Mutillidae Web Lab Setup Using XAMPP on Kali Linux

A step-by-step guide to set up a local vulnerable web application lab with OWASP Mutillidae II and XAMPP, ideal for ethical hacking and web app security practice.

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1. Install XAMPP

Download and install XAMPP (includes Apache, MariaDB, PHP):

wget https://www.apachefriends.org/xampp-files/8.2.12/xampp-linux-x64-8.2.12-0-installer.run
chmod +x xampp-linux-x64-8.2.12-0-installer.run
sudo ./xampp-linux-x64-8.2.12-0-installer.run

Follow the graphical installer to complete setup.

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2. Start XAMPP Services

Start the necessary services:

sudo /opt/lampp/lampp start

Check status:

sudo /opt/lampp/lampp status

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3. Clone Mutillidae

cd /opt/lampp/htdocs
sudo git clone https://github.com/webpwnized/mutillidae.git

(Optional) Rename for simplicity:

sudo mv mutillidae mutillidae

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4. Set Permissions

sudo chown -R root:root /opt/lampp/htdocs/mutillidae

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5. Set MySQL Root Password

Launch MariaDB:

sudo mysql

Set the root password:

SET PASSWORD FOR 'root'@'localhost' = 'mutillidae';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

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6. Configure Mutillidae Database Connection

Open in browser:

http://localhost/mutillidae/

Click the "Setup/Reset the DB" link at the top of the page.

If it fails, update the database config manually:

sudo nano /opt/lampp/htdocs/mutillidae/includes/database-config.inc

Use this:

<?php
define('DB_HOST', '127.0.0.1');
define('DB_PORT', '3306');
define('DB_USER', 'root');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'mutillidae');
define('DB_NAME', 'owasp10');
?>

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7. Access the Lab

• Open browser: http://localhost/mutillidae/
• Use the menus to explore OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities
• Practice ethical hacking in a safe environment

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8. Start/Stop Services

• Start lab:

  sudo /opt/lampp/lampp start

• Stop lab:

  sudo /opt/lampp/lampp stop

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9. Optional: Create a Launcher Script

echo -e '#!/bin/bash\nsudo /opt/lampp/lampp start\nxdg-open http://localhost/mutillidae/' > start-mutillidae.sh
chmod +x start-mutillidae.sh

Run it with:

./start-mutillidae.sh

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Credits

• Mutillidae GitHub
• XAMPP by Apache Friends