Metasploit, 2nd Edition

by David Kennedy, Mati Aharoni, Devon Kearns, Jim O’Gorman, and Daniel Graham

August 2024, 352 pp.

ISBN-13:

9781718502987

Download Chapter 3: Intelligence Gathering

Look Inside!

The Metasploit Framework makes discovering, exploiting, and sharing systemic vulnerabilities quick and painless. But, this popular pentesting tool can be hard to grasp for first-time users. Written by some of the world’s top hackers and security experts, Metasploit fills the gap by teaching you how to best harness the Framework and interact with its vibrant community of Metasploit open-source contributors.

This indispensable guide's updated second edition introduces modules and commands recently added to the Metasploit Framework, along with a new chapter on conducting cloud-based assessments, and discussions of contemporary evasion techniques, malicious document generation, Active Directory attacks, and more.

You’ll learn:

Foundational pentesting techniques, including network reconnaissance and enumeration
The Metasploit Framework's conventions, interfaces, and module system
Client-side attacks, wireless exploits, and targeted social-engineering attacks
Methods of creating custom modules and porting existing exploits to the Framework

In a fast-paced digital ecosystem, the modern hacking techniques covered in Metasploit, 2nd Edition are essential for today's penetration testers.

Author Bio

Dave Kennedy has been named one of the Top 10 IT Security Influencers in the World by CISO Platform. In his more than 20 years of experience in the security industry, he cofounded Binary Defense and founded TrustedSec, an information security consulting company located in Fairlawn, Ohio, which specializes in attack simulations with a focus on strategic risk-management.

Jim O'Gorman is the Chief Content and Strategy Officer at OffSec, where he primarily focuses on cyber workforce development and training. He also heads the Kali Linux project, the industry-standard Linux distribution for information security tasks, and can be found online at https://elwood.net.

Devon Kearns is a Canadian information security professional. During his time at Offensive Security, he co-founded The Exploit Database and Kali Linux, and served as lead editor on all in-house content.

Mati Aharoni (muts) is the founder of OffSec. With over 10 years of experience as a professional penetration tester, Mati has uncovered several major security flaws and is actively involved in the offensive security arena.

Dr. Daniel G. Graham is a professor of computer science at The University of Virginia (UVA), where he has taught courses in computer networks and network security. His research interests include secure embedded systems and networks. Before teaching at UVA, Dr. Graham was a program manager at Microsoft. He publishes in IEEE journals relating to sensors and networks.

Table of contents

Foreword to the First Edition
Acknowledgments
Special Thanks
Chapter 1: The Absolute Basics of Penetration Testing
Chapter 2: Metasploit Fundamentals
Chapter 3: Intelligence Gathering
Chapter 4: Vulnerability Analysis
Chapter 5: The Joy of Exploitation
Chapter 6: Meterpreter
Chapter 7: Avoiding Detection
Chapter 8: Client-Side Attacks
Chapter 9: Auxiliary Modules
Chapter 10: Social Engineering
Chapter 11: Wireless Attacks
Chapter 12: Porting Exploits to the Framework
Chapter 13: Building Your Own Modules
Chapter 14: Creating Your Own Exploits
Chapter 15: Simulated Penetration Test
Chapter 16: Pentesting the Cloud
Appendix A: Configuring Your Lab Environment
Appendix B: Cheat Sheet

The chapters in red are included in this Early Access PDF.

Reviews

Reviews of the first edition:

"Very comprehensive and packed full of great advice."
—Christian Kirsch, Rapid7 (Read More)

"For anyone who wants to get involved in the mechanics of penetration testing with Metasploit, this book is an excellent resource."
—Tod Beardsley, Rapid7

"Arguably my favorite book for 2012, this is the most complete and comprehensive instruction book for Metasploit that I have seen so far."
—Dan Dieterle, Infosec Island (Read More)

"Metasploit is perhaps the most enjoyable book I have come across regarding the uses and functionality of Metasploit. There were so many concepts it refreshed me on, many functions I didn’t know existed and other functions I did not correctly understand even with my years of using Metasploit."
—The Ethical Hacker Network (Read More)

"Takes current documentation further and provides a valuable resource for people who are interested in security but don't have the time or money to take a training class on Metasploit. Rating: 10/10"
—Slashdot (Read More)

"Metasploit: The Penetration Tester's Guide is a great book about the Metasploit Framework."
—Richard Bejtlich, TaoSecurity (Read More)

"My recommendation: Get this book."
—Chris Koger, PenTest Magazine

"Whether you are a penetration tester or a technical security professional, quality time spent working through this book will add valuable tools and insight to your professional repertoire."
—IEEE Cipher (Read More)

"For those looking to use the Metasploit to its fullest, Metasploit: The Penetration Tester's Guide is a valuable aid."
—Ben Rothke, Security Management (Read More)

"In case you've never used Metasploit or have limited experience with it, I highly recommend the No Starch Press book Metasploit: The Penetration Tester's Guide. It's a great book to get people started, has examples to walk through, and includes more advanced topics for experienced users."
—Dark Reading (Read More)

"This book provides all the key information you need to get going with Metasploit in one easily read and referenced package."
—Network Security Newsletter

"This title is nothing less than masterful; there is no nook or cranny for the program and its various third-party addons that is not covered."
—NeuFutur Magazine (Read More)

"What I really liked about the book was the incorporation of the Metasploit tools and capabilities with a penetration testing methodology."
—Vitalisec - Vital Information Security (Read More)

"A big thumbs up from me. It was worth every penny to learn the bits I did and to add clarity to other areas."
—Common Exploits (Read More)

"If you are new to Metasploit and want to get up to speed quickly, it's hard to imagine that you'll find a better book."
—Citizen428 (Read More)

"The chapters are sized perfectly, giving the reader just enough time to become proficient in many of the different aspects of Metasploit."
—Small Town Geeks (Read More)

"An invaluable resource to get those that are new to this tool up and running while also providing experts with a great resource to turn to when help or ideas are needed."
—George Romano, Digital Overdrive (Read More)

"The craft of penetration testing is covered deeply and broadly. The book's greatest source of value is how the concepts being applied are explained and demonstrated with well-annotated examples."
—Packet Pushers (Read More)

"This book is an essential read for anyone looking to get into the field of Penetration Testing as well as for seasoned veterans."
—LokiSec (Read More)

"On the short list of books I would recommend to any security practitioner."
—obscuresec (Read More)

"Perfect for someone who is just starting out in security. This book has the honor of being named “the best guide to the Metasploit framework” by Metasploit founder H.D. Moore himself. Not only does the book provide a great crash course into using the powerful Metasploit framework, but it’s also useful for doing vulnerability research."
—Britt Kemp, Bishop Fox Labs

Extra Stuff

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