Missing all abilities on fresh install

[jamesholland-uk]

With a fresh install, I am seeing zero abilities in the GUI, missing them all. Also when creating an agent in the GUI, there are no items in the drop-down. This is using the usual git clone (recursive), install requirements, run server.py etc. It is running in a venv (virtual environment) in case that is a factor? What am I missing? How can I troubleshoot this? Thank you :-)

# python3 server.py --log DEBUG --insecure
2025-05-22 11:11:03 WARNING  --insecure flag set. Caldera will use the default user accounts in default.yml config file.                                                                                   server.py:219
2025-05-22 11:11:04 INFO     Using main config from conf/default.yml                                                                                                                                       server.py:228
2025-05-22 11:11:05 DEBUG    Loaded 2 parsers                                                                                                                                                         learning_svc.py:20
2025-05-22 11:11:07 DEBUG    Collision in ability name detected for 44705da4b28c8fa57fc2a2940b34565a and dca8b042fcdffcc1f5cddcff4122c434 (System Information Discovery (2)). Modifying name of the     c_ability.py:103
                             second ability to System Information Discovery (2) (2)...                                                                                                                                  
2025-05-22 11:11:08 DEBUG    Restored data from persistent storage                                                                                                                                       data_svc.py:116
                    DEBUG    There are 0 jobs in the scheduler                                                                                                                                           data_svc.py:117
                    DEBUG    Restored data from persistent storage                                                                                                                             base_knowledge_svc.py:308
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: html                                                                                                                                                  contact_svc.py:38
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: dns                                                                                                                                                   contact_svc.py:38
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: tcp                                                                                                                                                   contact_svc.py:38
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: slack                                                                                                                                                 contact_svc.py:38
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: websocket                                                                                                                                             contact_svc.py:38
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: udp                                                                                                                                                   contact_svc.py:38
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: ftp                                                                                                                                                   contact_svc.py:38
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: http                                                                                                                                                  contact_svc.py:38
                    DEBUG    Registered contact: gist                                                                                                                                                  contact_svc.py:38
2025-05-22 11:11:09 DEBUG    Registered contact tunnel: ssh_tunneling                                                                                                                                  contact_svc.py:53
                    INFO     Invalid Github Gist personal API token provided. Gist C2 contact will not be started.                                                                                    contact_gist.py:70
                    INFO     Generating temporary SSH private key. Was unable to use provided SSH private key                                                                                           tunnel_ssh.py:26
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: stockpile                                                                                                                                                    app_svc.py:131
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: manx                                                                                                                                                         app_svc.py:131
                    ERROR    Error importing plugin=builder, No module named 'docker'                                                                                                                     c_plugin.py:91
                    ERROR    Error loading plugin=builder, 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'description'                                                                                               c_plugin.py:59
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: atomic                                                                                                                                                       app_svc.py:131
                    DEBUG    Configuration (agents) update, setting deployments=['2f34977d-9558-4c12-abad-349716777c6b', '1837b43e-4fff-46b2-a604-a602f7540469',                                        base_world.py:46
                             '356d1722-7784-40c4-822b-0cf864b0b36d', '0ab383be-b819-41bf-91b9-1bd4404d83bf']                                                                                                            
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: response                                                                                                                                                     app_svc.py:131
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: fieldmanual                                                                                                                                                  app_svc.py:131
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: training                                                                                                                                                     app_svc.py:131
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: access                                                                                                                                                       app_svc.py:131
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: magma                                                                                                                                                        app_svc.py:131
2025-05-22 11:11:10 DEBUG    Loaded gocat extension module: dns_tunneling                                                                                                                                 sand_svc.py:94
                    DEBUG    Loaded gocat extension module: slack                                                                                                                                         sand_svc.py:94
                    DEBUG    Loaded gocat extension module: shells                                                                                                                                        sand_svc.py:94
                    DEBUG    Loaded gocat extension module: shellcode                                                                                                                                     sand_svc.py:94
                    DEBUG    Loaded gocat extension module: native                                                                                                                                        sand_svc.py:94
                    DEBUG    Loaded gocat extension module: proxy_http                                                                                                                                    sand_svc.py:94
                    DEBUG    Loaded gocat extension module: shared                                                                                                                                        sand_svc.py:94
                    DEBUG    Loaded gocat extension module: donut                                                                                                                                         sand_svc.py:94
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: sandcat                                                                                                                                                      app_svc.py:131
                    INFO     Enabled plugin: compass                                                                                                                                                      app_svc.py:131
2025-05-22 11:11:11 INFO     Enabled plugin: debrief                                                                                                                                                      app_svc.py:131
                    INFO     Creating SSH listener on 0.0.0.0, port 8022                                                                                                                                  logging.py:102
                    INFO     serving on 0.0.0.0:2222                                                                                                                                                       server.py:741
                    WARNING  Unable to properly load .donut for payload plugins.stockpile.app.donut.donut_handler due to failed import                                                                   data_svc.py:436
                    WARNING  upx does not meet the minimum version of 0.0.0. Upx is an optional dependency which adds more functionality.                                                                 app_svc.py:186
2025-05-22 11:11:28 WARNING  Ability referenced in adversary ef4d997c-a0d1-4067-9efa-87c58682db71 but not found: 854e480af3b5e2946bb3ae44916e951a                                                      c_adversary.py:90
                    INFO     Docs built successfully.                                                                                                                                                         hook.py:60
                    DEBUG    Using default login handler.                                                                                                                                                auth_svc.py:209
                    DEBUG    Created authentication group: blue                                                                                                                                           auth_svc.py:72
                    DEBUG    Created authentication group: red                                                                                                                                            auth_svc.py:72
2025-05-22 11:11:29 DEBUG    = connection is CONNECTING                                                                                                                                                  protocol.py:175
                    DEBUG    > GET /system/ready HTTP/1.1                                                                                                                                                  client.py:292
                    DEBUG    > Host: 0.0.0.0:7012                                                                                                                                                          client.py:294
                    DEBUG    > Upgrade: websocket                                                                                                                                                          client.py:294
                    DEBUG    > Connection: Upgrade                                                                                                                                                         client.py:294
                    DEBUG    > Sec-WebSocket-Key: p0ydDeZRBb/MKC72WOXQWQ==                                                                                                                                 client.py:294
                    DEBUG    > Sec-WebSocket-Version: 13                                                                                                                                                   client.py:294
                    DEBUG    > Sec-WebSocket-Extensions: permessage-deflate; client_max_window_bits                                                                                                        client.py:294
                    DEBUG    > User-Agent: Python/3.11 websockets/15.0                                                                                                                                     client.py:294
                    DEBUG    < HTTP/1.1 101 Switching Protocols                                                                                                                                            client.py:318
                    DEBUG    < Date: Thu, 22 May 2025 11:11:29 GMT                                                                                                                                         client.py:320
                    DEBUG    < Upgrade: websocket                                                                                                                                                          client.py:320
                    DEBUG    < Connection: Upgrade                                                                                                                                                         client.py:320
                    DEBUG    < Sec-WebSocket-Accept: WNMDW4o+SB4Hkt455vZCCNWlWYc=                                                                                                                          client.py:320
                    DEBUG    < Sec-WebSocket-Extensions: permessage-deflate; server_max_window_bits=12; client_max_window_bits=12                                                                          client.py:320
                    DEBUG    < Server: Python/3.11 websockets/15.0                                                                                                                                         client.py:320
                    DEBUG    = connection is OPEN                                                                                                                                                        protocol.py:175
                    DEBUG    < CLOSE 1000 (OK) [2 bytes]                                                                                                                                                 protocol.py:599
                    DEBUG    > CLOSE 1000 (OK) [2 bytes]                                                                                                                                                 protocol.py:745
                    DEBUG    = connection is CLOSING                                                                                                                                                     protocol.py:175
                    DEBUG    < EOF                                                                                                                                                                       protocol.py:649
                    DEBUG    > EOF                                                                                                                                                                       protocol.py:757
                    DEBUG    = connection is CLOSED                                                                                                                                                      protocol.py:175
                    DEBUG    x half-closing TCP connection                                                                                                                                             connection.py:974
                    INFO     All systems ready.                                                                                                                                                            server.py:104

