beef Documentation

The Browser Exploitation Framework Project

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Technical Documentation: beefproject/beef

ℹ️ Provenance: Multi-Tier Ingestion · CodeWiki Reference

Overview (`README.md`)

===============================================================================

text
Copyright (c) 2006-2026 Wade Alcorn - [email protected]
Browser Exploitation Framework (BeEF) - https://beefproject.com
See the file 'doc/COPYING' for copying permission

===============================================================================

What is BeEF?

BeEF is short for The Browser Exploitation Framework. It is a penetration testing tool that focuses on the web browser.

Amid growing concerns about web-borne attacks against clients, including mobile clients, BeEF allows the professional penetration tester to assess the actual security posture of a target environment by using client-side attack vectors. Unlike other security frameworks, BeEF looks past the hardened network perimeter and client system, and examines exploitability within the context of the one open door: the web browser. BeEF will hook one or more web browsers and use them as beachheads for launching directed command modules and further attacks against the system from within the browser context.

Get Involved

You can get in touch with the BeEF team. Just check out the following:

Please, send us pull requests!

Web: https://beefproject.com/

Bugs: https://github.com/beefproject/beef/issues

Security Bugs: [email protected]

Twitter: @beefproject

Discord: https://discord.gg/25wT2P8pwx

Requirements

Quick Start

The following is for the impatient.

The install script installs the required operating system packages and all the prerequisite Ruby gems:

text
$ ./install

For full installation details, please refer to INSTALL.txt or the Installation page on the wiki.

Upon successful installation, be sure to read the Configuration page on the wiki for important details on configuring and securing BeEF.

Documentation

Usage

To get started, simply execute beef and follow the instructions:

text
$ ./beef

Overview (`spec/README.md`)

BeEF Test Suite

This directory contains the BeEF test suite using RSpec and SimpleCov for comprehensive testing and coverage reporting.

Setup

Prerequisites

  • Ruby 3.0+
  • Bundler
  • All gems from Gemfile

Configuration Files

  • spec/spec_helper.rb - Main test configuration
  • .simplecov - Coverage configuration
  • spec/support/ - Test helpers and utilities

Running Tests

Basic Commands

bash
# Run all tests (fast, no coverage)
bundle exec rake short
# or
bundle exec rspec spec/ --tag '~run_on_browserstack' --tag '~run_on_long_tests'

# Run specific component tests
bundle exec rspec spec/beef/core/
bundle exec rspec spec/beef/extensions/
bundle exec rspec spec/beef/modules/

Coverage Commands

bash
# Complete coverage (recommended)
bundle exec rake coverage
# or
COVERAGE=all bundle exec rspec spec/ --tag '~run_on_browserstack' --tag '~run_on_long_tests'

# Component-specific coverage
bundle exec rake coverage_core        # Core only
bundle exec rake coverage_modules     # Modules only
bundle exec rake coverage_extensions  # Extensions only

Legacy Commands (Still Supported)

bash
# Old coverage commands still work
bundle exec rake coverage:modules
bundle exec rake coverage:all
bundle exec rake coverage_complete

Architecture

SimpleCov Configuration

  • Environment-based: Uses COVERAGE=core|modules|extensions|all environment variable
  • Grouped reporting: Separate groups for Core, Extensions, and Modules
  • Filtered tracking: Only tracks relevant files based on focus area
  • HTML reports: Generated in coverage/ directory

Test Organization

  • Centralized config: BeefTestConfig module provides test data instead of global constants
  • Component isolation: Each component (core/extensions/modules) has dedicated specs
  • Branch coverage: Realistic test data for conditional logic testing
  • Mock management: Proper mocking of external dependencies

Rake Tasks

  • Clean separation: Base spec* tasks vs coverage coverage* tasks
  • Environment variables: Coverage controlled via COVERAGE env var
  • No sequential execution: Single test runs with proper filtering
  • Backward compatibility: Old task names still work

Key Improvements

✅ **Eliminated Global Constant Collisions**

  • Branch-coverage data for the dynamic module spec loaders lives in
    BeefTestConfig.branch_coverage_for(:component) (in spec/spec_helper.rb).
  • Each module spec file pulls its own component (:browser, :exploits, :host,
    :misc, :network, :social_engineering) into a uniquely-named local
    constant (e.g. BRANCH_COVERAGE_HOST), so loading the full suite no longer
    triggers "already initialized constant" warnings or silently overwrites data.

