Understanding the enumeration process
Although you gained an initial foothold on a system in Chapter 3, Gaining Access (Exploitation), you have little or no information regarding what operating system is running, what services are running, your privileges on the system, and what networks the target system is connected to. This leaves you blind and in no position to initiate a privilege escalation attack. This is where enumeration comes into play.
Enumeration is the process of extracting vital information such as operating system versions, usernames, network information, and installed programs from a target system. This information can then be used to identify potential flaws, misconfigurations, or vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
The enumeration process can be analogized through the example of planning a heist, where reconnaissance and information gathering on the target is paramount. If insufficient information regarding the target is obtained, the heist will be marred...
