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Kali Linux: 21 Essential Network Security Tools

by Lisa Park - Tech Editor

This article⁢ presents a Linux distribution that serves as ⁤a true toolbox for testing teh security of⁢ a corporate ⁤network: Kali Linux. Renowned to the point of being integrated into several cybersecurity certifications, this distribution is dedicated to penetration testing, security audits, and post-cyberattack inquiry.

Based on ‍the Debian distribution, Kali⁣ Linux contains more than 600 utilities ‌to help administrators discover vulnerabilities, correct configuration errors, find exposed⁢ data,⁤ etc.

You can run Kali linux on a physical machine, as a virtual⁢ machine, from a bootable medium, from cloud images, or even as a container.

Learning to use Kali Linux effectively can be intimidating, especially if you are ⁤an administrator⁤ with additional responsibilities. ⁢Familiarizing yourself with the available tools helps you understand when and how to use Kali to get the best‍ results.

Warning: tools⁣ such as those in Kali Linux must be used legally and helpfully by security professionals, but they can also be used illicitly ‍and unethically. Ensure that any intended use is ethical, legal, and lawful. If you are unsure of the legality, do not proceed until you are certain. This may require research on your part, such as, an honest discussion with your internal⁢ legal counsel⁣ about what you have planned.

Ther are two other Linux distributions specializing in cybersecurity: ParrotOS and BlackArch Linux. These are less dedicated to network security than Kali Linux and are more suitable for testing the security of submission servers and ‌other workstations.

The user-amiable and well-organized graphical interface of Kali Linux.

The Kali menu classifies its utilities into several categories, including:

  • Details gathering. This category includes
  • 2/ ​Masscan

    Masscan is an IP port scanner that offers many of the same​ features as Nmap. The main⁢ difference lies in the fact that Masscan is designed to quickly scan large ⁤networks, multiple machines, and the Internet,​ while‍ Nmap is⁢ intended for more⁢ targeted scans⁤ on ‌a single network or‍ machine. However,⁤ Masscan’s ⁤speed can increase network traffic.

    its main features are:

    • Support for capturing​ banners on multiple protocols.
    • Transmit 10 million packets per⁢ second from a single machine.
    • Use asynchronous transmission, meaning‍ Masscan can send and receive requests ​separately. It therefore does not need to wait for the response of each scan to move on to ‍the next.

    According to its author, Robert Graham, Masscan can ‌scan the entire Internet ⁢in less than⁤ five minutes.

    Exemple ‍d'analyze de base d'un système cible avec Masscan
    Example of a basic scan ‍of a target system with Masscan

    3/‍ Unicornscan

    Unicornscan is a stateless port scanner that sends‌ data ⁣to ⁢potentially vulnerable TCP/IP devices and analyzes the results. It is‍ ofen faster than Nmap on ⁤larger networks, and capable of masking its scans.

    The‍ main features of this tool are:

    • TCP⁣ banner capture.
    • UDTP (User Datagram Protocol) protocol analysis.
    • Recording ‌and ⁢filtering ‍of packet capture files (PCAP).
    • Identification of operating system,⁣ applications‌ and⁢ components.

    6/‍ metasploit

    metasploit is a complete framework for collecting ⁣information and executing exploits against targeted systems. It contains ready-to-use exploit code and lures for known vulnerabilities.

    The main features of⁤ this tool are:

    • Understanding exploits and payloads, ‍as well as auxiliary tasks that do not use payloads.
    • Normalizing the way network engineers work with exploit code by promoting payload reuse and using a common methodology to interact with exploits.

    For those starting with Metasploit, it is indeed possible to use⁢ Metasploitable, a deliberately weakened⁢ virtual machine intended to test exploits and familiarize yourself with Metasploit.

    7/​ Burp Suite

    Burp Suite is a web application vulnerability scanner developed⁢ by PortSwigger,a security testing software publisher.It identifies issues, performs in-depth analysis of websites, and can send modified HTTP requests to detect vulnerabilities.

    Its main features are:

    • Includes⁤ spidering tools, a randomization tool, a⁤ request repeater, and ⁢an ⁢interception proxy.
    • Checks for SQL injections, cross-site scripting, OS command injections, illicit HTTP request traffic, failing ​authentications, etc.
    • Supports both static and ⁤dynamic testing.
    Burp Suite Édition communautaire.
    Burp Suite Édition⁣ communautaire.

    9/ Hydra

    Hydra est un outil d’audit de mots de passe. ⁢Il permet de mener des attaques par force brute contre différents protocoles de connexion.

    Les principales fonctionnalités de cet outil ⁢sont :

    • Prend en charge plus de 20 protocoles⁣ différents.
    • Permet d’utiliser des⁢ listes de mots de passe.
    • Est rapide et efficace.

    10/ Aircrack-ng

    Aircrack-ng is a suite of wireless ⁢security tools that includes several applications for monitoring,‍ intercepting, and injecting. ⁣It includes airdecap-ng, a decryptor for WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and ⁤WAP (Wi-Fi Protected Access) capture files; Airodump-ng, a‍ tool that‍ collects packets and ‌WPA handshakes; Airtun-ng, a virtual tunnel interface creator; and Besside-ng, a WEP and WPA cracker.

