Case study – reaching the domain controller

Recalling the basics of Metasploit, we are all set to perform our first penetration test with Metasploit. Let's consider an on-site scenario where we are asked to test an IP address and check if it's vulnerable to an attack. The sole purpose of this test is to ensure all the proper checks are in place. This scenario is quite straightforward. We will presume that all the pre-interactions have been carried out with the client and that the actual testing phase is going to start.

Please refer to the Revisiting the case study section if you want to perform the hands-on exercise while reading the case study, as this will help you emulate the entire case study with exact configuration and network details.

Gathering intelligence

As we discussed earlier, the gathering intelligence phase revolves around collecting as much information as possible about the target. This includes performing active and passive scans, which include...