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.

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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.