Operating systems and the tools of the trade
This section describes our working tools, focusing first on the operating system and tools that underlie our work.
To test, attack, and exploit web applications, we will most likely use the HTTP and HTTPS protocols, and so we must equip ourselves to analyze this type of traffic according to the scheme depicted in the following figure:
Figure 2.1 – A tester’s machine
We use our browser, or other tools, connected to our proxy to intercept traffic and connect to our target. This basic setup allows us to adapt to operational needs and personal preferences.
We then proceed to choose the following:
- Operating system
- Browser
- Interception proxy
- Tools that can aid us, usually scripting or programming languages (such as Bash, PowerShell, and Python)
Operating system
We need to choose our operating system wisely, especially our host operating system. It must be an operating...
