Cybersecurity Lab Environment

A Docker-based cybersecurity training lab with a Kali Linux jump box and vulnerable Ubuntu targets. Run it locally on your own machine for hands-on practice.

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Quick Start

If viewing this on GitHub, scroll down to read the full README before starting.

1. Install Git and Docker Desktop
2. Clone and start the lab:

   git clone https://github.com/j027/Epic-Research-Infra.git
   cd Epic-Research-Infra
   docker compose build
   docker compose up -d

3. Connect to the Kali jump box:

   ssh student@127.0.0.1 -p 2222

   Password: student123

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Requirements

• Git – to clone this repository
• Docker Desktop – runs the lab containers

Architecture note: This lab targets x86_64/amd64. On ARM systems (Apple Silicon, Windows on ARM), some containers may run under x86_64 emulation and may be slower or fail. If you hit issues, use an amd64 machine.

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1. Install Git

macOS

Git comes pre-installed. Verify with:

git --version

If not installed, you'll be prompted to install Xcode Command Line Tools automatically.

Windows

Download and install from: https://git-scm.com/install/windows

Use default options during installation.

Linux

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git

# Fedora
sudo dnf install -y git

# Arch
sudo pacman -S git

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2. Install Docker Desktop

Download and install Docker Desktop for your OS:

OS	Download
macOS	https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/mac-install/
Windows	https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/windows-install/
Linux	https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/linux-install/

After installation:

1. Launch Docker Desktop
2. Wait for it to finish starting (whale icon stops animating)
3. Verify it works:

   docker --version

Windows Users: If prompted, enable WSL 2 during installation. You may need to restart.

Linux Users: You can also use Docker Engine instead of Docker Desktop. If you do, you'll need to either add your user to the docker group or prefix all docker commands with sudo.

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3. Clone and Build

Open a terminal and run:

git clone https://github.com/j027/Epic-Research-Infra.git
cd Epic-Research-Infra

Build the lab images (first time takes ~5 minutes):

docker compose build

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4. Running the Lab

Start the Lab

docker compose up -d

This starts both containers in the background.

This environment is reused across multiple labs; you do not need to reinstall it unless instructed.

Between Labs

When you finish a lab, shut down the environment to free up system resources:

docker compose down

Before starting the next lab, bring it back up for a clean starting state:

docker compose up -d

This is recommended between all labs, and required before the Attack lab — if you go straight from the Recon lab without resetting, one of the exploits will not work.

💡 There is no persistent data to save, so shutting down between labs is always safe.

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5. Connecting to the Lab

SSH into the Kali jump box:

ssh student@127.0.0.1 -p 2222

Credentials:

• Username: student
• Password: student123

When you log in, you'll see network information including target IP addresses:

==========================================
  CYBERSECURITY LAB ENVIRONMENT
==========================================

Network Information:
  Internal Network: 10.172.42.0/24 (Gateway: 10.172.42.1)

Accessible Targets:
  Kali Jump Box:   kali-jump      (10.172.42.10)
  File Server:     file-server    (10.172.42.11)
  ???              ???            (Scan to find me!)

Accessing Targets

From the Kali jump box, you can reach targets by hostname or IP:

# Using hostname (easier to remember)
ping file-server
nmap file-server

ping kali-jump
nmap kali-jump

# Using IP address
# file-server
ping 10.172.42.11
nmap 10.172.42.11

# kali-jump
ping 10.172.42.10
nmap 10.172.42.10

💡 Tip: Hostnames usually work and are easier to type than IP addresses.

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6. Lab Architecture

Your Computer
     │
     │ SSH (port 2222)
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Kali Jump Box (10.172.42.10)       │
│  - Your attack platform             │
│  - nmap, metasploit, john, etc.     │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │
    Internal Network (10.172.42.0/24)
               │
       ┌───────┴───────┐
       │               │
       ▼               ▼
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ File Server │ │ [?] Hidden      │
│ (10.172.42. │ │ Target          │
│  11)        │ │ - Scan to find! │
│ - Vulnerable│ │                 │
│   services  │ │                 │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────────┘

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7. Troubleshooting

Port 2222 Already in Use

If you see an error about port 2222, another service is using it. Either stop that service or edit docker-compose.yml to use a different port (e.g., change 2222:22 to 2223:22).

SSH Host Key Changed

If you see a "REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED" warning after rebuilding:

ssh-keygen -R '[127.0.0.1]:2222'

Then try connecting again.

Containers Not Starting

Make sure Docker Desktop is running (check for the whale icon in your system tray/menu bar).

Check Container Status

docker compose ps

View Container Logs

docker compose logs

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8. Cleaning Up (Free Disk Space)

The lab images take up several gigabytes. When you're done with the labs that use this environment, you can reclaim disk space:

Remove Lab Containers and Images

# Stop and remove containers
docker compose down

# Remove the lab images
docker rmi epic-research-infra-kali-jump:latest epic-research-infra-ubuntu-target1:latest epic-research-infra-ubuntu-target2:latest

Clear Build Cache

Docker caches intermediate build layers. To free this space:

# Remove only build cache (safe - doesn't affect running containers)
docker builder prune

💡 Tip: Run docker system df to see how much space Docker is using.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid docker system prune unless you understand it—this removes ALL unused containers, networks, and images across your entire Docker installation, not just this lab.

You may also delete the Epic-Research-Infra directory after removing the containers and images.

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9. Password Security

Since the lab runs locally on your own machine, the default password is fine—only you can access it.

If you want to change it anyway, use the command

passwd

after logging into the Kali jump box.

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10. Multi-Host Deployment (Instructors)

For deploying the lab environment for an entire class on a shared server, see the Lab Manager Guide.

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11. License

This project is licensed under the Unlicense (public domain). See LICENSE for details.

Third-Party Components

• ubuntu-target1/: Docker implementation of Metasploitable3
  • Docker implementation by heywoodlh: MIT License
  • Metasploitable3 by Rapid7: BSD-3-Clause License
  • See ubuntu-target1/LICENSE for details

For complete licensing information, see THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.