登录查看更多内容

Last updated on 2024年8月28日

How can you use automated tools for penetration testing?

由人工智能和领英社区提供技术支持

Penetration testing, or ethical hacking, is the practice of simulating cyberattacks on a system or network to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. It is a crucial step for improving the security posture of any organization, as it can reveal weaknesses that may otherwise go unnoticed by conventional methods. However, penetration testing can also be time-consuming, complex, and costly, especially if done manually. That's why many penetration testers use automated tools to assist them in their tasks, such as scanning, exploiting, and reporting. In this article, you will learn how you can use automated tools for penetration testing, what are the benefits and challenges of doing so, and what are some of the best tools available in the market.

此文章中的业界达人

由社区从 8 条内容中精选。了解更多

Ryan Sapone

Certified Secure Infrastructure Expert & Penetration Tester
Saqlain N.

Cybersecurity Expert & OSINT Investigation Specialist | Red Team Enthusiast | InfoSec Services Provider

1 Scanning tools

Scanning tools are automated tools that can perform reconnaissance and enumeration on a target system or network. They can help you discover hosts, ports, services, protocols, vulnerabilities, and other information that can be useful for planning and executing your attack. Some of the most popular scanning tools are Nmap, Nessus, Metasploit, and Burp Suite. These tools can save you a lot of time and effort by automating the tedious and repetitive tasks of scanning and mapping your target. However, they can also generate a lot of noise and traffic, which can alert the defenders or trigger security mechanisms. Therefore, you should use them carefully and selectively, and always verify the results manually.

添加您的观点

Saqlain N.

Cybersecurity Expert & OSINT Investigation Specialist | Red Team Enthusiast | InfoSec Services Provider
举报内容
Tools: Nessus, OpenVAS, Nikto Usage: These tools scan networks, web applications, and systems for known vulnerabilities by comparing them against a database of known issues. They identify weak points that can be exploited, such as outdated software, misconfigurations, and missing patches.

已翻译

赞
Ryan Sapone

Certified Secure Infrastructure Expert & Penetration Tester
举报内容
Automating some scanning activities is necessary for efficiently gathering information while on a time-sensitive penetration test. During a penetration test, the need for subtlety isn't as important as a red team engagement, but that does not mean that scanning tools should be "fire and forget" - but triggering defense mechanisms is also something positive to note on a report to the client. That being said, automating some stealthier scanning activities will help ensure you are remaining efficient, and spending time doing further manual scanning will be able to confirm findings.

已翻译

赞

2 Exploitation tools

Exploitation tools are automated tools that can exploit the vulnerabilities found by the scanning tools or by your own analysis. They can help you gain access, escalate privileges, execute commands, install backdoors, or exfiltrate data from the target system or network. Some of the most popular exploitation tools are Metasploit, Nmap, SQLmap, and Hydra. These tools can save you a lot of time and effort by automating the complex and risky tasks of exploiting and compromising your target. However, they can also be unreliable, outdated, or incompatible with some systems or scenarios. Therefore, you should use them wisely and cautiously, and always customize them according to your needs and goals.

添加您的观点

Ryan Sapone

Certified Secure Infrastructure Expert & Penetration Tester
举报内容
Automating exploitation tools can be beneficial when checking defenses in place or when limited progress has been made during the engagement. Outside of that, I believe that manual exploitation is often times a much better alternative with a higher probability of success. Automation of exploits are mostly beneficial for repetitive tasks, such as brute force or fuzzing.

已翻译

赞
Saqlain N.

Cybersecurity Expert & OSINT Investigation Specialist | Red Team Enthusiast | InfoSec Services Provider
举报内容
Tools: Metasploit, Core Impact Usage: These frameworks allow you to automate the exploitation process. They include a large library of exploits that can be automatically applied to identified vulnerabilities to gain access or escalate privileges.

