SCANTRAP: Protecting Content Management Systems from Vulnerability Scanners with Cyber Deception and Obfuscation

TL;DR

This paper introduces SCANTRAP, a WordPress plugin that uses cyber deception and obfuscation techniques to protect CMS websites from vulnerability scanners by misleading and confusing automated tools like WPScan.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel plugin that effectively obfuscates real CMS information and injects false data, enhancing security against automated vulnerability scanning.

Findings

Obfuscates real plugin, theme, version, and user information

Injects false information to mislead scanners

Does not impair legitimate WordPress functionality

Abstract

Every attack begins with gathering information about the target. The entry point for network breaches are often vulnerabilities in internet facing websites, which often rely on an off-the-shelf Content Management System (CMS). Bot networks and human attackers alike rely on automated scanners to gather information about the CMS software installed and potential vulnerabilities. To increase the security of websites using a CMS, it is desirable to make the use of CMS scanners less reliable. The aim of this work is to extend the current knowledge about cyber deception in regard to CMS. To demonstrate this, a WordPress Plugin called 'SCANTRAP' was created, which uses simulation and dissimulation in regards to plugins, themes, versions, and users. We found that the resulting plugin is capable of obfuscating real information and to a certain extent inject false information to the output of one of the most popular WordPress scanners, WPScan, without limiting the legitimate functionality of the WordPress installation.