offsec-intel-graph

Intel Graph — Neo4j Attack Knowledge Graph

The model writes Cypher directly to Neo4j using the mcp__neo4j__write_cypher and mcp__neo4j__read_cypher MCP tools. The model determines what entities and relationships exist in the data — this is LLM judgment, not scripted extraction.

When to Activate

• Any offensive security engagement (CTF, pentest, lab, red team)
• At the start of every attack session
• After context compaction (recovery read)

Before Any Attack Action (MANDATORY)

Before calling ANY kali MCP tool that targets a service, endpoint, or vulnerability:

1. Query disproven attack classes — entire categories ruled out:

MATCH (ac:attack_class)-[:ON_TARGET]->(tgt:target {name: $targetName})
WHERE ac.status = 'disproven'
RETURN ac.key, ac.reason, ac.blocked_techniques

If your planned technique falls within a disproven class, STOP. Choose a different class entirely.

2. Query prior attempts on the target:

MATCH (a:attempt)-[:TRIED_ON]->(target)
WHERE target.addr = $targetIp OR target.key CONTAINS $targetIp
RETURN a.technique, a.tool, a.outcome, a.output_summary, a.error_signature
ORDER BY a.created_at DESC

3. Query untested edges — credentials or services not yet tried:

MATCH (c:credential)-[r:AUTHENTICATES_TO {status: 'untested'}]->(s:service)
WHERE s.key STARTS WITH $targetIp
RETURN c.key, s.service

4. Decide: If the attack class is disproven, do NOT try any variant — the entire class is dead. If the same technique already failed and nothing has materially changed, do NOT retry. Choose a different technique or gather new intel first.

5. After execution, immediately RECORD:

MERGE (a:attempt {key: 'att:<technique>:<tool>@<target_component>'})
SET a.technique = '<technique>', a.tool = '<tool>',
    a.outcome = '<failed|succeeded|partial>',
    a.output_summary = '<1-2 sentence summary>',
    a.error_signature = '<access_denied|timeout|waf_blocked|...>',
    a.created_at = datetime()

A PreToolUse hook (trace.sh) queries Neo4j and surfaces prior attempts, credentials, and strategies as context BEFORE execution. This is a safety net — your own CHECK query above is the primary defense.

A PostToolUse hook (trace.sh) auto-extracts credentials and services from commands and writes them directly to Neo4j:

• Credentials: extracted from sshpass, nxc/crackmapexec, evil-winrm, impacket tools
• Auth status: determined from result ([+]=confirmed, [-]/Permission denied=failed)
• Services: extracted from nmap output (port/service/version)

Auto-extracted intel appears as additionalContext ("Auto-recorded to graph: ..."). You still need to manually write: target nodes (box name), vulnerabilities, shells, strategies, attempts, and flags.

Phase Classification (MANDATORY)

After every kali MCP tool call, the PostToolUse hook prompts you to classify the command's phase. Always include the phase SET in your next write_cypher call — piggyback it on whatever intel you're already writing:

MATCH (cl:command_log {sha256: '<sha256_from_prompt>'}) SET cl.phase = '<phase>'

Use dot-notation: recon.port-scan, enum.dir-brute, enum.web, exploit.sqli, exploit.lfi, privesc.sudo, lateral.cred-reuse, access.login. Create deeper keys freely: exploit.deserialization.java, privesc.service.race.

The PreToolUse vet surfaces phase breakdown — commands grouped by phase with productive counts. This lets you see at a glance which phases are stale (many commands, zero productive) and which are yielding results.

Post-Compaction Recovery (MANDATORY)

After every compaction, before doing ANYTHING else:

1. Run the full graph recovery:

MATCH (t:target)-[r*1..3]-(n)
UNWIND r AS rel
RETURN DISTINCT labels(n)[0] AS type, n.key AS key, properties(n) AS props
ORDER BY type, key

2. Check what has already been tried and FAILED:

MATCH (a:attempt {outcome: 'failed'})
RETURN a.technique, a.tool, a.error_signature, a.output_summary
ORDER BY a.created_at DESC LIMIT 15

Do NOT proceed with any attack until you have reviewed both results.

How It Works

1. Model discovers a finding via Kali MCP
2. Model determines what entities and relationships exist
3. Model calls write_cypher with MERGE statements using ONLY the schema defined below
4. Model reads graph context with read_cypher when planning next steps

MCP Tools

Tool	Use
mcp__neo4j__write_cypher	Create/update nodes and relationships
mcp__neo4j__read_cypher	Query the graph — returns structured results
mcp__neo4j__get_schema	Inspect current labels, relationship types, property keys

Recording Findings

When you discover something, write Cypher immediately. Every finding is a MERGE — never skip, never batch "for later." Unrecorded findings are permanently lost on compaction.