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[czarekw1974]

Are you trying to connect to UI from local machine http://localhost:8888 or remotely?
If remotely:

• make sure you add "app.frontend.api_base_url: http://x.x.x.x:8888 to your conf file.
• are there any firewalls between you and caldera server? I had same issue, abilities where not showing up in UI. I think corporate firewall was dropping this traffic because of the wording used (IT dep do not like security tools).

I enabled https (TLS hides traffic) access to Caldera server, all abilities are loading fine now.

[jamesholland-uk]

Thanks @czarekw1974.

• This is remote access, the server is on Ubuntu with no local desktop.
• I added app.frontend.api_base_url: http://<server_ip_address>:8888 into conf/default.yml and restarted. This did not seem to make any difference.
• I am going over a VPN from my home network to a VPC in GCP, no corporate security is involved. A firewall terminates the site-to-site VPN from home network to GPC VPC, but there are no drops/blocks.

[jamesholland-uk]

Sadly lynx, w3m or links didn't work for local test of the web UI

[czarekw1974]

Try to enable TLS.

[jamesholland-uk]

Are there any docs for that? Thank you

[czarekw1974]

https://caldera.readthedocs.io/en/3.1.0/Plugin-library.html#setup-instructions

[jamesholland-uk]

Thank you. I found I needed to copy conf/haproxy.conf to /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg (replacing the default haproxy.cfg) and restart haproxy before the VM would listen on port 8443, but after that, HTTPS/TLS works, and indeed, my intial issue has been resolved; the agents, abilities, etc are now all present in the UI. Thank you so much for your help!

(P.S. Is that extra stop with /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg something for which I should create a PR, or have I done it wrong by needing that step?)

[czarekw1974]

I'm glad that I could help. It gave me a headache as well, but I could narrow it down to the fact that it worked fine from the same subnet (or sec zone) but not remotely.

Enjoy the tool.