Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Save more on your purchases now! discount-offer-chevron-icon
Savings automatically calculated. No voucher code required.
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Conferences
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Hands-On Red Team Tactics
Hands-On Red Team Tactics

Hands-On Red Team Tactics: A practical guide to mastering Red Team operations

Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Himanshu Sharma Profile Icon Harpreet Singh
Arrow right icon
€18.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.2 (6 Ratings)
Paperback Sep 2018 480 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€17.99 €25.99
Paperback
€32.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Himanshu Sharma Profile Icon Harpreet Singh
Arrow right icon
€18.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.2 (6 Ratings)
Paperback Sep 2018 480 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€17.99 €25.99
Paperback
€32.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
eBook
€17.99 €25.99
Paperback
€32.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!
Product feature icon Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!
Product feature icon 50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Product feature icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Product feature icon Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.
Subscribe now
View plans & pricing
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Hands-On Red Team Tactics

Pentesting 2018

For the past few years, we have been using tools such as the Metasploit Framework, routersploit, LinuxEnum.sh, nmap, and so on for post-exploitation and scanning. With the growing popularity of new tools, it would be good to learn about some new tools that can be used for post-exploitation. Out of the many available tools, we will be looking at MSFvenom Payload Creator (MSFPC)—a simple MSF-based payload generator; and Koadic—a COM-based Command and Control (C3) server, which can be used in red-team operations or penetration testing for post-exploitation.

In this chapter, we will cover the following tools:

  • MSFPC
  • Kaodic

Technical requirements

  • *nix-based system (Kali, Ubuntu, or macOS X)
  • The Metasploit framework (needed for MSFPC)
  • Python package version 2 or 3 (needed for Koadic)

MSFvenom Payload Creator

MSFvenom Payload Creator (MSFPC) is a user-friendly multiple payload generator that can be used to generate Metasploit payloads based on user-selected options. The user doesn't need to execute the long msfvenom commands to generate payloads anymore. With MSFPC, the user can generate the payloads with far fewer commands.

Before downloading the tool, Metasploit should be installed in the system. MSFPC is just a simple bash script, which means that it can be executed on *nix systems.

We can download the MSFPC package from https://github.com/g0tmi1k/mpc. We can either download the repository in a ZIP file or we can clone the repository on our local system by running the following command:

git clone https://github.com/g0tmi1k/mpc

After cloning the repo, let's issue an execute permission on msfpc.sh file.

cd mpc/
chmod +x msfpc.sh ./msfpc.sh
./msfpc...

Koadic

Koadic is a Windows post-exploitation toolkit with a similar interface to the other famous tools used for penetration testing purposes, namely, Empire and Metasploit. It's called C3 for a reason and that is because it uses the Component Object Model (COM) in Windows and operates using the script host utility (also known as JScript/VBScript). COM objects were introduced by Microsoft in 1993, which also means that Koadic's payloads are compatible with the older versions of Windows (NT/95/2000) up until the latest version, Windows 10. Koadic is built on Python and it's compatible with Python 2 as well as Python 3. The payloads generated by Koadic can be executed completely in-memory (from the stage 0 to the second stage and beyond) and it also supports the stager communication over SSL/TLS, although it depends upon what setting is enabled on the victim OS.

...

Summary

Let's quickly summarize what we have worked on until now. At the beginning of this chapter, you were introduced to MSF Payload Creator (MSFPC) and the steps to install MSFPC on the system. We looked at the use of resource files (.rc), which were generated by MSFPC besides the payload file. Different types of payload generation were presented, according to the scenario; that is, the type of shell dropped by the payload (cmd or msf), the type of payload connection used (bind versus reverse), the type of payload (staged or stageless), the communication method (tcp/http/https/find_ports), and the modes used for mass payload generation (batch mode or loop mode).

In the latter part of this chapter, you were introduced to Koadic, a C3 server, its installation and usage, and the stages for performing a Koadic-style post-exploitation.

...

Questions

  1. Why use MSFPC when you can use msfvenom?
  2. Should we expect new features in MSFPC?
  3. Where can we use the loop and batch modes in a real-world scenario?
  4. Is MSFPC already installed in Kali Linux?
  5. Why use Koadic when you can use Empire and Metasploit?
  6. There's not many modules (implants) in Koadic as compared to metasploit or Empire. Why is that?
  7. What else can we use instead of these boring command-line tools?

