Chapter 3. Reconnaissance and Profiling the Web Server
Over the years, malicious attackers have found various ways to penetrate a system. They gather information about the target, identify vulnerabilities, and then unleash an attack. Once inside the target, they try to hide their tracks and remain hidden. The attacker may not necessarily follow the same sequence as we do, but as a penetration tester, following the approach suggested here will help you conduct the assessment in a structured way; also, the data collected at each stage will aid in preparing a report that is of value to your client. An attacker's aim is ultimately to own your system; so, they might not follow any sequential methodology to do this. As a penetration tester, your aim is to identify as many bugs as you can; therefore, following a logical methodology is really useful. Moreover, you need to be creative and think outside the box.
The following are the different stages of a penetration test:
- Reconnaissance: This involves...
