From Vulnerable to Bulletproof: The Adrenaline of the Fix

Wow, what a day. The last few hours have been a whirlwind, but not because I found a vulnerability but found the installed backdoor active on my webserver. I couldn't wait, dove straight into implementing a full security reset.

The Moment I Knew Something Was Wrong 🕵️‍♂️

It all started when I was running a simple network monitoring script. My web server, a trusty Raspberry Pi, and my laptop were the only two devices I expected to see on my network. But the logs showed something else entirely: a strange, persistent outbound connection from my Pi. This wasn't normal web traffic; it was a backdoor "calling home." I felt a jolt of adrenaline, a mix of concern and the excitement of a real-world puzzle to solve, regarding the backdoor was hidden well but to initialize connection there almost always has to be communication for traffic.

I immediately scanned the Pi's file system and, after some digging, found it: the hidden script running as a service. It was my backdoor, cleverly disguised and designed to maintain a persistent connection. The thrill of the hunt quickly turned to the intense focus of the fix. I knew I had to act fast as in a real-world situation stopping this connection is key as the malicious hacker could be inside the system at that very moment causing damage.

The Cleanup: Cutting Out the Malicious Code ✂️

With the initial connection points secured (stopping the service), I moved on to the internal cleanup. I removed the malicious script and the associated service, essentially removing the malicious access of the system. Next, I changed the password, even more secure then before, ensuring a completely new attack would have to be initiated leading to possibly slowing down the malicious hacker, as they would now be starting from step one again, obtaining user access.

The Takeaway (Again) 🧠

Today has been a humbling and powerful lesson. It's one thing to talk about security principles; it's another to experience a real attack and the adrenaline of the fix. I'm already feeling much more confident in my server's new defenses. The work is far from over—continuous monitoring and patching are long-term commitments—but the most critical flaws have been patched.

I'll be taking a brief break from testing to let these new rules bake in and to ensure everything is stable. But don't worry, the next step is to get back into the ethical hacker mindset and try to break my own server all over again. I'm eager to see if my fixes hold up. Stay tuned.