msfconsole --defer-module-loads

MSP-11671

Add command line option --defer-module-loads to msfconsole.  It will
stop `Msf::Ui::Console::Driver` from calling
`framework.modules.init_module_paths` AND
`framework.modules.refresh_cache_from_database`.  This flag is only
meant to speed up msfconsole boot when modules do not need to accessed,
such as during cucumber testing of command help or command line options.

Author: limhoff-r7

lib/metasploit/framework/command/console.rb

@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ def driver_options
       driver_options['DatabaseEnv'] = options.environment
       driver_options['DatabaseMigrationPaths'] = options.database.migrations_paths
       driver_options['DatabaseYAML'] = options.database.config
+      driver_options['DeferModuleLoads'] = options.modules.defer_loads
       driver_options['Defanged'] = options.console.defanged
       driver_options['DisableBanner'] = options.console.quiet
       driver_options['DisableDatabase'] = options.database.disable

lib/metasploit/framework/parsed_options/base.rb

@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ def options
       options.framework.config = nil
 
       options.modules = ActiveSupport::OrderedOptions.new
+      options.modules.defer_loads = false
       options.modules.path = nil
 
       @options = options
@@ -155,6 +156,13 @@ def option_parser
       option_parser.separator ''
       option_parser.separator 'Module options'
 
+      option_parser.on(
+          '--defer-module-loads',
+          'Defer module loading unless explicitly asked.'
+      ) do
+        options.modules.defer_loads = true
+      end
+
       option_parser.on(
           '-m',
           '--module-path DIRECTORY',

lib/msf/ui/console/driver.rb

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def initialize(prompt = DefaultPrompt, prompt_char = DefaultPromptChar, opts = {
     # Initialize attributes
 
     # Defer loading of modules until paths from opts can be added below
-    framework_create_options = {'DeferModuleLoads' => true}.merge(opts)
+    framework_create_options = opts.merge('DeferModuleLoads' => true)
     self.framework = opts['Framework'] || Msf::Simple::Framework.create(framework_create_options)
 
     if self.framework.datastore['Prompt']
@@ -187,10 +187,12 @@ def initialize(prompt = DefaultPrompt, prompt_char = DefaultPromptChar, opts = {
       # framework.db.active will be true if after_establish_connection ran directly when connection_established? was
       # already true or if framework.db.connect called after_establish_connection.
       if framework.db.active
-        self.framework.modules.refresh_cache_from_database
+        unless opts['DeferModuleLoads']
+          self.framework.modules.refresh_cache_from_database
 
-        if self.framework.modules.cache_empty?
-          print_status("The initial module cache will be built in the background, this can take 2-5 minutes...")
+          if self.framework.modules.cache_empty?
+            print_status("The initial module cache will be built in the background, this can take 2-5 minutes...")
+          end
         end
       elsif !framework.db.error.nil?
         if framework.db.error.to_s =~ /RubyGem version.*pg.*0\.11/i
@@ -212,8 +214,8 @@ def initialize(prompt = DefaultPrompt, prompt_char = DefaultPromptChar, opts = {
       end
     end
 
-    # Initialize the module paths only if we didn't get passed a Framework instance
-    unless opts['Framework']
+    # Initialize the module paths only if we didn't get passed a Framework instance and 'DeferModuleLoads' is false
+    unless opts['Framework'] || opts['DeferModuleLoads']
       # Configure the framework module paths
       self.framework.init_module_paths
       self.framework.modules.add_module_path(opts['ModulePath']) if opts['ModulePath']