Performing Phishing Simulation With Gophish

Performing Phishing Simulation with GoPhish

Overview

GoPhish is an open-source phishing simulation framework used by security teams to conduct authorized phishing awareness campaigns. It provides campaign management, email template creation, landing page cloning, and comprehensive reporting. This skill covers deploying GoPhish, creating realistic phishing scenarios, and analyzing campaign results to measure and improve organizational resilience.

When to Use

Trigger phrases:

• "performing phishing simulation with gophish"

• "GoPhish is an open-source phishing simulation framework used by security teams t"

• When conducting security assessments that involve performing phishing simulation with gophish

• When following incident response procedures for related security events

• When performing scheduled security testing or auditing activities

• When validating security controls through hands-on testing

Prerequisites

• GoPhish binary or Docker image (https://github.com/gophish/gophish)
• SMTP server or relay for sending test emails
• Written authorization from management for phishing simulation
• Target email list (HR-approved)
• SSL/TLS certificate for landing pages
• Python 3.8+ for automation scripts

Key Concepts

This section covers key concepts for performing phishing simulation with gophish.

• Ensure all prerequisites are met before proceeding
• Follow the documented workflow steps in sequence
• Record results and any anomalies encountered during this phase

GoPhish Architecture

• Admin Panel: Web UI for campaign management (default port 3333)
• Phishing Server: Serves landing pages and tracks clicks (default port 80/443)
• SMTP Configuration: Outbound email sending profile
• Campaign Engine: Orchestrates email delivery, tracking, and reporting

Campaign Components

1. Sending Profile: SMTP server configuration for outbound email
2. Email Template: The phishing email content with tracking
3. Landing Page: The fake page users are directed to
4. User Group: Target recipients for the campaign
5. Campaign: Combines all components with scheduling

Workflow

1. Scope the task — define objectives, boundaries, and success criteria
2. Gather information — collect all necessary data and context before proceeding
3. Execute the core workflow — follow the domain-specific steps methodically
4. Validate results — verify outputs against expected outcomes or baselines
5. Document findings — record results, anomalies, and recommendations

Step 1: Deploy GoPhish

# Docker deployment
docker pull gophish/gophish
docker run -d --name gophish -p 3333:3333 -p 8080:80 gophish/gophish

# Or binary deployment
wget https://github.com/gophish/gophish/releases/latest/download/gophish-v0.12.1-linux-64bit.zip
unzip gophish-v0.12.1-linux-64bit.zip
chmod +x gophish
./gophish

Step 2: Configure Sending Profile

• Name: "Internal Mail Server"
• SMTP From: awareness-test@yourdomain.com
• Host: smtp.yourdomain.com:587
• Username/Password: Service account credentials
• Enable TLS

Step 3: Create Email Template

• Use realistic scenarios: password reset, IT notification, HR update
• Include GoPhish tracking pixel: {{.Tracker}}
• Include phishing link: {{.URL}}
• Personalize with {{.FirstName}}, {{.LastName}}, {{.Position}}

Step 4: Create Landing Page

• Clone legitimate login page using GoPhish's import feature
• Enable credential capture (for authorized testing only)
• Configure redirect to training page after submission
• Add SSL certificate for HTTPS

Step 5: Import Users and Launch Campaign

• Import CSV with: First Name, Last Name, Email, Position
• Set campaign schedule (stagger sends to avoid detection)
• Launch and monitor in real-time

Step 6: Analyze Results with process.py

Use the automation script to pull campaign data via GoPhish API and generate detailed analytics reports.

When NOT to Use

• You don't have explicit written authorization to test
• Task is about defense/detection, not offense (use detection skills)
• You need to implement security controls (use implementing-* skills)
• Task requires compliance auditing (use auditing-* skills)
• You're investigating an incident (use incident response skills)
• Target is out of scope for your engagement
• Task is about vulnerability scanning only (use scanning tools)

Red Flags

• Performing actions without explicit written authorization from the asset owner
• Testing against production systems without a defined scope and rules of engagement
• Sharing sensitive findings or credentials in unencrypted communications
• Failing to properly scope and contain the assessment before starting

Verification

• All steps executed successfully against a test environment before production use
• Output documented with screenshots or logs demonstrating expected behavior
• Results validated against known-good baselines or reference implementations
• Documentation complete enough for another analyst to reproduce findings

Tools & Resources

• GoPhish: https://getgophish.com/
• GoPhish API Docs: https://docs.getgophish.com/api-documentation/
• GoPhish GitHub: https://github.com/gophish/gophish
• Evilginx2 (for advanced AiTM testing): https://github.com/kgretzky/evilginx2
• King Phisher: https://github.com/rsmusllp/king-phisher

Validation

• Successfully deploy GoPhish and access admin panel
• Create and send a test phishing email to a test mailbox
• Capture simulated credentials on landing page
• Generate campaign report with open/click/submit rates
• Redirect users to awareness training after interaction

Process

1. Analyze the task requirements
2. Apply domain expertise
3. Verify output quality

Anti-Rationalization Table