OVERVIEW:
My professor runs some kind of live Ubuntu OS image on top of the classroom computer he uses to lecture then portals into his linux box located in his office. He has informed me his hostname and the OS he is running on his box which is Ubuntu. Somehow he has hardened his box through some NSA documentation. His IP address changes or is masked in some way as he has hinted.
He has challenged me to leave a message on his computer. Therefore, my tasks consist of finding his IP from the hostname he gave me, scan for open ports and figure which port he uses. He has informed me there is no password for the very reason of this challenge he gave me.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES:
Hostname:
Epiphyte-ix
Network:
There are three networks at our school. The administrative network, student network, experimental network. He is connected to the administrative network which, as being an IT student employee, I have access too.
My Computer:
Running Kali Linux
TROUBLE I'M HAVING
He has hinted that his computer changes it's IP address once "something" expires. What exactly expires i don't know. I'm guessing it's some kind of DHCP service running on whatever port he is using. If I ask anything else he just chuckles and says he is still waiting for a message.
I'm getting permission from my IT boss to nmap the whole admin network from my Kali system. I've tried a few commands already in looking up the hostname but not having any luck. Right now i'm putting a list of nmap commands and additional scans I could possibly do but since his IP address is changing I would like guidance.
I would like some direction from you guys before i go on some ridiculous web search. I really have no idea where to start as I'm an electrical engineering student not a informations security or networking student. I do have a basic grasp on networking and i'm fairly efficient from the command line.
WANT I'M HOPING TO GET FROM THIS POST:
namp parameters that might hold a high potential in detecting his computer
other reconnaissance tactics to gain more information on his IP address and system
additional directions that you might suggest I take
IN CONCLUSION:
Thanks for any help/advice you might have for me. I may of posted a similar discussion on this topic here but cannot recall if I did. Therefore, if I did I apologize and did so in creating a better in detail description of my tasks and environment variables.
NOTE: I may of misused a few words and phrases as i'm not a genius in networking vocabulary. These may be the following...
1.)
"runs some kind of live Ubuntu OS image on top of the classroom computer"
I know for a fact he plugs in a hard drive of some kind and then portals into his linux box so i'm guessing this is some kind of live ISO image. I did my homework and researched his hostname "epiphyte-ix". Epiphyte is a plant that lives/grows on another plant so i'm guessing this applies as I hinted it to him and he replied "very good".
2.)
"His IP addresss changes or is masked"
I asked if he hidden the linux box from the network in someway and he said "its hard to detect". He also informed me that his IP changes the minute something expires.