Persistence and Pivoting

This chapter focuses on the techniques of persistence and pivoting in pentesting, specifically using the Bash shell. We’ll cover methods for maintaining long-term access to compromised systems and expanding access within a network. Then, we’ll cover both basic and advanced persistence techniques, network pivoting strategies, and methods for lateral movement. We’ll also address the importance of proper cleanup procedures to minimize detectable traces of pentesting activities.

The sections in this chapter progress from fundamental persistence concepts to more sophisticated approaches, followed by an exploration of network pivoting tactics. In doing so, you’ll learn about using cron jobs, startup scripts, and system-level services for persistence. We’ll cover various pivoting techniques, including port forwarding and tunneling with SSH. We’ll conclude by providing guidance on log cleaning, erasing command histories...