Hacking Hacking Practical Guide for Beginners (Hacking With Python) (Jeff Simon) (Z Library)

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Hacking Hacking Practical Guide for Beginners By: Jeff Simon

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© Copyright 2016 by Jeff Simon - All rights reserved. This document is geared towards providing exact and reliable information in regards to the topic and issue covered. The publication is sold with the idea that the publisher is not required to render accounting, officially permitted, or otherwise, qualified services. If advice is necessary, legal or professional, a practiced individual in the profession should be ordered. From a Declaration of Principles which was accepted and approved equally by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations. In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. The information provided herein is stated to be truthful and consistent, in that any liability, in terms of inattention or otherwise, by any usage or abuse of any policies, processes, or directions contained within is the solitary and utter responsibility of the recipient reader. Under no circumstances will any legal responsibility or blame be held against the publisher for any reparation, damages, or monetary loss due to the information herein, either directly or indirectly. Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher. The information herein is offered for informational purposes solely, and is universal as so. The presentation of the information is without contract or any type of guarantee assurance. The trademarks that are used are without any consent, and the publication of the trademark is without permission or backing by the trademark owner. All trademarks and brands within this book are for clarifying purposes only and are the owned by the owners themselves, not affiliated with this document.

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Introduction I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book, “Hacking: Hacking for Beginners”. This book contains proven steps and strategies on how to learn the fundamentals of hacking. This eBook will teach you the basic principles of hacking. It will explain the three types of hackers as well as the tools that you can use. It will give you a detailed study plan on how to improve your skills and knowledge in a short period of time. In addition, this book will teach you how to use the Python programming language. An entire chapter is dedicated to penetration testing. That chapter will explain the different parts and requirements of an effective test. Additionally, that material will arm you with specific tools and techniques that you can use in your own “pen tests”. The lessons that you’ll find in this book rely on an operating system called Kali Linux. Kali is the preferred OS of hackers and penetration testers. This OS contains an extensive collection of hacking tools. With Kali, you won’t have to download and install extra programs. You can use it as is. This eBook will also discuss defense-oriented topics such as malware protection. This way, you’ll know what to do in case you have to attack a target or thwart a hacker’s efforts. If you’re looking for a comprehensive book about basic hacking, this is the book you need. Thanks again for downloading this book, I hope you enjoy it!

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Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Fundamentals of Hacking Chapter 2: Hacking - A Guide for Beginners Chapter 3: How to Hack with Python Chapter 4: Basic Computer Security Chapter 5: Penetration Testing Chapter 6: Specific Hacking Techniques Chapter 7: How to Protect Yourself Conclusion

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Chapter 1: The Fundamentals of Hacking There are three types of hackers: 1. White hat 2. Black hat 3. Gray hat. A white hat (also known as ethical) hacker tries to breach network systems in order to help businesses and organizations in improving their digital defenses. A black hat hacker, meanwhile, accesses digital records and/or devices for malicious purposes. A gray hat hacker is a combination of the first two types: he may be a white hat this time and become a black hat in the next. Important Note: There are laws that prohibit black hat hacking. You can get incarcerated if you’ll try to access digital information without the owner’s permission. Because of that, this book will help you become an ethical hacker. It will provide you with tips, tricks, and techniques that you can use in hacking systems ethically.

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Benefits of Ethical Hacking To protect yourself from thieves, you need to think like one. This principle serves as the core of white hat hacking. The total number of hackers is growing each day. And these people are on a continuous quest to improve their skills and expand their knowledge. If you will consider the vulnerabilities that exist in machines and digital networks, you will realize the awful state of security that people have against hackers. You need to protect your system from the bad guys. To achieve this goal, you should know how to hack. The goals of a white hat hacker are: Attack a system without destroying it Identify system vulnerabilities Prove that vulnerabilities exist Help in improving the security of his target