✅ **Simplified Coverage Logic**

  • Cleaner filtering using track_files instead of complex add_filter logic
  • Environment variable COVERAGE instead of COVERAGE_FOCUS

✅ **Better Test Organization**

  • Centralized test configuration in BeefTestConfig
  • Component-specific test data loading
  • Reduced code duplication

✅ **Cleaner Rake Tasks**

  • Single execution instead of sequential runs
  • Proper environment variable usage
  • Backward compatibility maintained

✅ **Standard Patterns**

  • Uses .simplecov config file (standard practice)
  • Follows RSpec best practices
  • Better separation of concerns

Module Spec Pattern (dynamic loaders)

Specs under spec/beef/modules/**/<category>_spec.rb walk every
modules/<category>/**/module.rb file and generate a RSpec.describe block per
class. They cover:

  • .options returns an Array (when defined)
  • #pre_send runs without raising (when defined)
  • #post_execute runs without raising (when defined)
  • An extra #post_execute example with a realistic datastore for any module
    listed in BeefTestConfig.branch_coverage_for(:category)

Trade-off: this is a coverage-driving baseline. The expect { ... }.not_to raise_error assertion catches load failures, missing constants, nil crashes,
and undefined methods, but it does not assert behavioural correctness. Add
targeted assertions for high-value modules (see the Wordpress_add_user and
Test_get_variable examples in spec/beef/modules/misc/misc_spec.rb).

Coverage Focus Areas

  • core: Framework core functionality
  • extensions: Extension modules
  • modules: Command modules (main focus)
  • all: Complete coverage across all areas

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. "already initialized constant" warnings

    • Fixed by using centralized config instead of global constants

  2. Low coverage percentages

    • Use COVERAGE=all for complete coverage
    • Ensure realistic test data triggers conditional paths

  3. Test failures

    • Check that mocks are properly configured
    • Verify test data matches module expectations

Debug Commands

bash
# Run with debug output
bundle exec rspec --format documentation

# Run single test file
bundle exec rspec spec/beef/modules/browser/browser_spec.rb

# Check coverage report
open coverage/index.html

Contributing

When adding new tests:

  1. Use BeefTestConfig.branch_coverage_for(:component) for branch test data
  2. Add realistic datastore values that trigger conditional logic
  3. Mock external dependencies (database, network, etc.)
  4. Follow existing patterns for consistency

Overview (`modules/network/dns_rebinding/README.md`)

Manual to DNS Rebinding (aka Anti DNS Pinning aka multiple A record) attack

How does attack work in general?

Attacker must have some domain and DNS server responds to DNS query for this domain.

When client's browser connects to the attacker's domain it gets two IP addresses:

  • First IP address in the DNS response is address of Web page with malicious JavaScript.

  • Second IP address is from victim's LAN, it is a target address.

The client's browser connects to the first IP address in the DNS response and retrieves the HTML file containing the attacker's
JavaScript.

When the attacker's JavaScript initiates a request back to the attacker's domain via an
XMLHttpRequest, the browser will again try to connect to the attacker's Web server. However,
since the client's IP is now blocked, the browser will receive a TCP reset packet from the
attacker's Web server.

The browser will automatically attempt to use the second IP address listed in the DNS response,
which is the IP address of the client’s router. The attacker's JavaScript can now send requests to
the router as well as view the responses.

How to launch attack in BeEF?

  1. First of all, you should register domain, for example dnsrebinding.org and register NS server with IP address where BeEF DNS server launched. For tests you can use https://freedns.afraid.org, free third-level domain registrar.
  2. Configure DNS Rebinding extension and module. In extension there are four main configs:

  • address_http_internal - IP Address of small HTTP Server, that hooks victim. That address will be in DNS response for victim.