Schema

Use ONLY the node labels and relationship types defined below. Do NOT invent new labels or relationship types. If a finding doesn't fit the schema, store it as properties on existing nodes rather than creating new types.

Node Labels

Label	Key Property	Key Format	Other Properties
target	name	BoxName	platform, notes, domain
ip	addr	10.0.0.1
port	key	10.0.0.1:22/tcp	port, proto
service	key	10.0.0.1:22:ssh	service, version
credential	key	admin:P@ssw0rd	username, secret, secret_type
user	name	admin	domain, groups
vulnerability	key	CVE-2024-1234 or vuln:sqli@/login	name, cve, endpoint, param, tool, exploitation_method, prerequisites, payload_format, confidence, wrong_approaches
shell	key	BoxName:www-data:webshell	user, method
flag	key	HTB{...} or flag:user.txt	value, location
file	key	/etc/config.ini	content_hash
endpoint	key	/api/login	method, params
strategy	key	strat:ssh-brute-admin	method, category, status, result, target_component
attempt	key	att:<technique>:<tool>@<target_component>	technique, tool, command, outcome, output_summary, error_signature, created_at
task	key	task:<role>:<subject>	description, status, depth, role, assignee, target, parent_key, findings_summary, spawned_at, completed_at
attack_class	key	class:<type>@<component>	status, reason, blocked_techniques, evidence_basis, disproven_at

Relationship Types

Relationship	From	To	Properties	Meaning
HAS_IP	target	ip		Target resolves to this IP
HAS_PORT	target	port		Port is open on target
RUNS_SERVICE	port	service		Service identified on port
AUTHENTICATES_TO	credential	service	status: untested/confirmed/failed	Credential tested against service
BELONGS_TO	credential	user		Credential belongs to this user
FOUND_IN	credential, flag	file, endpoint		Where the finding was discovered
FOUND_ON	credential, vuln	target		Associated with this target
AFFECTS	vulnerability	service, endpoint		Vulnerability affects this component
RUNS_AS	shell	user		Shell executes as this user
ON_TARGET	shell, vuln, strategy	target		Exists on this target
LED_TO	vulnerability	shell		Exploitation of vuln gave shell
TARGETS	strategy	target, service, endpoint		Strategy aims at this component
TRIED_ON	attempt	service, endpoint, target		Attempt targeted this component
HAS_ATTEMPT	strategy	attempt		Strategy spawned this attempt
DISCOVERED	command_log, task	credential, service, vulnerability, shell, flag, attack_class		Work unit produced this finding (auto-created by hook for credentials/services; model creates for vulns/shells/flags/attack_classes)
SPAWNED	task	task		Parent task created child task for deeper investigation

Schema Rules

1. Closed vocabulary — only use the 15 node labels and 16 relationship types above
2. Properties over new types — if a nuance doesn't fit, add it as a property on the relationship (e.g., AUTHENTICATES_TO {status: "confirmed", method: "pass-the-hash"})
3. MERGE not CREATE — idempotent writes prevent duplicates
4. target.name is the anchor — box name like "Pirate", not the IP. IPs are separate nodes linked via HAS_IP
5. Relationship properties carry status — untested, confirmed, failed for tracking what's been tried

Example — Port Scan to Credential Chain

One example showing the pattern. Derive other scenarios from the schema tables above.

MERGE (t:target {name: "BoxName"})
MERGE (p:port {key: "10.0.0.1:22/tcp"})
SET p.port = 22, p.proto = "tcp"
MERGE (t)-[:HAS_PORT]->(p)
MERGE (s:service {key: "10.0.0.1:22:ssh"})
SET s.service = "ssh", s.version = "OpenSSH 8.9p1"
MERGE (p)-[:RUNS_SERVICE]->(s)
MERGE (c:credential {key: "admin:P@ssw0rd"})
SET c.username = "admin", c.secret = "P@ssw0rd", c.secret_type = "password"
MERGE (c)-[:AUTHENTICATES_TO {status: "untested"}]->(s)

Attempt Tracking — Version Control for Adversary Actions

Every adversary action (exploit, spray, brute-force, injection, scan) MUST be recorded as an attempt node. This prevents repeating failed techniques after context compaction.

Attempt Key Format

att:<technique>:<tool>@<target_component> — the key includes the tool so different tools create separate nodes, but they share the same technique value for similarity matching via STARTS WITH.

Technique Naming

Freeform dot-notation. Use your judgment. Convention: <category>.<specifics>.

Examples: spray.password, inject.sqli.blind, exploit.cve, privesc.sudo, enum.dirbust, lateral.credreuse

Create deeper keys freely: exploit.deserialization.java, privesc.service.race. Prefix queries via STARTS WITH catch all sub-techniques automatically.

