Kali Linux: A Comprehensive Security Tool Cheatsheet

📱 Mobile Security Tips

Sarah Chen — iOS Security Specialist

What is Kali Linux?

Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution specifically designed for advanced penetration testing and security auditing. It contains numerous tools for various security tasks, such as penetration testing, security research, computer forensics, and reverse engineering.

Installation

Kali Linux can be installed on a virtual machine, used as a live USB, or installed directly on your hardware. Follow the official installation guide on the Kali website for detailed steps.

Basic Syntax

The basic syntax for running commands in Kali is as follows:

COMMAND [options] [arguments]

Discovery

Nmap – Network Mapping

Nmap is a powerful network scanning tool.

  • Scan a single host: nmap 192.168.1.1
  • Scan a range of IPs: nmap 192.168.1.1-100
  • Service version detection: nmap -sV 192.168.1.1

Scanning

OpenVAS – Vulnerability Scanning

OpenVAS is an open-source vulnerability scanner.

  • Start OpenVAS: openvas-start
  • Scan a target: omp -u admin -w secret -iX - | omp -u admin -w secret -m TARGET_ID --scan

Exploitation

Metasploit Framework

Metasploit is the most popular penetration testing framework.

  • Start Metasploit console: msfconsole
  • Search for a module: search exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010
  • Use a module: use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010
  • Set target: set RHOST 192.168.1.5
  • Exploit: exploit

Analysis

Wireshark – Network Protocol Analyzer

Wireshark lets you capture and analyze network packets.

  • Capture traffic: wireshark
  • Read a capture file: wireshark capture.pcap

Evasion

Tor – Anonymity Network

Tor helps you anonymize your internet activities.

  • Start Tor: tor
  • Configure proxy: export http_proxy=socks5://127.0.0.1:9050

Reporting

Dradis – Reporting Framework

Dradis helps in organizing and presenting results from penetration tests.

  • Create a new project: dradis new_project

Quick Reference Table

Flag Description
-sS TCP SYN Scan
-p Specify ports to scan

Pro Tips

  • Always run Nmap with the -sS flag for a stealthy scan.
  • Use the -A option in Nmap for OS detection and version scanning.
  • When using Metasploit, regularly update your database using msfupdate).

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Using Nmap to scan for open HTTP ports and service versions.

nmap -sV -p 80,443 192.168.1.1

Example 2: Running OpenVAS against a target.

omp -u admin -w secret -m TARGET_ID --scan