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Protocols and Servers

easy1htryhackme

Walk through the core application-layer protocols hands-on — HTTP, FTP, SMTP, POP3, and IMAP — by connecting to each service manually using telnet or the native client. No exploitation yet; the goal is understanding what each protocol actually looks like on the wire and how clients and servers talk to each other at the command level.

Skills You Will Learn

telnethttpftpsmtppop3imapnetwork-protocols

Prerequisites

  • networking-basics

Walkthrough Phases

1

Telnet and Protocol Basics

Understand telnet as a raw TCP tool and its default port

2

HTTP via Telnet

Make raw HTTP requests with telnet to understand the protocol

3

FTP — File Transfer Protocol

Connect to FTP, authenticate, and retrieve a flag file

4

SMTP — Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

Connect to SMTP port 25 and read the banner flag

5

POP3 — Post Office Protocol

Authenticate to POP3 and check the mailbox with STAT

6

IMAP — Internet Message Access Protocol

Know the default IMAP port and understand its advantage over POP3

9 questions to answer

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