Bootstrapping Your Cyber Arsenal | Kali Linux Cookbook

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Kali Linux Cookbook - Third Edition

By : Corey P. Schultz

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Kali Linux Cookbook

By: Corey P. Schultz

Buy this Book

Overview of this book

This hands-on guide will help you become a penetration testing expert by gaining command of the powerful tools of Kali Linux, from versions 2024.3 through 2025.1, aligned with the latest features introduced and applying them in real-world security assessments. This cookbook’s third edition is updated to include the latest advancements in cybersecurity. The author leverages their 20 years of industry experience to guide you through installing Kali on multiple platforms, setting up lab environments, and using modern tools, such as Nmap, Metasploit, Wireshark, OpenVAS, and AI-driven reconnaissance. You’ll also explore automated social engineering, wireless hacking, web and database exploitation, and advanced persistence techniques, delivering a comprehensive and up-to-date penetration testing resource. Recognizing the critical role of human factors in security, this edition expands on social engineering tactics, including psychological principles and AI-driven automation, to craft highly effective attack campaigns. By the end of this book, you’ll have strengthened your grasp of the entire penetration testing process, from environment setup and reconnaissance to vulnerability analysis, exploitation, and maintaining access, and be equipped with industry-standard tools to enhance your effectiveness as a security professional.

Preface

Who this book is for

What this book covers

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Bootstrapping Your Cyber Arsenal

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Technical requirements

Lab architecture and considerations

Installing VirtualBox on Windows

Installing Kali Linux in VirtualBox

Installing Kali in Docker

Installing Kali on Raspberry PI

Updating and upgrading Kali Linux

Installation of Kali metapackages

Securing Kali Linux

Checking for rootkits and other exploits

Installing Metasploitable3 Linux and Windows VMs

Installing Damn Vulnerable Linux (DVL)

Installing and setting up bWAPP via bee-box

Other test machines

Cloak and Dagger: Stealth and Anonymity

Technical requirements

Essentials to anonymity

Employing Bitcoin and cryptocurrency

Using Tor

Using private and secure email

Using a VPN

Using a proxy

Building alternate online personas

Building complete online personas with AI

Deep Recon: Unveiling the Digital Landscape

Technical requirements

Using CherryTree to organize your data

Gathering DNS and domain information

Gathering information from web resources

Gathering public IP information

Gathering external routing information

Gathering internal routing information

Gathering cloud services information

Identifying whether there is a web application firewall

Using SNMP for information gathering

Setting up Maltego CE

Understanding and configuring Maltego Transforms

Initiating a scan with Maltego

Nmap Mastery – Scanning with Precision

Technical requirements

Setting up Nmap

Performing host discovery

Performing port scanning

Performing service and version discovery

Performing operating system fingerprinting

Performing hardware and device type fingerprinting

Conducting the most common Nmap scan

Implementing detection and evasion techniques

Understanding script engine fundamentals

Wireshark Wizard: Network Traffic Demystified

Technical requirements

Setting up Wireshark

Capturing network traffic

Performing packet analysis

Implementing display filters

Filtering captured traffic

Performing TCP analysis (FTP)

Performing UDP analysis (DNS)

Analyzing web applications

Importing PCAP files

Weaknesses Exposed: Advanced Vulnerability Analysis

Technical requirements

Setting up Greenbone Vulnerability Manager (GVM)

Performing a subnet vulnerability scan with GVM

Executing a targeted vulnerability scan with GVM

Setting up Nessus

Conducting a basic vulnerability scan with Nessus

Executing an advanced and targeted vulnerability scan with Nessus

Exploitation Unleashed: Finding the Hidden Flaws

Technical requirements

Understanding vulnerabilities and targets

Searching local exploit databases

Searching remote exploit databases

Setting up Metasploit

Learning Metasploit basics

Target scanning and enumeration using Metasploit

Using exploits and payloads in Metasploit

Setting up Armitage

Visualizing the target

Collaborative hacking

Using Yersinia to attack network protocols

Human Hacking: The Art of Social Engineering

Technical requirements

Creating a phishing attack

Enhancing intelligence gathering with AI

Using AI LLMs to enhance phishing attacks

Creating a spear phishing attack

Building phishing templates

Launching chatbot-based social engineering attacks

Implementing voice and speech synthesis

Building a full-screen attack

Building a site cloning attack

Generating QR codes

Creating infectious media

Obfuscating and manipulating URLs

Using PowerShell as an attack vector

Spoofing DHCP

Spoofing DNS

Breaking Barriers: the Secrets of Password Cracking

Technical requirements

Implementing credential sniffing on network traffic

Cracking local Windows passwords

Cracking remote Windows passwords

Cracking local Linux passwords

Brute-forcing password hashes

Optimizing John the Ripper

Generating custom word lists with CeWL

Expanding custom word lists with RSMangler

Logging key strokes

Attacking 2FA

Cracking FTP/Telnet/SSH passwords

Cracking RDP passwords

Cracking VNC passwords

Cracking ZIP/RAR files

Stuffing credentials

Climbing the Ladder: Mastering Privilege Escalation

Technical requirements

Exploiting applications in Windows to gain elevated privileges

Exploiting services in Windows to gain elevated privileges

Chaining exploits in Windows to gain elevated privileges

Exploiting privilege escalation in Linux – non-root

Exploiting chained privilege root escalation in Linux

Exploiting chained privilege identification and escalation

Wireless Warfare: Dominating the Airwaves

Technical requirements

Building a WLAN testing environment

Scanning for SSIDs

Scanning for hidden SSIDs

Examining collected data

Performing a wireless DoS attack: deauthentication attack

Cracking WPA2 keys

Spoofing a valid client’s MAC address

Using public Wi-Fi to capture credentials

Attacking the corporate Wi-Fi network

Web Warriors: Exploiting Online and Database Vulnerabilities

Technical requirements

Creating a website reconnaissance report with Photon and EyeWitness

Using Nikto to scan websites for vulnerabilities

Using Skipfish to scan websites for vulnerabilities

Using ZAP to scan websites for vulnerabilities

Using Droopescan to scan a CMS for vulnerabilities

Performing a command injection attack

Performing a SQL injection attack

Performing a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack

Discovering hidden files with R/LFI and ffuf

Persistence Pays: Securing Long-Term Access

Technical requirements

Creating a backdoor in Windows

Persisting Windows connectivity

Creating a backdoor in Linux

Persisting Linux connectivity

Persisting connectivity through the web

Masquerading communications with netcat

Encrypting communications with Cryptcat

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Kali Linux Cookbook - Third Edition

By : Corey P. Schultz

Kali Linux Cookbook

By: Corey P. Schultz

Overview of this book

Technical requirements

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