    The main features​ of this tool are:

    • Focuses⁢ on 802.11 wireless local​ networks.
    • Provides command-line tools that allow for ⁣intensive scripting.
    • Performs WEP dictionary attacks and fragmentation attacks.

    11/ Kismet

    Kismet is a wireless and Bluetooth network detector, sniffer, and intrusion detection system (IDS) on a wireless​ network.

    Its main features are:

    • Detects unauthorized access points (APs).
    • Supports radio frequency sensors, Zigbee, and multiple beacons.
    • Is compatible with tcpdump and Wireshark.

    12/ Wifite

    Wifite is ⁢a wireless network penetration testing and auditing tool​ writen⁢ in Python. It⁤ collects service identifiers, signal⁢ strength, and other information. ⁣It also attacks WEP, WPA, ​and WPA2⁣ keys.

    The main ​features of this‍ tool are:

    • “`html

      13/ Nmap

      Nmap (Network Mapper) ‌est un outil de scan de réseau open source.Il est utilisé pour ⁤découvrir des hôtes et des services sur un réseau en envoyant des paquets et en analysant les réponses.

      Les principales fonctionnalités ⁤de cet outil sont :

      • Découverte d’hôtes : ​identification des hôtes actifs sur un réseau.
      • Scan de ports : détermination des ports‍ ouverts sur un hôte.
      • Détection de version : identification⁤ des versions des services‍ en ⁤cours d’exécution sur un hôte.
      • Détection⁤ de système d’exploitation : tentative de détermination⁣ du système d’exploitation en cours d’exécution sur ‌un hôte.
      • scripting : ⁢automatisation de‌ tâches‌ complexes à l’aide de scripts Nmap (NSE).

      14/ wireshark,tcpdump,NS

      Wireshark ⁣ est un analyseur de paquets réseau open source. Il capture le trafic réseau en temps réel et permet aux praticiens d’inspecter le contenu des paquets.

      Tcpdump est un outil en ligne de ​commande pour capturer ‍et analyser le trafic réseau. Il est souvent utilisé ⁢sur les ⁣serveurs⁢ et les systèmes embarqués.

      Les principales fonctionnalités de ces ⁣outils sont :

      • Capture du ⁤trafic réseau⁢ en temps réel.
      • Filtrage du trafic en fonction de divers critères (adresse IP, port, protocole, etc.).
      • Analyse du contenu des paquets.
      • Détection des anomalies et des activités⁣ suspectes.
      • Surveillance de ⁣ DNS et DHCP version 6 sur les réseaux IPv4 et IPv6.

      15/ Arpwatch

      Arpwatch est un outil qui surveille le trafic Ethernet⁣ et ARP. Il​ gère une⁢ base de données des relations entre les adresses MAC et IP.Si un changement est détecté, ⁢tel qu’une nouvelle adresse ou une modification d’adresse, il alerte les administrateurs.

      Les principales fonctionnalités de cet outil sont :

      • Produit des journaux ​et peut envoyer des alertes par⁤ e-mail aux praticiens.
      • Aide à détecter l’usurpation ARP.

      16/ Sqlmap

      Sqlmap est un‌ outil automatisé permettant d’exposer et d’exploiter ⁢les⁤ vulnérabilités d’injection SQL. Il fonctionne avec Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL,⁣ Oracle et d’autres.

      Les principales fonctionnalités de cet outil sont :

      • Effectue des requêtes​ booléennes, temporelles, basées sur les erreurs, basées sur

        CrackMapExec: A Powerful Post-Exploitation‍ Tool

        CrackMapExec (CME) is a Swiss Army knife for Active Directory post-exploitation, enabling penetration testers and security professionals to efficiently audit and compromise Windows networks. Developed by Carnal0, CME ‍automates many tasks traditionally performed⁣ manually, significantly reducing the time required to assess network security.

        Core Functionality and Features

        CME functions as a modular framework, ⁣offering a wide range⁢ of features including:

        • Credential Harvesting: CME can attempt​ to crack password hashes obtained from systems within the network using various methods, including⁤ password spraying and ⁣brute-force attacks.
        • Remote Code⁣ Execution: It allows for the execution of arbitrary commands on remote‍ Windows machines,facilitating further exploitation.
        • Active Directory Enumeration: CME comprehensively maps the Active Directory environment, identifying users, groups, computers, and their relationships.
        • Pass-the-Hash: CME supports pass-the-hash attacks,leveraging stolen⁤ password hashes to gain access to other systems.
        • SMB exploitation: It exploits‍ vulnerabilities in the⁢ Server Message Block (SMB) protocol to gain initial access or escalate privileges.

        Example: Enumerating Domain Information

        A common ‍use case for CME is quickly gathering information about a target domain. For example, using the‌ command crackmapexec smb 192.168.1.10 -u administrator --passwords passwords.txt, a penetration tester can⁤ attempt to connect to the ​machine at 192.168.1.10 as the ‘administrator’ user,‌ using a list of passwords contained in the ‘passwords.txt’ file. This command also performs initial enumeration of the system, revealing operating system version and other key details. This functionality streamlines the reconnaissance phase of a penetration test.

        CrackMapExec is‌ included as a standard tool in Kali Linux, a ‌popular​ distribution for penetration testing, and is available for download from the Kali Linux tools page.It is written in python and is actively maintained, with‌ the latest version released on December 20, 2023, according to its ⁤GitHub repository (https://github.com/carnal0/crackmapexec).

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