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Different Types of Hacking Attacks Hackers divide their attacks into different types. These types are: Nontechnical These techniques focus on the end-users (i.e. the people who use the target devices). Because humans have a natural tendency to trust others, hackers can break through a system’s defenses without using any electronic tool. These hackers may use “social engineering” tactics to obtain a user’s trust and gain access to a network or file. You’ll learn more about social engineering later on. A hacker may also implement a physical attack against his target. For instance, he may break into a computer room and access one or more devices that are present. As an alternative, he may check the dumpsters in the building and try to look for useful information (e.g. passwords). Hackers refer to this approach as “dumpster diving”. Network Hackers can implement this kind of attack easily, since most networks are accessible through the internet. The most common forms of network attacks are: Accessing a network using a rigged modem Taking advantage of vulnerabilities in digital transport mechanisms (e.g. NetBIOS) Sending a continuous stream of requests to a network Rigging the system and collecting data packets to access confidential information Operating System These attacks play an important role in any hacker’s toolkit. That’s because each computer has an operating system. And there are a lot of tools that you can use to crack the OS (i.e. operating system) of a computer. There are a lot of operating systems out there. However, hackers usually focus on the most popular ones (e.g. Windows systems). Here are some of the OS attacks that you can use: Destroying the security of a file system Deciphering passwords Attacking pre-installed authentication mechanisms

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Taking advantage of vulnerabilities in certain protocols Application Some hackers utilize computer programs to attack networks. Often, a hacker gains access to a machine through a web-based application or an email-related program. The most popular members of this type are: Sending “spam” (i.e. junk mail) to people Installing malware (i.e. malicious software) in target systems Bypassing security mechanisms (e.g. firewall) through “online” protocols (e.g. SMTP, HTTP, IMAP, etc.)

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Chapter 2: Hacking - A Guide for Beginners There are many learning materials for hackers. Most of these materials are free, so you won’t have to spend any money just to develop your hacking skills. Unfortunately, most of the hacking resources that you’ll find are created for intermediate and/or expert hackers. You won’t benefit from the said materials if you are a complete beginner. In this chapter, you will discover a quick and easy way to become a hacker. The three-step learning program that you will see here is created for newbies. It will help you master the basics of hacking using a logical method of learning. First Step – Learn More about Computers and Networks Hacking involves computers and networks. It requires advanced computer knowledge and networking skills. Obviously, you won’t be able to hack a computer if you don’t even know the difference between TCP/IP and Windows XP. To become a hacker, you must know the basics of computer-related technology. It would be best if you’ll expose yourself to different operating systems. More and more people are switching to Linux systems so you should learn the basics of that OS. Once you have mastered the basics of computers and networks, understanding how “exploits” and “vulnerabilities” work will be easy. Second Step – Read Basic Hacking Books There are countless hacking books out there. A basic Google search will give you hundreds of available learning materials. However, since you are new to the hacking world, you should focus on the basic ideas and principles of hacking. It is tempting to grab books about advanced topics such as Wireshark utilization or payload selection, but you won’t benefit from this study method. The ideal learning strategy for a complex concept (like computer hacking) is to master the basics and build up your knowledge and skills slowly. This eBook will cover the basic aspects of hacking. After reading this book, you’ll be able to attack systems and understand complex ideas related to digital security.

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Third Step – Learn How to Program If you want to be a skilled hacker, you should know how to create your own programs. Programming skills are important for anyone who is serious about hacking. It is true that there are tons of programs and ready-made tools available online. However, relying on other people’s work is not a good idea. The ability to create your own programs and modify existing hacking tools can help you greatly in your quest to become a hacking expert. There are a lot of programming languages that you can choose from. But if you are a total newbie, you should study Python first. Python is one of the simplest programming languages out there. However, it is extremely effective in writing codes for hacking purposes. This is the main reason why many hackers prefer this language over C++ or Ruby. You’ll learn more about Python in the next chapter.

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Chapter 3: How to Hack with Python Python is one of the best programming languages for hacking. This language is easy to learn and powerful enough to satisfy all of your programming needs. In this chapter, you’ll learn the basics of Python. You will know how to launch it, how to write codes with it, and how to compile it. Important Note: This chapter assumes that you are using Kali Linux, an operating system that is created for hackers. Kali Linux contains hundreds of built-in hacking tools that you can use to test your systems or attack other networks. In addition, this OS is completely free. To download Kali Linux, please visit: https://www.kali.org/downloads/. Screenshot of the Kali Linux OS