Automated Enforcement

A PreToolUse hook (trace.sh) fires BEFORE kali MCP tool calls. It queries Neo4j for prior attempts, known credentials, and strategies on the target IP and presents the raw graph context as additionalContext. Review this context — if the same technique already failed and nothing has materially changed, abort and choose a different approach.

Reading the Graph

Untested edges — what hasn't been tried yet

MATCH (c:credential)-[r:AUTHENTICATES_TO {status: "untested"}]->(s:service)
RETURN c.key AS credential, s.key AS service

Attack Class Tracking — Category-Level Kill Switch

An attack_class represents an entire CATEGORY of attack against a specific component. When one technique fails for a CLASS-LEVEL reason (the underlying mechanism is impossible, not just one payload variant), mark the whole class dead.

Class-level failure = the mechanism itself is blocked (parser doesn't support DTDs, regex blocks required characters, subprocess uses list args not shell=True).

Instance-level failure = the mechanism works but this specific payload/parameter was wrong (wrong path format, wrong injection point, wrong encoding). Instance-level failures do NOT kill the class.

When to Write attack_class Nodes

// Class-level disproof (kills entire attack category)
MERGE (ac:attack_class {key: 'class:xml_injection@variatype:80'})
SET ac.status = 'disproven',
    ac.reason = 'ElementTree parser (expat-based), no DTD/entity support',
    ac.blocked_techniques = 'xxe, oob_xxe, xinclude, parameter_entities, svg_xxe',
    ac.evidence_basis = 'fonttools uses xml.etree.ElementTree — confirmed in source',
    ac.disproven_at = datetime()
MERGE (tgt:target {name: 'VariaType'})
MERGE (ac)-[:ON_TARGET]->(tgt)

// Class remains viable (specific variant failed, class still open)
MERGE (ac:attack_class {key: 'class:path_traversal@variatype:80'})
SET ac.status = 'viable',
    ac.reason = 'os.path.join() is exploitable — relative paths failed but absolute paths not yet tested'

Class Naming Convention

class:<attack_type>@<component> — component is the target service or endpoint.

Examples: class:xml_injection@web:80, class:ssti@flask:80, class:path_traversal@portal:80/view.php, class:command_injection@cron:fontforge

Vulnerability — Enhanced Properties for Exploitation

When recording a vulnerability with a known exploitation method, include these properties:

MERGE (v:vulnerability {key: 'CVE-2025-66034'})
SET v.name = 'fonttools varLib arbitrary file write',
    v.cve = 'CVE-2025-66034',
    v.exploitation_method = 'absolute path in <variable-font filename="/path"> — os.path.join ignores base when second arg is absolute',
    v.prerequisites = 'fonttools <= 4.48, upload .designspace + .ttf to /tools/variable-font-generator/process',
    v.payload_format = 'filename="/var/www/.../shell.php" with PHP in <labelname> CDATA',
    v.confidence = 'high',
    v.wrong_approaches = 'relative paths ../../ fail because os.path.join resolves within temp dir'

confidence levels: high (version match + method validated + payload format confirmed), medium (CVE found + general method known), low (possible CVE match, method unvalidated).

Task Management — Orchestrator Work Units

task nodes track work assignments in the orchestrator's task tree. The lead agent creates them when spawning teammates; teammates update them on completion.

// Create task
MERGE (t:task {key: 'task:cve_scout:fonttools-4.38.0'})
SET t.description = 'Research CVEs for fonttools 4.38.0',
    t.status = 'in_progress', t.depth = 1,
    t.role = 'cve_scout', t.assignee = 'teammate-1',
    t.target = 'VariaType', t.spawned_at = datetime()

// Link to parent
MERGE (parent:task {key: 'task:root:VariaType'})
MERGE (parent)-[:SPAWNED]->(t)

// On completion
MATCH (t:task {key: 'task:cve_scout:fonttools-4.38.0'})
SET t.status = 'completed',
    t.findings_summary = 'CVE-2025-66034: file write via absolute path in designspace. High confidence.',
    t.completed_at = datetime()

Status values: pending, in_progress, completed, dead (killed by class disproof or branch abandonment).

Reactive Planning

When a finding is recorded, think about what it unlocks:

• After credential: create AUTHENTICATES_TO edges with status "untested" to every known auth-capable service (SSH, FTP, SMB, RDP, WinRM, DB, web login)
• After open port: identify the service, link creds if any exist, create strategy nodes for enumeration
• After vulnerability: create a strategy for exploitation
• After shell: new identity = new enumeration. Check sudo, SUID, cron, internal network, config files, databases
• After attack_class disproof: check if any in-progress tasks or strategies target techniques within this class — mark them dead
• Before any attack action: query for disproven attack classes AND prior attempts. If the class is dead, don't try any variant. If the technique failed and nothing changed, don't retry