Book Image

Hands-On Penetration Testing on Windows

By : Phil Bramwell
Book Image

Hands-On Penetration Testing on Windows

By: Phil Bramwell

Overview of this book

Windows has always been the go-to platform for users around the globe to perform administration and ad hoc tasks, in settings that range from small offices to global enterprises, and this massive footprint makes securing Windows a unique challenge. This book will enable you to distinguish yourself to your clients. In this book, you'll learn advanced techniques to attack Windows environments from the indispensable toolkit that is Kali Linux. We'll work through core network hacking concepts and advanced Windows exploitation techniques, such as stack and heap overflows, precision heap spraying, and kernel exploitation, using coding principles that allow you to leverage powerful Python scripts and shellcode. We'll wrap up with post-exploitation strategies that enable you to go deeper and keep your access. Finally, we'll introduce kernel hacking fundamentals and fuzzing testing, so you can discover vulnerabilities and write custom exploits. By the end of this book, you'll be well-versed in identifying vulnerabilities within the Windows OS and developing the desired solutions for them.
Table of Contents (25 chapters)
Title Page
Dedication
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
Index

Incorporating Python into your work


I've been asked by many people, do you need to be a programmer to be a pen tester? This is one of those questions that will spawn a variety of passionate answers from purists of all kinds. Some people say that you can't be a true hacker without being a skilled programmer. My view is that the definition is less about a specific skill than about comprehension and mentality; hacking is a problem-solving personality and a lifestyle. That said, let's be honest: your progress will be hampered by a lack of working knowledge in some programming and scripting. Being a pen tester is being a jack of all trades, so we need to have some exposure to a variety of languages, as opposed to a developer who specializes. If we were to pick a minimum requirement on the subject of programming and pen testing, I would tell you to pick up a scripting language. If I had to pick just one scripting language for the security practitioner, I'd pick Python. 

Note

What's the difference...