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Penetration testing is a critical skill in cybersecurity, involving understanding attack surfaces, chaining vulnerabilities, and thinking like an adversary. This guide covers the key phases of penetration testing, from reconnaissance to exploitation and beyond.
Key Phases of Pentesting
1️⃣ Recon & Information Gathering
- Passive Recon: OSINT, WHOIS, Google Dorking.
- Active Recon: Nmap, DNS enumeration, subdomain brute-forcing.
Tool to Use:
nmap -A -p- <target-ip>
2️⃣ Exploiting OWASP Top 10
- SQL Injection (sqlmap), XSS, CSRF, IDOR, SSRF, and RCE.
Example: Bypassing authentication with SQLi:
sqlmap -u "https://example.com/login" --data="username=admin&password=1234" --dump
3️⃣ Privilege Escalation & Post-Exploitation
- Linux: Find misconfigured SUID binaries:
find / -perm -4000 -type f 2>/dev/null
- Windows: Enumerate user privileges:
[cmd]
whoami /priv
[/cmd]
4️⃣ Web & API Pentesting
- Intercept & manipulate traffic with Burp Suite.
- Find API vulnerabilities using fuzzing:
ffuf -u http://target.com/FUZZ -w wordlist.txt
5️⃣ Business Logic Flaws & Custom Exploits
- Bypass client-side security with parameter tampering, hidden fields, and session manipulation.
You Should Know:
- Linux Command for Network Scanning:
netdiscover -i eth0 -r 192.168.1.0/24
- Windows Command for Network Enumeration:
[cmd]
net view /domain
[/cmd] - Exploiting Weak Permissions:
find / -writable -type d 2>/dev/null
- Windows Privilege Escalation:
[cmd]
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:”OS Name” /C:”OS Version”
[/cmd]
What Undercode Say:
Penetration testing is more than just running tools; it’s about understanding the system, identifying vulnerabilities, and exploiting them ethically. The commands and tools mentioned above are essential for any cybersecurity professional. Always ensure you have proper authorization before performing any penetration testing activities.
Further Reading:
References:
Reported By: Pritam Nath – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
