The host supports Intel VT-x, but Intel VT-x is disabled

"The host supports Intel VT-x, but Intel VT-x is disabled" is thrown -  on trying to start a virtual machine e.g using VMware Player; when the Virtual Technology(VT) is disabled from system BIOS Settings.

The host supports Intel VT-x, but Intel VT-x is disabled

Steps to fix this and run virtual machines successfully :-

1. Close all the application and restart the System.
2. Press F10 on system startup, to go to Bios Settings
3. Enable the Virtual Settings from Bios Settings > System Configuration 
4. Save the Changes and Start the System.

Video link :

Now try to start your virtual machine :) it should start without any error now :)

Install and run Sqlmap on Windows

Sqlmap is the most popular tool for finding and exploiting the sql vulnerability on the web. It is written in python for cross platform, today i will show the simple steps to install it on the Windows environment ( i am doing it on windows 8.1 :D )

1. Download and install the Python interpreter from https://www.python.org/downloads/ on your System. Python 2.7.9 version should be fine.
2. Now download the Sqlmap zip file from http://sqlmap.org/
• Unzip the sqlmap zip folder
• Open the command prompt > navigate to sqlmap unzipped folder
• Launch command "sqlmap.py"

  

  Install Sqlmap on windows

Sqlmap is installed successfully and ready to roll and hack someone database :D ;)

Android Json tutorial : Saving custom class object as JSONObject and JSONArray on Parse

Android JSONObject and JSONArray allows you to save your custom class values on the Parse.com as a json string.
                  Suppose you would like to save your custom class values in a single Parse.com class column, you can just convert your class parameter values in JSONObject and then can save in a column on Parse.com.

Saving JSONObject on Parse

// Create a Parse object for the table under which you like to add your json object in a column.
ParseObject parseObject = new ParseObject("MainTable");

// Add your JSONObject
parseObject.put("myCustomClass",new JSONObject().put("key","value"));
// Tip : Here you can add all of your custom class variable as key value pair in JSONObject

// Save the Parse object
parseObject.saveInBackground();

Saving JSONArray on Parse [ If you like to save an array of custom class instances]

// Create a Parse object for the table under which you like to add your json object in a column.
ParseObject parseObject = new ParseObject("MainTable");

// Add your JSONArray
JSONArray jsonArray = new JSONArray("myCustomClassArray");
jsonArray.put(new JSONObject().put("key1","value1"));
jsonArray.put(new JSONObject().put("key2","value2"));
// Tip : Here you can add all of your custom class variable as key value pair in JSONObject

// Save the Parse object
parseObject.saveInBackground();

The working copy at XXX is too old (format XXX) to work with client version XXX (rXXX)’ (expects format XX). You need to upgrade the working copy first.

The working copy at XXX is too old (format XXX) to work with client version XXX (rXXX)’ (expects format XX). You need to upgrade the working copy first.


You are at right place for the solution, if you faced the error message like above while using svn client.

Reasons why this error occurs:

1. You have installed a newer version of svn client on your machine, and trying to add/commit some new files to svn server from you current working copy.

 Easy fix 1:

1. Go to your svn checked project > right click > select 'upgrade the Working copy'
1. This will upgrade the working copy and now you should be able to add/commit file easily.
   

Easy Fix 2:

1. Still after applying the fix above, issue is not fixed :(. You can try below then:
1. Right click on the folder causing the issue.
2. If on right click it does not have any svn 'upgrade the working copy'
3. Then go under the folder delete the ".svn" folder completely
4. Add/commit the remaining files to svn :) it will no give any error :)

Thank you for reading :)

Mcafee - Internet Security antivirus extend trial period free trick

 Like one of my previous blog post on extending a software trial period, here comes the same trick to get the McAfee - Internet Security antivirus free extended subscription just by changing system date and time.

McAfee trial period expired

Simple 2 step to extend the trial period and get free subscription :)

1. As you can see expired trial period screenshot on dated 04-01-2014. Change the System date to previous date say '01-01-2014' in our case.

   

   Change system date to previous months or years

2.  Close the McAfee and start again. and Bingooooo !!!! free subscription activated

   

   McAfee free subscription activated.



