🛠 Security Tool Cheatsheet
Alex Morgan — Senior Penetration Tester
What is Kali Linux?
Kali Linux is a specialized distribution of Linux designed for advanced penetration testing and security auditing. It’s packed with various tools that cater to the needs of security professionals, including SOC analysts, threat hunters, and ethical hackers.
Installation
Kali Linux can be installed on various platforms including bare-metal, virtual machines, and cloud environments. You can download the ISO from the official Kali Linux website and use tools like Rufus or Etcher to create a bootable USB drive. Follow the installation prompts to get started.
Basic Syntax
The general syntax to run tools on Kali Linux is:
COMMAND [options] [target]
Discovery
Nmap
The go-to tool for network discovery and scanning.
nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24
Scans the local subnet for all active devices.
Netdiscover
A passive/active address discovery tool:
netdiscover -r 192.168.1.0/24
Scanning
Nessus
An advanced vulnerability scanner.
nessus -q -T html -o report.html -s "Scan"
Exploitation
Metasploit
One of the most powerful exploitation frameworks.
msfconsole
Start the Metasploit console. Use commands like:
use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue
To use a specific exploit.
Analysis
Burp Suite
Web application security scanner and proxy.
burpsuite
Initiate Burp Suite. Use any of the following config:
Set base URL in Target > Target Scope
Evasion
Veil-Evasion
Tool for generating payloads that bypass antivirus software.
veil
Start the Veil-Evasion shell to create payloads.
Reporting
Faraday
An Integrated Multi-User Platform for Penetration Tests.
faraday
This will help you organize your reports and findings into a structured format.
Quick Reference Table
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| -sP | Ping scan – find live hosts |
| -q | Quiet mode – suppress output |
Pro Tips
- Nmap: Use the -A option for aggressive scans.
- Burp Suite: Set up throttles and intercept to analyze HTTP requests efficiently.
- Metasploit: Explore using scripts for automation in exploit execution.
Real-World Examples
Example scenarios include using Nmap to identify vulnerable services on a corporate network, then leveraging Metasploit to exploit these vulnerabilities and gain access to sensitive data. Another common task is scanning web applications with Burp Suite, looking for SQL injection vulnerabilities and subsequently reporting back to stakeholders on found incidents.