Hands-On Penetration Testing on Windows

Unleash Kali Linux, PowerShell, and Windows debugging tools for security testing and analysis

Phil Bramwell

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781788295093
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Cyber Security
• Index: Computer Science

Master the art of identifying vulnerabilities within the Windows OS and develop the desired solutions for it using Kali Linux.

Key Features

• Identify the vulnerabilities in your system using Kali Linux 2018.02
• Discover the art of exploiting Windows kernel drivers
• Get to know several bypassing techniques to gain control of your Windows environment

Book Description

Windows has always been the go-to platform for users around the globe to perform administration and ad hoc tasks, in settings that range from small offices to global enterprises, and this massive footprint makes securing Windows a unique challenge. This book will enable you to distinguish yourself to your clients.

In this book, you'll learn advanced techniques to attack Windows environments from the indispensable toolkit that is Kali Linux. We'll work through core network hacking concepts and advanced Windows exploitation techniques, such as stack and heap overflows, precision heap spraying, and kernel exploitation, using coding principles that allow you to leverage powerful Python scripts and shellcode.

We'll wrap up with post-exploitation strategies that enable you to go deeper and keep your access. Finally, we'll introduce kernel hacking fundamentals and fuzzing testing, so you can discover vulnerabilities and write custom exploits.

By the end of this book, you'll be well-versed in identifying vulnerabilities within the Windows OS and developing the desired solutions for them.

What you will learn

• Get to know advanced pen testing techniques with Kali Linux
• Gain an understanding of Kali Linux tools and methods from behind the scenes
• See how to use Kali Linux at an advanced level
• Understand the exploitation of Windows kernel drivers
• Understand advanced Windows concepts and protections, and how to bypass them using Kali Linux
• Discover Windows exploitation techniques, such as stack and heap overflows and kernel exploitation, through coding principles

Who this book is for

This book is for penetration testers, ethical hackers, and individuals breaking into the pentesting role after demonstrating an advanced skill in boot camps. Prior experience with Windows exploitation, Kali Linux, and some Windows debugging tools is necessary

Contributors

About the author

Phil Bramwell acquired the Certified Ethical Hacker and Certified Expert Penetration Tester certifications at the age of 21. His professional experience includes Common Criteria design reviews and testing, network security consulting, penetration testing, and PCI-DSS compliance auditing for banks, universities, and governments. He later acquired the CISSP and Metasploit Pro Certified Specialist credentials. Today, he is a cybersecurity and cryptocurrency consultant and works as a cybersecurity analyst specializing in malware detection and analysis.

A big thank you to everyone at Packt. I initially told Shrilekha "no way," but she motivated me to believe in myself. Sharon was available day and night to guide me and keep my eyes on the prize. I also want to thank my friends and mentors from Kalamazoo to Atascadero to Answers to Plante Moran: thank you for keeping me going.

About the reviewer

Abhijit Mohanta works as a malware researcher for Juniper Threat Labs. He worked as a malware researcher for Cyphort, MacAfee, and Symantec. He has expertise in reverse engineering. He has experience working with antivirus and sandbox technologies. He is author of the book Preventing Ransomware, Understand everything about digital extortion and its prevention. He has written a number of blogs on malware research. He has filed a couple of patents related to malware detection.

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Table of Contents

1. Bypassing Network Access Control
   1. Technical requirements
   2. Bypassing MAC filtering – considerations for the physical assessor
      1. Configuring a Kali wireless access poi...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright and Credits
• Dedication
• Packt Upsell
• Contributors
• Preface
• Bypassing Network Access Control
• Sniffing and Spoofing
• Windows Passwords on the Network
• Advanced Network Attacks
• Cryptography and the Penetration Tester
• Advanced Exploitation with Metasploit
• Stack and Heap Memory Management
• Windows Kernel Security
• Weaponizing Python
• Windows Shellcoding
• Bypassing Protections with ROP
• Fuzzing Techniques
• Going Beyond the Foothold
• Taking PowerShell to the Next Level
• Escalating Privileges
• Maintaining Access
• Tips and Tricks
• Assessment
• Other Books You May Enjoy