Another year of free McAfee internet security subscription

Hands on hacking - Windows 8.1 Elevation of Privilege vulnerability

Windows-Elevation of Privilege vulnerability in ahcache.sys/NtApphelpCacheControl, reported by the Google project Zero team is now all over in news. So, i thought to try it on my Windows 8.1 and let's see if the provided exploit works or not, and how to verify it ;)

Below are the steps taken directly from the report, and we will be going to execute it one by one and see how it works

1) Put the AppCompatCache.exe and Testdll.dll on disk
2) Ensure that UAC is enabled, the current user is a split-token admin and the UAC setting is the default (no prompt for specific executables). 
3) Execute AppCompatCache from the command prompt with the command line "AppCompatCache.exe c:\windows\system32\ComputerDefaults.exe testdll.dll". 
4) If successful then the calculator should appear running as an administrator. If it doesn't work first time (and you get the ComputerDefaults program) re-run the exploit from 3, there seems to be a caching/timing issue sometimes on first run. 

Let's Start the test

1. Download the exploit files from this link
2. As per the step #2 from report, make sure your currently logged in user is
• split-user token and UAC setting is set to default [  (i)-You should be an administrator, (ii)- Right click on calc.exe and select run as Administrator - an UAC pop up should be displayed ]
3. Now navigate to downloaded folder poc\bin on command line and execute the below command:
• AppCompatCache.exe c:\windows\system32\ComputerDefaults.exe testdll.dll
4. Now you should see calc.exe (calculator) running in elevated administrator mode and that's also without any asking for any UAC pop up confirmation from logged in user :\

   

   Bypassing UAC using the exploit code (elevation of privilage)

You may wonder how to check if this is actually worked and calc.exe application is started in elevated mode, so here is how you can check :)

• Open the Task Manager > Navigate to Details tab > Right click on columns > click on 'Select Columns'  > tick the 'Elevated' column and click on OK

  

  Adding elevated column in Task Manager process details tab 

• once the 'elevated' column is added, you can see our calc.exe application is started as Administrator.

  

  checking a process Elevated status

Thank you :)

PS : If you like to go in the bug report detail you can check it here https://code.google.com/p/google-security-research/issues/detail?id=118

Running Selenium Webdriver tests on Internet Explorer browser

So finally added support to execute tests on Internet Explorer browser also in my github project https://github.com/lalit-k/selenium-java-tests.

3 Simple steps to add Internet Explorer support in Selenium Webdriver project:

1. Download the IEDriverServer.exe , you can download the latest version from http://selenium-release.storage.googleapis.com/index.html for your target operating system.[download url may change, you can google latest if it changes]
2. Extract the IEDriverServer.exe from the downloaded zip, and place in your project resources folder.

   

   IEDriverServer.exe

3. Now, go to the Driver script where you are initializing the IEDriverServer and add the below code line to initialize the IEDriverServer.

System.setProperty("webdriver.ie.driver", <full system path of the IEDriverServer.exe. Example: c:\tests\resources\IEDriverServer.exe>);
WebDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver();

Tip : you can use the "System.getProperty("user.dir");" to get the current working directory and then append the path to IEDriverServer.exe

System.getProperty("user.dir")

You can also view the complete code changes for your reference at https://github.com/lalit-k/selenium-java-tests/commit/d1dc4cd3f878d64a4119fc0d6297df026a07cf5a

Running Selenium Webdriver tests on Google Chrome browser

Few months back i had added the support to execute tests on Google Chrome browser in my github project https://github.com/lalit-k/selenium-java-tests , so i thought to write it down how you can do the same if needed in your project.

3 Simple steps to add Google Chrome support in Selenium Webdriver project:

1. Download the ChromeDriver.exe , you can download the latest version from http://chromedriver.storage.googleapis.com/index.html for your target operating system.[download url may change, you can google latest if it changes]
2. Extract the chromedriver.exe from the downloaded zip, and place in your project resources folder.

   

   Add Chromedriver.exe

3. Now, go to the Driver file where you are initializing the ChromeDriver and add the below code line to initialize the ChromeDriver.

System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", <full system path of the chromedriver.exe. Example: c:\tests\resources\chromedriver.exe>);
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

Tip : you can use the "System.getProperty("user.dir");" to get the current working directory and then append the path to chromedriver.exe

System.getProperty("user.dir")

You can also view the complete code changes for your reference at https://github.com/lalit-k/selenium-java-tests/commit/01cda755f72918a417b7b0cded1b2db4c387eb70

Add Facebook popup Like box on your blog

When you come first time on this blog you must have seen a Facebook Like pop up box. Well that is just a few lines of JavaScript code embedded in the blog template.

