasploit, and 5 Vuln Hub machines. If you happen to get at least 70 points from your exam and reporting, you will pass and obtain your lifetime long OSCP. ScreenConnect also allows the caller to initiate downloads, uploads, commands, and a host of other controls silently. Reports should contain in-depth notes and screenshots detailing your findings. (I came across this tip in a review before the exam, it worked quite well during the exam ). It's a fact that group study helps with memory retention. I had initially purchased 60 days, extended 30, and when I did an exam retake, purchased an additional 15. If you are submitting a lab report as well, you may use the following format for the file name: "OSCP-OS-XXXXX-Lab-Report.pdf" and it must be archived along with your exam report into one archive in the "OSCP-OS-XXXXX-Exam-Report.7z" naming format. Remember that there are some restrictions to rooting. If any screenshots or other information is missing, you will not be allowed to send them and we will not request them. The student is expected to exploit a number of machines and obtain proof files from the targets in order to gain points. If you have not made any modifications to an exploit, you should only provide the URL where the exploit can be found. This subsection of the exam guide documents what you should do in case you are unable to complete your exam due to severe external factors. Failure to provide the appropriate proof files in a screenshot for a given level of access will result in zero points being awarded for the target. Did you get 10 lab hosts and possibly completed the exercises? I decided to first get done with Buffer Overflow, easy 25 points. I'm hoping that my OSCP guide, and largely this website, will help you better prepare for your pen testing career. What you can do to help yourself is schedule the exam at a time where you benefit the most. For more information about PWK reporting requirements, please refer to the PWK Reporting page. OSCP Exam Overview 4 minute read After going through the ten “hard bug good practice” machines recommended by NetSec Focus, I decided to put countless hours behind the screen and practice things such as information gathering (professional googling), exploitation, privilege escalation, and documentation.The practice, successes, failures, and persistence gave good results due to I was … The valid way to provide the contents of the proof files is in an interactive shell on the target machine with the type or cat command from their original location. Even though you want to rely on your skill, you're going to regret not doing the exercises if you see yourself stuck at 65 points. If you're not learning ASLR/DEP buffer overflow bypassing, you won't need to learn it for the exam. After the initial purchase, lab time extensions can be purchased with the smallest being 15 days. Use it wisely. That's assuming you're not someone with a completely open schedule and can spend 12-14hrs per day studying. I also decided to schedule my exam for 9 a.m. the day after my lab time ended. The exam control panel contains a section available to submit your proof files. Your connection to the exam is to be done with Kali Linux using OpenVPN. My suggestion is to install a filewatcher or write a script that monitors when your files are accessed on your host machine. This post will outline my experience obtaining OSCP along with some tips, commands, techniques and more.