Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Newsletter Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
timer SALE ENDS IN
0 Days
:
00 Hours
:
00 Minutes
:
00 Seconds
Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux
Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux

Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux: Testing web security is best done through simulating an attack. Kali Linux lets you do this to professional standards and this is the book you need to be fully up-to-speed with this powerful open-source toolkit.

eBook
€22.99 €32.99
Paperback
€41.99
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

Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux

Chapter 2. Reconnaissance

The term Reconnaissance by definition comes from the military warfare strategy of exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about the enemy for future analysis or attack. Reconnaissance of computer systems is similar in nature, meaning typically a Penetration Tester or hacker will attempt to learn as much as possible about a target's environment and system traits prior to launching an attack. This is also known as establishing a Footprint of a target. Reconnaissance is typically passive in nature and in many cases not illegal (however, we are not lawyers and cannot offer legal advice) to perform as long as you don't complete a three-way handshake with an unauthorized system.

Examples of Reconnaissance include anything from researching a target on public sources such as Google, monitoring employee activity to learn operation patterns, and scanning networks or systems to gather information, such as manufacture type, operating system...

Reconnaissance objectives


  • Target background: What is the focus of the target's business?

  • Target's associates: Who are the business partners, vendors, and customers?

  • Target's investment in security: Are security policies advertised? What is the potential investment security, and user security awareness?

  • Target's business and security policies: How does the business operate? Where are the potential weaknesses in operation?

  • Target's people: What type of people work there? How can they become your asset for the attack?

  • Define targets: What are the lowest hanging fruit targets? What should be avoided?

  • Target's network: How do the people and devices communicate on the network?

  • Target's defenses: What type of security is in place? Where is it located?

  • Target's technologies: What technologies are used for e-mail, network traffic, storing information, authentication, and so on? Are they vulnerable?

Kali Linux contains an extensive catalog of tools titled Information Gathering specified for Reconnaissance...

Initial research


Reconnaissance should begin with learning as much as possible about people and business associated with the target. Sun Tzu is credited with the phrase, "know your enemy" in the book, The Art of War. As a Penetration Tester, you need to know your target. If your target happens to be a website, you should look at all aspects of that website. It will give you a better understanding of how the site is maintained and run. Great Reconnaissance returns more possible vulnerabilities.

It is scary how much information is available on public sources. We have found the unimaginable, such as classified documents, passwords, vulnerability reports, undesirable photography, and access to security cameras. Many Penetration Testing project objectives start with leveraging information off public sources. Here are some starting points for gathering information from public sources.

Company website

There is a lot of valuable information that can be obtained from a target's website. Most corporate...

Summary


Reconnaissance is typically the most critical step in a Penetration Testing exercise and can be the most time consuming. Any actions taken against a target is customized around results from Reconnaissance previously performed. The more data known about a target equates to the less likely to trigger alarms, as well as better chance of identifying a way to compromise the target. It is recommended to look at this chapter as a prerequisite to the remaining chapters in this textbook.

In this chapter, we focused on various ways to gather information about a target. We showcased some popular free tools available on the Internet, as well as Information Gathering utilities available in Kali Linux. At this point, you should be ready to evaluate targets identified through Reconnaissance for possible exploitation.

The next chapter will focus on identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications and web servers.

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Key benefits

  • Learn key reconnaissance concepts needed as a penetration tester
  • Attack and exploit key features, authentication, and sessions on web applications
  • Learn how to protect systems, write reports, and sell web penetration testing services

Description

Kali Linux is built for professional penetration testing and security auditing. It is the next-generation of BackTrack, the most popular open-source penetration toolkit in the world. Readers will learn how to think like real attackers, exploit systems, and expose vulnerabilities. Even though web applications are developed in a very secure environment and have an intrusion detection system and firewall in place to detect and prevent any malicious activity, open ports are a pre-requisite for conducting online business. These ports serve as an open door for attackers to attack these applications. As a result, penetration testing becomes essential to test the integrity of web-applications. Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux is a hands-on guide that will give you step-by-step methods on finding vulnerabilities and exploiting web applications. "Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux" looks at the aspects of web penetration testing from the mind of an attacker. It provides real-world, practical step-by-step instructions on how to perform web penetration testing exercises. You will learn how to use network reconnaissance to pick your targets and gather information. Then, you will use server-side attacks to expose vulnerabilities in web servers and their applications. Client attacks will exploit the way end users use web applications and their workstations. You will also learn how to use open source tools to write reports and get tips on how to sell penetration tests and look out for common pitfalls. On the completion of this book, you will have the skills needed to use Kali Linux for web penetration tests and expose vulnerabilities on web applications and clients that access them.

Who is this book for?

"Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux" is ideal for anyone who is interested in learning how to become a penetration tester. It will also help the users who are new to Kali Linux and want to learn the features and differences in Kali versus Backtrack, and seasoned penetration testers who may need a refresher or reference on new tools and techniques. Basic familiarity with web-based programming languages such as PHP, JavaScript and MySQL will also prove helpful.

What you will learn

  • Perform vulnerability reconnaissance to gather information on your targets
  • Expose server vulnerabilities and take advantage of them to gain privileged access
  • Exploit client-based systems using web application protocols
  • Learn how to use SQL and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks
  • Steal authentications through session hijacking techniques
  • Harden systems so other attackers do not exploit them easily
  • Generate reports for penetration testers
  • Learn tips and trade secrets from real world penetration testers

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Sep 25, 2013
Length: 342 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782163169
Vendor :
Offensive Security
Category :
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 25, 2013
Length: 342 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782163169
Vendor :
Offensive Security
Category :
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 125.97
Kali Linux Cookbook
€34.99
Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux
€41.99
Advanced Penetration Testing for Highly-Secured Environments: The Ultimate Security Guide
€48.99
Total 125.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

8 Chapters
Penetration Testing and Setup Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Reconnaissance Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Server-side Attacks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Client-side Attacks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Attacking Authentication Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Web Attacks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Defensive Countermeasures Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Penetration Test Executive Report 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 4.1
(16 Ratings)
5 star 62.5%
4 star 6.3%
3 star 12.5%
2 star 12.5%
1 star 6.3%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




designershiva Jul 08, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Yeah,This is one of the kind book which is up to the Industry standards,Dear Sir, i would request you to publish books related in with advanced Web-Penetration testing,as well sir,Instead of paying lakhs of rupees on courses this would really be an alternative,Thanks for the support Mr.Aamir Lakhani,with regards,Shiva
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Peter Walker Mar 17, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great product! This is something that quality is a must and it was provided. Will buy again! Right price, fast service!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Rajib Mar 16, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great book on Kali Linux use in web pen-test
Amazon Verified review Amazon
J. Gongora Jan 27, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book is very usefull for a beginner, it'll help you to realize a pentest from A to Z.This book respects a real pentest methodology used by pentesters.Everything is clearly explained, step by step.This book is my new arm for my next pentests :-)
Amazon Verified review Amazon
himanshu Oct 06, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Good book!!!.....
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.