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How to Get Python Modules An excellent benefit of using Kali Linux is that it comes with a pre-installed version of Python. That means you can start writing codes without downloading anything. The default modules and language library of Python allow you to perform a wide range of activities. For instance, the ready-made version of Python has exception handling, file handling, math and number modules, and data types. Python’s built-in tools and components are enough to create effective hacking tools. But you can enhance the effectiveness and flexibility of this language by downloading additional modules from third-party sources. These extra modules are the main reason why many hackers choose Python for their programming needs. If you want a complete list of all the available third-party modules for Python, visit this site: http://pypi.python.org/pypi. Installing a Module Just like other Linux systems, Kali Linux requires “wget” when acquiring new files or programs from the internet. This command downloads your chosen file or program from its respective repository. Then, you have to decompress the downloaded module and issue the following command: python setup.py install Let’s assume that you want to download Nmap (a python module) from www.xael.org. To get this module, you must: 1. Turn on your Kali Linux computer. 2. Launch a terminal (the small window that takes user inputs). 3. Type the following code: Kali > wget http://xael.org/norman/python/python-nmap/python-nmap-0.3.4.tar.gz 4. Extract the file by typing: Kali > tar –xzf python-nmap-0.3.4.tar.gz

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5. Access the directory you created by entering: Kali > cd python-nmap-.03.4/ 6. Issue the code given below to finish the process: Kali > python setup.py install 7. If you did everything correctly, your terminal should look like this: Congratulations. You successfully installed a Python module on your Kali Linux computer. Now, you can use the said module for your hacking activities. Important Note: This is the method that you must use to add more modules to your operating system. It might seem long and complex at first. But once you get used to it, creating a large collection of third-party modules will be a walk in the park.

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How to Write Python Scripts In this part of the book, you’ll learn how to write codes using the Python language. It will also explain the fundamental terms, concepts, and syntax of Python codes. Read this material carefully; it will help you become a knowledgeable programmer and hacker. Important Note: You need to use a text editor when writing codes. Kali Linux has a built- in text editor called “Leafpad”. As you can see, Kali Linux contains everything you need to hack computers and systems. Proper Formatting Formatting plays an important role in the Python language. The interpreter of Python groups codes based on their format. Keep in mind that consistency is more important than precision. You don’t have to follow strict formatting rules. You just have to be consistent with the format you are using. For example, if you’ll use double indentation to differentiate a code block, indent each line of that code block twice. Forgetting this simple rule can lead to error messages and/or failed attacks. How to Run a Python File Nothing beats active learning. To help you master this process, let’s write a basic piece of code using Leafpad. Here’s the code: #! /user/bin/python name=”<Chuck Norris>” print “Hi, ” + name + “!” Save the file as “sample.py”. This code consists of three lines. The first one triggers the interpreter of Python. The second one creates a variable called “name” and sets a value for it. The last line concatenates the word “Hi” with the user’s input and inserts an exclamation mark. At this point, you can’t execute the code yet. You must give yourself the permission to run

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it first. In Kali Linux, the command that you should use is “chmod”. Important Note: To learn more about Linux permissions, please check this site: https://www.linux.com/learn/understanding-linux-file-permissions. The code that you must type is: chmod 755 sample.py After issuing that command using a terminal, your screen will show you this: Hi, Chuck Norris! How to Add a Comment You can add comments to your Python codes. In programming, a comment is a word, sentence, or paragraph that defines what a piece of code can do. It doesn’t affect the functionality or behavior of the code itself. Adding a comment to your codes isn’t required but nonetheless advised. Comments will help you remember important information regarding your codes. Obviously, you don’t want to forget the “internal mechanisms” of your own programs. The interpreter of Python skips each comment. That means the interpreter will jump over words, sentences or paragraphs until it finds a legitimate code block. In Python, you need to use “#” to set a single-line comment. For multiline comments, you must type three double quotes. These symbols must appear at the beginning of your comments. Here are some comments written in the Python language: 1. # Hi, I’m a single-line comment. 2. “”” Hi, I’m A Multiline Comment “””

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Modules With Python, you can divide your codes into separate modules. You must “import” a module in order to use it. When importing a module, you will access the classes, methods, and functions (you’ll learn about these later) that are present inside that module. This feature is one of the major reasons why Python is the preferred computer language of computer hackers.