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Key benefits

  • Target a complex enterprise environment in a Red Team activity
  • Detect threats and respond to them with a real-world cyber-attack simulation
  • Explore advanced penetration testing tools and techniques

Description

Red Teaming is used to enhance security by performing simulated attacks on an organization in order to detect network and system vulnerabilities. Hands-On Red Team Tactics starts with an overview of pentesting and Red Teaming, before giving you an introduction to few of the latest pentesting tools. We will then move on to exploring Metasploit and getting to grips with Armitage. Once you have studied the fundamentals, you will learn how to use Cobalt Strike and how to set up its team server. The book introduces some common lesser known techniques for pivoting and how to pivot over SSH, before using Cobalt Strike to pivot. This comprehensive guide demonstrates advanced methods of post-exploitation using Cobalt Strike and introduces you to Command and Control (C2) servers and redirectors. All this will help you achieve persistence using beacons and data exfiltration, and will also give you the chance to run through the methodology to use Red Team activity tools such as Empire during a Red Team activity on Active Directory and Domain Controller. In addition to this, you will explore maintaining persistent access, staying untraceable, and getting reverse connections over different C2 covert channels. By the end of this book, you will have learned about advanced penetration testing tools, techniques to get reverse shells over encrypted channels, and processes for post-exploitation.

Who is this book for?

Hands-On Red Team Tactics is for you if you are an IT professional, pentester, security consultant, or ethical hacker interested in the IT security domain and wants to go beyond Penetration Testing. Prior knowledge of penetration testing is beneficial.

What you will learn

  • Get started with red team engagements using lesser-known methods
  • Explore intermediate and advanced levels of post-exploitation techniques
  • Get acquainted with all the tools and frameworks included in the Metasploit framework
  • Discover the art of getting stealthy access to systems via Red Teaming
  • Understand the concept of redirectors to add further anonymity to your C2
  • Get to grips with different uncommon techniques for data exfiltration

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Sep 28, 2018
Length: 480 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788995238
Category :
Concepts :
Tools :

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!
Product feature icon Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!
Product feature icon 50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Product feature icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Product feature icon Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.
Subscribe now
View plans & pricing

Product Details

Publication date : Sep 28, 2018
Length: 480 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788995238
Category :
Concepts :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
€18.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
€189.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
€264.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total 107.97
Hands-On Red Team Tactics
€32.99
Mastering Reverse Engineering
€36.99
Cybersecurity - Attack and Defense Strategies
€37.99
Total 107.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

15 Chapters
Red-Teaming and Pentesting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Pentesting 2018 Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Foreplay - Metasploit Basics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Getting Started with Cobalt Strike Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
./ReverseShell Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Pivoting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Age of Empire - The Beginning Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Age of Empire - Owning Domain Controllers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Cobalt Strike - Red Team Operations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
C2 - Master of Puppets Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Obfuscating C2s - Introducing Redirectors Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Achieving Persistence Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Data Exfiltration Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Assessment Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.2
(6 Ratings)
5 star 50%
4 star 16.7%
3 star 33.3%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




Saibal Dasgupta Mar 06, 2020
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great book for hands on security training. Practical, crisp and clear.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Arjun Kamble Jan 05, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book is perfect for those who want to learn hardcore PT skills & wants to reach a Red Teamer level.Stuck at reverse shell? Buy this bookStuck at pivoting? Buy this bookStuck at post exploitation? Buy this bookWant to look for new exploitation tools? Buy this bookWant to learn about infiltration & exfiltration? Buy this bookThis book covers almost all the basic tools and concepts which are required for a Pentester to become a Red Teamer. The authors have done an amazing job here! Kudos to you guys.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Aryan Mishra Jan 04, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
If you are having basic understanding of security and want to improve your PT skills, this is the book you should read. This book introduces you to the world of red teaming. Info of some new tools you must hands on. In short it’s worth buying book.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Amazon Customer Nov 22, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
A must buy for people who wants to move up the ladder in cyber security realm. Many interesting topics like C2 servers, Redirectors, data exfiltration and many more are covered which makes this book one of a kind. This book is recommended for pentesters who wants to enter the world of red teaming. The screenshots could have been more clear but other than that, I would rate this book 4.5/5. Authors have really done a great job.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
David Dec 07, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3
The book contains good concept on how to get started in a Red Team Engagment. There is explanation about how to use Metasploit, Empire and Cobalt Strike. If you already know how to play with them, you can definitely skip those chapter. More interesting chapter are in the end. It's an easy read book. However, if you are looking for a deep Red Team attack, this is not the book for that. I have put 3 stars because I didn't learn that much stuff in it. The cheatsheet will be useful for some engagement. There is a lot of screenshot in it and it's not in color (black & white).
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is included in a Packt subscription? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

