Kali Linux Cheatsheet for Penetration Testers

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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 comes pre-installed with numerous security tools that help in conducting ethical hacking and security assessment.

Installation

Kali Linux can be installed on both physical machines and virtual machines. Download the ISO from the official website and follow the installation instructions. It supports ARM devices, live booting, and persistent USB installations.

Basic Syntax

Commands in Kali are similar to other Unix-like systems. The syntax typically follows this structure: command [options] [arguments].

Discovery

Nmap

Nmap is a powerful network discovery tool.

nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24

Ping scan the local network to discover live hosts.

nmap -sV -p 1-65535 192.168.1.1

Service version detection on all ports.

Scanning

Nikto

Nikto is a web server scanner designed to find vulnerabilities.

nikto -h http://example.com

Scan a specific website for vulnerabilities.

Exploitation

Metasploit Framework

The Metasploit Framework is a tool for developing and executing exploit code against remote targets.

msfconsole

Start the Metasploit console.

use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue

Select a specific exploit.

Analysis

Wireshark

Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer.

wireshark

Launch Wireshark for live packet capture.

Evasion

Burp Suite

Burp Suite is used for web application security testing.

burpsuite

Start Burp Suite to intercept requests.

Reporting

Pandoc

Pandoc is a document converter that can convert reports into multiple formats.

pandoc report.md -o report.pdf

Convert Markdown report to PDF.

Quick Reference Table

Pro Tips

• Use Tmux: Manage multiple terminal sessions.
• Keep Kali Updated: Regularly run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade to stay current.
• Customization: Configure your bash prompt for clarity using PS1='[@  ]]'.

Real-World Examples

Conducting a penetration test involves using various tools in combination to gather information and exploit vulnerabilities. For instance, using nmap to scan for open ports on the target followed by Nikto to scan for known vulnerabilities on those services. After identifying a vulnerability, you could utilize Metasploit for exploitation, then analyze traffic with Wireshark and document findings using Pandoc.