update_info

update_info passes the module’s identity and contract to the framework. It is used for info, show options, payload compatibility, ranking, and more. Always fill in this block separately from the working code.

Where to write it

def initialize(info = {})
  super(
    update_info(
      info,
      'Name' => 'ExampleApp Ping Command Injection',
      'Description' => %q{
        ExampleApp has OS command injection in /ping.
        Description for the lab.
      },
      'Author' => ['you'],
      'License' => MSF_LICENSE,
      'References' => [
        ['CVE', '2024-0000'],
        ['URL', 'https://example.local/advisory']
      ],
      'DisclosureDate' => '2024-01-01',
      'Platform' => ['linux'],
      'Arch' => [ARCH_CMD],
      'Privileged' => false,
      'Targets' => [
        ['Automatic', {}]
      ],
      'DefaultTarget' => 0,
      'Notes' => {
        'Stability' => [CRASH_SAFE],
        'Reliability' => [REPEATABLE_SESSION],
        'SideEffects' => [IOC_IN_LOGS]
      }
    )
  )
end

The standard form is super(update_info(info, ...)). Passing info merges the metadata without overwriting additions from a parent class or mixin.

Field meanings

Key	Usually required	Meaning
Name	Yes	Short title; include terms users are likely to search
Description	Yes	Behavior, prerequisites, and cautions; %q{...} supports multiple lines
Author	Yes	Array; 'name <mail>' is a common form
License	Yes	Usually MSF_LICENSE
References	Recommended	['CVE','...'], ['URL','...'], ['EDB','...'], etc.
DisclosureDate	Recommended	'YYYY-MM-DD'
Platform	Important for exploit	'linux' / 'win' / 'unix' / 'python', etc.; affects payload compatibility
Arch	Important for exploit	ARCH_CMD / ARCH_X64 / ARCH_X86 / ARCH_PYTHON, etc.
Privileged	Optional	Indicates whether high privileges are required or obtained
Payload	exploit	Payload constraints such as 'Space' and 'BadChars'
Targets	exploit	Target OS / offsets / CmdStagerFlavor, etc.
DefaultTarget	exploit	Index into Targets
SessionTypes	post	'shell' / 'meterpreter'
Actions / DefaultAction	auxiliary	For multiple modes
Notes	Effectively required for new modules	Stability / Reliability / SideEffects

Why Platform / Arch matter

For exploits, if the declared Platform/Arch does not match the payload’s, the available payload list may be empty or execution may fail.

Purpose	Example
Send a command directly	'Platform' => ['unix','linux'], 'Arch' => [ARCH_CMD]
Place an ELF / PE	'Arch' => [ARCH_X64] + CmdStager
Web-language payload	'Platform' => ['php'], 'Arch' => [ARCH_PHP]

Targets

'Targets' => [
  [
    'Linux Command',
    {
      'Platform' => 'linux',
      'Arch' => [ARCH_CMD]
    }
  ],
  [
    'Linux Dropper',
    {
      'Platform' => 'linux',
      'Arch' => [ARCH_X64],
      'CmdStagerFlavor' => ['bourne', 'curl', 'wget']
    }
  ]
],
'DefaultTarget' => 0

Users switch targets with set TARGET 1. Within a module, use target / target.name / target['Arch'].

Notes (Stability / Reliability / SideEffects)

This field is expected for new modules. The bundled wiki Definition-of-Module-Reliability-Side-Effects-and-Stability.md defines the constants.

'Notes' => {
  'Stability' => [CRASH_SAFE],
  'Reliability' => [REPEATABLE_SESSION],
  'SideEffects' => [IOC_IN_LOGS, ARTIFACTS_ON_DISK]
}

Category	Examples
Stability	CRASH_SAFE, CRASH_SERVICE_DOWN
Reliability	REPEATABLE_SESSION, UNRELIABLE_SESSION, EVENT_DEPENDENT
SideEffects	IOC_IN_LOGS, ARTIFACTS_ON_DISK, CONFIG_CHANGES, ACCOUNT_LOCKOUTS

Rank (exploit)

Place it directly in the class body.

Rank = ExcellentRanking

ExcellentRanking / GreatRanking / GoodRanking / NormalRanking, etc. This is a self-assessment of reliability.

Auxiliary Actions

'Actions' => [
  ['List', { 'Description' => 'Enumerate items' }],
  ['Dump', { 'Description' => 'Dump config' }]
],
'DefaultAction' => 'List'

Read action.name in run.

Post SessionTypes

'Platform' => ['linux', 'unix'],
'SessionTypes' => ['shell', 'meterpreter']

Only list session types the module actually supports; running it in an unsupported session is likely to fail.

Next, use register_options to define values supplied by users.