已翻译

赞

3 Reporting tools

Reporting tools are automated tools that can generate reports based on the findings and actions of the scanning and exploitation tools or your own manual testing. They can help you document, summarize, and present your results in a clear, concise, and professional manner. Some of the most popular reporting tools are Dradis, Serpico, and Pentest-Report. These tools can save you a lot of time and effort by automating the tedious and boring tasks of writing and formatting your report. However, they can also be incomplete, inaccurate, or irrelevant for some audiences or purposes. Therefore, you should use them as a starting point and not as a final product, and always review and edit them according to your standards and expectations.

添加您的观点

Ryan Sapone

Certified Secure Infrastructure Expert & Penetration Tester
举报内容
Automating reporting is a great way to save some time and ensure a professional report is written. As with any automation tool, manual review should be done to ensure that the best quality result is produced, with proper grammar checking and spell checking. Don't overlook the security risk of using public AI models and sharing sensitive pentest data - instead make sure that whatever automation tools are used are following NDAs, guidelines, and standards for protecting that sensitive data.

已翻译

赞

4 Benefits of automated tools

Automated tools can offer many advantages for penetration testing, such as increased speed and efficiency, greater consistency, wider coverage, and more convenience. This can save time and resources while reducing errors and inconsistencies. Automated tools are also capable of performing tasks on a larger scale and scope than humans, allowing for increased coverage and depth of testing. Furthermore, automated tools require less effort and involvement from you, freeing up your time for other tasks or challenges.

添加您的观点

Ryan Sapone

Certified Secure Infrastructure Expert & Penetration Tester
举报内容
Increased efficiency and consistency are the two biggest benefits to using automated tools. While the need for manual review can't be overstated, automating your workflow allows you to handle more in a lesser period of time. During a time-limited engagement, you won't have the option to explore every potential attack vector, so leveraging automation gives you more time to explore the best options with the highest probability of success.

已翻译

赞
Saqlain N.

Cybersecurity Expert & OSINT Investigation Specialist | Red Team Enthusiast | InfoSec Services Provider
举报内容
Automated tools in penetration testing offer increased efficiency by quickly scanning and identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring comprehensive coverage across large networks. They reduce human error, providing consistent and repeatable results. Additionally, these tools save time and resources, allowing for continuous and frequent testing.

已翻译

赞

5 Challenges of automated tools

Automated tools can present some difficulties for penetration testing, such as being detected and blocked by security systems or defenders, which can reduce your chances of success. Additionally, they may be outdated or ineffective against new or unknown threats, which can restrict your abilities and choices. Furthermore, they can be generic or inflexible for particular or intricate scenarios, necessitating you to modify or supplement them. Finally, they may be inaccurate or misleading for some false positives or negatives, compromising your reliability and credibility.

添加您的观点

Ryan Sapone

Certified Secure Infrastructure Expert & Penetration Tester
举报内容
There is no "one size fits all" mentality when it comes to penetration testing, and that is true with automating certain tools as well. Automating a port scan might not work if the target network has certain configurations that prevent your tools from working correctly. This is why manual review is still needed.

已翻译

赞

6 Best practices for using automated tools

Using automated tools for penetration testing efficiently and effectively requires following some best practices. Planning ahead is essential, as you must define your objectives, scope, and methodology before using any tool. It's also important to test your tools on a safe and controlled environment before using them on a real target, and monitor their performance and impact. Automated tools should be used as a complement to manual testing, not as a substitute. Additionally, you should keep your tools updated and patched, as well as learn about new tools and techniques that can improve your testing.

添加您的观点

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

添加您的观点

Information Security

+ 关注

给文章评分

我们借助人工智能创建了此文章。您认为这篇文章怎么样？

很棒不太好

举报此文章

查看全部

How can you use automated tools for penetration testing?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Scanning tools

2 Exploitation tools

3 Reporting tools

4 Benefits of automated tools

5 Challenges of automated tools

6 Best practices for using automated tools

7 Here’s what else to consider

Information Security

给文章评分

感谢您的反馈

更多Information Security相关文章

更多相关阅读内容

How can you use automated tools for penetration testing?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Scanning tools

2 Exploitation tools

3 Reporting tools

4 Benefits of automated tools

5 Challenges of automated tools

6 Best practices for using automated tools

7 Here’s what else to consider

Information Security

给文章评分

感谢您的反馈

查看其他技能