Protocol Reverse Engineering

# Capture on specific interface
wireshark -i eth0 -k

# Capture with filter
wireshark -i eth0 -k -f "port 443"

# Capture to file
tshark -i eth0 -w capture.pcap

# Ring buffer capture (rotate files)
tshark -i eth0 -b filesize:100000 -b files:10 -w capture.pcap

# Basic capture
tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap

# With filter
tcpdump -i eth0 port 8080 -w capture.pcap

# Capture specific bytes
tcpdump -i eth0 -s 0 -w capture.pcap  # Full packet

# Real-time display
tcpdump -i eth0 -X port 80

# mitmproxy for HTTP/HTTPS
mitmproxy --mode transparent -p 8080

# SSL/TLS interception
mitmproxy --mode transparent --ssl-insecure

# Dump to file
mitmdump -w traffic.mitm

# Burp Suite
# Configure browser proxy to 127.0.0.1:8080

# Display filters
tcp.port == 8080
http.request.method == "POST"
ip.addr == 192.168.1.1
tcp.flags.syn == 1 && tcp.flags.ack == 0
frame contains "password"

# Following streams
Right-click > Follow > TCP Stream
Right-click > Follow > HTTP Stream

# Export objects
File > Export Objects > HTTP

# Decryption
Edit > Preferences > Protocols > TLS
  - (Pre)-Master-Secret log filename
  - RSA keys list

# Extract specific fields
tshark -r capture.pcap -T fields -e ip.src -e ip.dst -e tcp.port

# Statistics
tshark -r capture.pcap -q -z conv,tcp
tshark -r capture.pcap -q -z endpoints,ip

# Filter and extract
tshark -r capture.pcap -Y "http" -T json

from scapy.all import *

# Read pcap
packets = rdpcap("capture.pcap")

# Analyze packets
for pkt in packets:
    if pkt.haslayer(TCP):
        print(f"Src: {pkt[IP].src}:{

HTTP        - "HTTP/1." or "GET " or "POST " at start
TLS/SSL     - 0x16 0x03 (record layer)
DNS         - UDP port 53, specific header format
SMB         - 0xFF 0x53 0x4D 0x42 ("SMB" signature)
SSH         - "SSH-2.0" banner
FTP         - "220 " response, "USER " command
SMTP        - "220 " banner, "EHLO" command
MySQL       - 0x00 length prefix, protocol version
PostgreSQL  - 0x00 0x00 0x00 startup length
Redis       - "*" RESP array prefix
MongoDB     - BSON documents with specific header

+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Magic number / Signature         |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Version       |  Flags          |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Length        |  Message Type   |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Sequence Number / Session ID     |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Payload...                       |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+

# Common patterns in binary protocols

# Length-prefixed message
struct Message {
    uint32_t length;      # Total message length
    uint16_t msg_type;    # Message type identifier
    uint8_t  flags;       # Flags/options
    uint8_t  reserved;    # Padding/alignment
    uint8_t  payload[];   # Variable-length payload
};

# Type-Length-Value (TLV)
struct TLV {
    uint8_t  type

import struct
from dataclasses import dataclass

@dataclass
class MessageHeader:
    magic: bytes
    version: int
    msg_type: int
    length: int

    @classmethod
    def

def hexdump(data: bytes, width: int = 16):
    """Format binary data as hex dump."""
    lines = []
    for i in range(0, len(data), width):
        chunk = data[i:i+width]
        hex_part = ' '

# Entropy analysis - high entropy suggests encryption/compression
import math
from collections import Counter

def entropy(data: bytes) -> float:
    if not data:
        return 0.0
    counter = Counter(data)
    probs = [count / len(data) 

# Extract TLS metadata
tshark -r capture.pcap -Y "ssl.handshake" \
    -T fields -e ip.src -e ssl.handshake.ciphersuite

# JA3 fingerprinting (client)
tshark -r capture.pcap -Y "ssl.handshake.type == 1" \
    -T fields -e ssl.handshake.ja3

# JA3S fingerprinting (server)
tshark -r capture.pcap -Y

# Pre-master secret log (browser)
export SSLKEYLOGFILE=/tmp/keys.log

# Configure Wireshark
# Edit > Preferences > Protocols > TLS
# (Pre)-Master-Secret log filename: /tmp/keys.log

# Decrypt with private key (if available)
# Only works for RSA key exchange
# Edit > Preferences > Protocols > TLS > RSA keys list

# Protocol Name Specification

## Overview

Brief description of protocol purpose and design.

## Transport

- Layer: TCP/UDP
- Port: XXXX
- Encryption: TLS 1.2+

## Message Format

### Header (12 bytes)

## Examples
### Connection Establishment

-- custom_protocol.lua
local proto = Proto("custom", "Custom Protocol")

-- Define fields
local f_magic = ProtoField.string("custom.magic", "Magic")
local

from boofuzz import *

def main():
    session = Session(
        target=Target(
            connection=TCPSocketConnection("target", 8888)
        )
    )

    # Define protocol structure
    s_initialize("HELLO")
    s_static(

from scapy.all import *

# Replay captured traffic
packets = rdpcap("capture.pcap")
for pkt in packets:
    if pkt.haslayer(TCP) and pkt[TCP].dport == 8888:
        send(pkt)

# Modify and replay
for pkt in