Full Report
The brand new BlackOps HBN course makes its debut in Vegas this year. The course finds its place as a natural follow on from Bootcamp, and prepares students for the more intense Combat edition. Where Bootcamp focuses on methodology and Combat focuses on thinking, BlackOps covers tools and techniques to brush up your skills. This course is split into eight segments, covering scripting, targeting, compromise, privilege escalation, pivoting, exfiltration, client-side and and even a little exploit writing. BlackOps is different from our other courses in that it is pretty full of tricks, which are needed to move from the methodology of hacking to professional-level pentesting. It’s likely to put a little (more) hair on your chest.
Analysis Summary
This article describes the curriculum and focus of a specialized penetration testing training course, "BlackOps HBN Edition," rather than detailing specific malware families or pre-existing threat actor tools. Therefore, the summary will focus on the *techniques and skill areas* covered by the course, treating the entire course structure as a specialized 'toolset' for professional exploitation.
# Tool/Technique: BlackOps HBN Course Curriculum (Focus Area)
## Overview
The BlackOps HBN course is presented as an advanced training module designed to transition students from foundational hacking methodology (covered in 'Bootcamp') to professional-level penetration testing. It emphasizes the practical application of advanced tools and specific 'tricks' necessary for high-fidelity exploitation across various stages of an attack lifecycle.
## Technical Details
- Type: Advanced Training Curriculum/Skillset
- Platform: Not applicable (Focuses on methodologies applicable across various enterprise platforms)
- Capabilities: Covers the full lifecycle of exploitation, including scripting, initial access, lateral movement, and data theft.
- First Seen: May 27, 2011 (Publication date of the announcement)
## MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
Since this covers an entire attack lifecycle, key relevant tactics are mapped below based on the segment descriptions:
- **TA0001 - Initial Access**
- T1189 - Drive-by Compromise (Implied by 'Client-Side')
- **TA0002 - Execution**
- T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter
- **TA0004 - Privilege Escalation**
- T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
- **TA0008 - Lateral Movement**
- T1090 - Proxy
- **TA0010 - Exfiltration**
- T1041 - Exfiltration Over C2 Channel
- **TA0003 - Persistence**
- (Implied general need within advanced pentesting)
## Functionality
### Core Capabilities
The course is explicitly split into eight segments covering essential penetration testing actions:
- Scripting
- Targeting
- Compromise (Initial Access/Execution)
- Privilege Escalation
- Pivoting (Lateral Movement)
- Exfiltration (Data Theft)
- Client-Side Techniques
- Exploit Writing (Basic level)
### Advanced Features
- Course content is described as being "pretty full of tricks" required for moving beyond standard methodology into professional testing.
- Focus on practical application of niche techniques ("brush up your skills").
## Indicators of Compromise
*Not applicable. This entry describes a training course curriculum, not a specific malware artifact.*
## Associated Threat Actors
*Not applicable. This entry describes a commercial training offering.*
## Detection Methods
*Not applicable. Detection focuses on the execution of the techniques learned, rather than specific signatures.*
## Mitigation Strategies
*Not applicable. Mitigation must address the specific techniques taught in each segment (e.g., robust patching for exploit writing, least privilege for privilege escalation).*
## Related Tools/Techniques
- **Related Courses:** Bootcamp (Methodology focus), Combat (Thinking/Strategy focus).
- **Related Techniques:** The course aims to master adversarial TTPs across all phases of attack, enhancing skills related to existing penetration testing toolsets (e.g., Metasploit, custom scripts).