  • address_http_external - If you behind NAT

  • address_proxy_internal - Victim will send on that address responses from target LAN IP. May be the same as address_http.

  • address_proxy_external - If you behind NAT

  • port_ proxy - 81 by default

In module main config is domain. Module adds DNS rule to BeEF DNS database with the help of this config.

  1. Hook victim by help of link contains new registered domain, for example http://dnsrebinding.org
  2. In BeEF UI open module "DNS Rebinding" and fill target field. (That is target IP from victim's LAN, for example 192.168.0.1) Then launch module for hooked browser. Module adds DNS rule with double A record in BeEF DNS database and sends JS.
  3. Victim's browser will send query to small HTTP Server of DNS Rebinding extension. Then extension block IP with the help of iptables. Then victim's browser will initiate second XMLHttpRequest to page. And that will be query to target IP. Then sends response from target IP to DNS Rebinding Proxy server.
  4. Open in your browser page http://address_proxy:port_proxy/**path**, where path is path you want get from target IP.
    For example, if path = login.html and target IP is 192.168.0.1 you get HTML page from victim's router, the same as http://192.168.0.1/login.php
  5. That is all.

Extension uses Iptables to block client. That is no good way, because system() is patched and Iptables need sudo. But victim's browser need get TCP RST from server right away XMLHttpRequest to successful attack.

Notice, attack is VERY DEMANDING, there are many things that can break it. For example:

  1. If victim's browser already have established connection with target IP in other tab, when browser gets DNS response from BeEF DNS server it will use second (local) IP address instead of public address.
  2. If victim's browser have unclear cache with target IP address, browser will use local IP.
  3. (!) If victim even has closed, TIME WAIT connection with target IP address - the same, browser will use local IP
  4. If victim broke attack (for example close tab with hook page), browser anyway save in cache ip address (local) of web page, and you should wait some time while cache will be clear again. In different browsers that time different.

References

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNS_rebinding
  2. https://code.google.com/p/rebind/downloads/list - DNS Rebinding tool implemented on C. Very good explanation of attack in archive: /docs/whitepaper.pdf

Overview (`modules/exploits/beefbind/shellcode_sources/msf/README.md`)

Metasploit BeEF Bind Payloads

Note: the paths specified below relate to the Metasploit installation directory
on Kali Linux. The paths may differ on your system.

Install Handler

Installing BeEF Bind payloads requires also installing a custom handler into framework:

sh
sudo cp beef_bind-handler.rb /usr/share/metasploit-framework/lib/msf/core/handler/beef_bind.rb

Install Payloads

Payloads can be installed into the Metasploit Framework installation directory
(for all users) or user's home directory ~/.msf4/modules/payloads/....

sh
cp beef_bind-stage-windows-x86.rb /usr/share/metasploit-framework/modules/payloads/stages/windows/beef_shell.rb
cp beef_bind-stager-windows-x86.rb /usr/share/metasploit-framework/modules/payloads/stagers/windows/beef_bind.rb

cp beef_bind-stage-linux-x86.rb /usr/share/metasploit-framework/modules/payloads/stages/linux/x86/beef_shell.rb
cp beef_bind-stager-linux-x86.rb /usr/share/metasploit-framework/modules/payloads/stagers/linux/x86/beef_bind.rb

cp beef_bind-stage-linux-x64.rb /usr/share/metasploit-framework/modules/payloads/stages/linux/x64/beef_shell.rb
cp beef_bind-stager-linux-x64.rb /usr/share/metasploit-framework/modules/payloads/stagers/linux/x64/beef_bind.rb

Generating Payloads

Check it works:

sh
msfvenom -l payloads | grep beef_bind

Dump stager and stage in C format:

sh
msfvenom -p windows/beef_shell/beef_bind --format C

Dump stager in raw format:

sh
msfvenom -p windows/beef_shell/beef_bind R > beef_bind-stager

Encode stager to remove nulls:

sh
msfvenom -p windows/beef_shell/beef_bind R --bad-chars '\x00' > beef_bind-stager-nonull

Scripts Prettify Apache License 2.0 (`docs/scripts/prettify/Apache-License-2.0.txt`)

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