So, i thought it to share with you guys if you like to add on your blogs also :)

Facebook popup Like box

1. Open the your blog Layout Editor > Add a Widget > Select HTML/JavaScript widget.

Configure Html/JavaScript widget

2. Copy and paste the below code in the content section as shown in above image. [ Just change the page id to your own Facebook page/profile]

 <script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'></script>

<style>

#fbox-background {

    display: none;

    background: rgba(0,0,0,0.8);

    width: 100%;

    height: 100%;

    position: fixed;

    top: 0;

    left: 0;

    z-index: 99999;

}



#fbox-close {

    width: 100%;

    height: 100%;

}



#fbox-display {

    background: #eaeaea;

    border: 5px solid #828282;

    width: 340px;

    height: 230px;

    position: absolute;

    top: 32%;

    left: 37%;

    -webkit-border-radius: 5px;

    -moz-border-radius: 5px;

    border-radius: 5px;

}



#fbox-button {

    float: right;

    cursor: pointer;

    position: absolute;

    right: 0px;

    top: 0px;

}



#fbox-button:before {

    content: "CLOSE";

    padding: 5px 8px;

    background: #828282;

    color: #eaeaea;

    font-weight: bold;

    font-size: 10px;

    font-family: Tahoma;

}



#fbox-link,#fbox-link a.visited,#fbox-link a,#fbox-link a:hover {

    color: #aaaaaa;

    font-size: 9px;

    text-decoration: none;

    text-align: center;

    padding: 5px;

}

</style>

<script type='text/javascript'>

//<![CDATA[

jQuery.cookie = function (key, value, options) {

// key and at least value given, set cookie...

if (arguments.length > 1 && String(value) !== "[object Object]") {

options = jQuery.extend({}, options);

if (value === null || value === undefined) {

options.expires = -1;

}

if (typeof options.expires === 'number') {

var days = options.expires, t = options.expires = new Date();

t.setDate(t.getDate() + days);

}

value = String(value);

return (document.cookie = [

encodeURIComponent(key), '=',

options.raw ? value : encodeURIComponent(value),

options.expires ? '; expires=' + options.expires.toUTCString() : '', // use expires attribute, max-age is not supported by IE

options.path ? '; path=' + options.path : '',

options.domain ? '; domain=' + options.domain : '',

options.secure ? '; secure' : ''

].join(''));

}

// key and possibly options given, get cookie...

options = value || {};

var result, decode = options.raw ? function (s) { return s; } : decodeURIComponent;

return (result = new RegExp('(?:^|; )' + encodeURIComponent(key) + '=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie)) ? decode(result[1]) : null;

};

//]]>

</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>

jQuery(document).ready(function($){

if($.cookie('popup_facebook_box') != 'yes'){

$('#fbox-background').delay(5000).fadeIn('medium');

$('#fbox-button, #fbox-close').click(function(){

$('#fbox-background').stop().fadeOut('medium');

});

}

$.cookie('popup_facebook_box', 'yes', { path: '/', expires: 7 });

});

</script>

<div id='fbox-background'>

<div id='fbox-close'>

</div>

<div id='fbox-display'>

<div id='fbox-button'>

</div>

<iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' src='//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?

href=https://www.facebook.com/automatethebox&width=402&height=255&colorscheme=light&show_faces=true&show_border=false&stream=false&header=false'

style='border: none; overflow: hidden; background: #fff; width: 339px; height: 200px;'></iframe>

<div id="fbox-link">Powered by <a style="padding-left: 0px;" href="http://automatethebox.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">AutomateTheBox</a></div>
</div>
</div>

3. Save the Changes, and all Done :) ready to roll

ParseUser.logout() doesn't logs user out

Recently working on a android app integrated with Parse and Facebook, i observed the issue that just calling the ParseUser.logout() does not clear the authenticated user token and logs in the user again on clicking on 'Log in as Facebook' even if user have logged out from the Facebook app also.


goggled the solution, but found this is as Design :(


So, still if you like to invalidate the facebook authentication token on ParseUser.logout(), you can do by adding a few lines of code shown below.


#################Code Snippet#####################

// Logout already logged in user from your android app.

ParseUser.logout();


// Check if user is logged in Facebook android app or not. If not clear the token information  explicitly.

 com.facebook.Session facebookSession= com.facebook.Session.getActiveSession();
        if (facebookSession== null) {
            facebookSession= new com.facebook.Session(this);
            com.facebook.Session.setActiveSession(facebookSession);
        }
        facebookSession.closeAndClearTokenInformation();

#################Code Snippet#####################

Now, when you click on 'Log in with Facebook', user will be taken to login screen and there you can then log in to your app as different user :)