A subscription provides you with full access to view all Packt and licnesed content online, this includes exclusive access to Early Access titles. Depending on the tier chosen you can also earn credits and discounts to use for owning content

How can I cancel my subscription? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

To cancel your subscription with us simply go to the account page - found in the top right of the page or at https://subscription.packtpub.com/my-account/subscription - From here you will see the ‘cancel subscription’ button in the grey box with your subscription information in.

What are credits? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Credits can be earned from reading 40 section of any title within the payment cycle - a month starting from the day of subscription payment. You also earn a Credit every month if you subscribe to our annual or 18 month plans. Credits can be used to buy books DRM free, the same way that you would pay for a book. Your credits can be found in the subscription homepage - subscription.packtpub.com - clicking on ‘the my’ library dropdown and selecting ‘credits’.

What happens if an Early Access Course is cancelled? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Projects are rarely cancelled, but sometimes it's unavoidable. If an Early Access course is cancelled or excessively delayed, you can exchange your purchase for another course. For further details, please contact us here.

Where can I send feedback about an Early Access title? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

If you have any feedback about the product you're reading, or Early Access in general, then please fill out a contact form here and we'll make sure the feedback gets to the right team. 

Can I download the code files for Early Access titles? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

We try to ensure that all books in Early Access have code available to use, download, and fork on GitHub. This helps us be more agile in the development of the book, and helps keep the often changing code base of new versions and new technologies as up to date as possible. Unfortunately, however, there will be rare cases when it is not possible for us to have downloadable code samples available until publication.

When we publish the book, the code files will also be available to download from the Packt website.

How accurate is the publication date? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The publication date is as accurate as we can be at any point in the project. Unfortunately, delays can happen. Often those delays are out of our control, such as changes to the technology code base or delays in the tech release. We do our best to give you an accurate estimate of the publication date at any given time, and as more chapters are delivered, the more accurate the delivery date will become.

How will I know when new chapters are ready? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

We'll let you know every time there has been an update to a course that you've bought in Early Access. You'll get an email to let you know there has been a new chapter, or a change to a previous chapter. The new chapters are automatically added to your account, so you can also check back there any time you're ready and download or read them online.

I am a Packt subscriber, do I get Early Access? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Yes, all Early Access content is fully available through your subscription. You will need to have a paid for or active trial subscription in order to access all titles.

How is Early Access delivered? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Early Access is currently only available as a PDF or through our online reader. As we make changes or add new chapters, the files in your Packt account will be updated so you can download them again or view them online immediately.

How do I buy Early Access content? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Early Access is a way of us getting our content to you quicker, but the method of buying the Early Access course is still the same. Just find the course you want to buy, go through the check-out steps, and you’ll get a confirmation email from us with information and a link to the relevant Early Access courses.

What is Early Access? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Keeping up to date with the latest technology is difficult; new versions, new frameworks, new techniques. This feature gives you a head-start to our content, as it's being created. With Early Access you'll receive each chapter as it's written, and get regular updates throughout the product's development, as well as the final course as soon as it's ready.We created Early Access as a means of giving you the information you need, as soon as it's available. As we go through the process of developing a course, 99% of it can be ready but we can't publish until that last 1% falls in to place. Early Access helps to unlock the potential of our content early, to help you start your learning when you need it most. You not only get access to every chapter as it's delivered, edited, and updated, but you'll also get the finalized, DRM-free product to download in any format you want when it's published. As a member of Packt, you'll also be eligible for our exclusive offers, including a free course every day, and discounts on new and popular titles.