Null Byte How-Tos
How To: Flood Your ISP with Random, Noisy Data to Protect Your Privacy on the Internet
Net neutrality is dead and your internet service providers can collect all the data they want. While VPNs are a great way to protect some of that privacy, they're not perfect. There is another option, though, called Noisy, which was created by Itay Hury. It floods your ISP with so much random HTTP/DNS noise that your data is useless to anyone even if they do get it.
How To: Detect Script-Kiddie Wi-Fi Jamming with Wireshark
Due to weaknesses in the way Wi-Fi works, it's extremely easy to disrupt most Wi-Fi networks using tools that forge deauthentication packets. The ease with which these common tools can jam networks is only matched by how simple they are to detect for anyone listening for them. We'll use Wireshark to discover a Wi-Fi attack in progress and determine which tool the attacker is using.
How To: Buy Bitcoin Anonymously — A Guide to Investing in Cryptocurrency While Maintaining Privacy
Just like cash, bitcoin is used for everything from regular day-to-day business to criminal activities. However, unlike physical cash, the blockchain is permanent and immutable, which means anyone from a teen to the US government can follow every single transaction you make without you even knowing about it. However, there are ways to add layers of anonymity to your bitcoin transactions.
Hacking Android: How to Create a Lab for Android Penetration Testing
As Android bug bounty hunters and penetration testers, we need a properly configured environment to work in when testing exploits and looking for vulnerabilities. This could mean a virtual Android operating system or a dedicated network for capturing requests and performing man-in-the-middle attacks.
How To: Use Cerberus to Take Control of Anyone's Android Phone
If you need to hack an Android device, try a remote administration tool. Known more familiarly as a RAT, there are open-source RATs that are barebones and exorbitantly priced RATs that are more polished. There are also low-cost and polished RATs that aren't intended to be RATs at all, such as Cerberus, an anti-theft solution available right on Google Play.
How To: Track Wi-Fi Devices & Connect to Them Using Probequest
Wi-Fi devices are continually emitting "probe frames," calling out for nearby Wi-Fi networks to connect to. Beyond being a privacy risk, probe frames can also be used to track or take over the data connection of nearby devices. We'll explain how to see nearby devices emitting probe frames using Probequest and what can be done with this information.
How To: Exploit Shellshock on a Web Server Using Metasploit
One of the most critical bugs to come out in the last five years was Shellshock, a vulnerability which allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via the Unix Bash shell remotely. This vulnerability has been around for a while now, but due to the ubiquity of Unix machines connected to the web, Shellshock is still a very real threat, especially for unpatched systems.
Hacking macOS: How to Sniff Passwords on a Mac in Real Time, Part 2 (Packet Analysis)
Most users don't realize how much valuable data is in their network traffic. With a few simple tools, an attacker can quickly pick out cookies, passwords, and DNS queries from a macOS device as it covertly streams the victim's network traffic to the attacker's system. Here, we will cover two methods for analyzing packets flowing from a Mac.
Hacking macOS: How to Sniff Passwords on a Mac in Real Time, Part 1 (Packet Exfiltration)
With the rise of website encryption (TLS), sniffing passwords from network activity has become difficult. However, it's still possible to quietly exfiltrate a target's network traffic in real time to extract passwords and sensitive information. Pertaining to macOS, there are two methods for retrieving traffic from a backdoored Mac.
How To: Use MDK3 for Advanced Wi-Fi Jamming
You may have heard of a signal jammer before, which usually refers to a device that blasts out a strong enough radio signal to drown out the reception of nearby devices like cell phones. Purpose-built jammer hardware is outright illegal in many countries. Still, Wi-Fi is vulnerable to several different jamming attacks that can be done with Kali Linux and a wireless network adapter.
How To: Use Maltego to Monitor Twitter for Disinformation Campaigns
Russian cyber disinformation campaigns have many missions, but one of particular interest is using technology to monitor, influence, and disrupt online communications surrounding culturally sensitive topics or protests. The ability to watch these events, and even filter positive or negative tweets to amplify, gives rise to the ability to execute a number of disinformation campaigns.
How To: Securely Sync Files Between Two Machines Using Syncthing
Transferring hundreds of screenshots, webcam recordings, keystroke logs, and audio recordings between your VPS and a local Kali machine can be tricky. Services like Dropbox don't always have the best privacy policies and suffer data breaches just like any other website. To mitigate these risks, we'll use a secure, open source, and decentralized alternative.
How To: Beginner's Guide to OWASP Juice Shop, Your Practice Hacking Grounds for the 10 Most Common Web App Vulnerabilities
Web application vulnerabilities are one of the most crucial points of consideration in any penetration test or security evaluation. While some security areas require a home network or computer for testing, creating a test website to learn web app security requires a slightly different approach. For a safe environment to learn about web app hacking, the OWASP Juice Shop can help.
How To: Use Command Injection to Pop a Reverse Shell on a Web Server
Command injection is a technique used by hackers to execute system commands on a server, usually via a web application or some kind of GUI. This can happen when an application provides some sort of functionality to the user involving the use of system commands. When the input is not properly sanitized, commands not originally intended to be run are allowed to be executed.
How To: Hack 200 Online User Accounts in Less Than 2 Hours (From Sites Like Twitter, Reddit & Microsoft)
Leaked databases get passed around the internet and no one seems to notice. We've become desensitized to the data breaches that occur on a daily basis because it happens so frequently. Join me as I illustrate why reusing passwords across multiple websites is a truly awful practice — and compromise hundreds of social media accounts in the process.
How To: Hack Wi-Fi & Networks More Easily with Lazy Script
Wi-Fi tools keep getting more and more accessible to beginners, and the LAZY script is a framework of serious penetration tools that can be explored easily from within it. This powerful and simple tool can be used for everything from installing new add-ons to grabbing a WPA handshake in a matter of seconds. Plus, it's easy to install, set up, and utilize.
Locking Down Linux: Using Ubuntu as Your Primary OS, Part 4 (Auditing, Antivirus & Monitoring)
You've protected your Ubuntu system from physical attacks, annoyed network hackers, and sandboxed potentially malicious applications. Great! Now, the next logical steps to locking down your OS include thoroughly auditing Ubuntu for weak points, using antivirus software that respects your privacy, and monitoring system logs like a boss.
Locking Down Linux: Using Ubuntu as Your Primary OS, Part 3 (Application Hardening & Sandboxing)
Once you've installed Ubuntu with security in mind and reduced the possibility of network attacks on your system, you can start thinking about security on an application level. If a malicious file is opened on your system, will an attacker be able to access every file on the computer? The chances are much slimmer if you put the proper defenses in place.
Locking Down Linux: Using Ubuntu as Your Primary OS, Part 2 (Network Attack Defense)
After installing Ubuntu as your primary OS, you should have protected against USB Rubber Ducky payloads, defended against hard drive forensics, and reduced the overall attack surface against physical strikes. When defending against network-based attacks, you'll want to minimize hardware disclosures, prevent packet sniffers, harden firewall rules, and much more.
Locking Down Linux: Using Ubuntu as Your Primary OS, Part 1 (Physical Attack Defense)
Windows 10 and macOS have poor reputations when it comes to customer privacy and user policies. Our hacking Windows 10 and hacking macOS articles might make it seem like a reasonably secure operating system doesn't exist. But I'm here to tell you that there is a viable alternative that could provide some sense of security and trust.
How To: Perform Directory Traversal & Extract Sensitive Information
With all the web applications out on the internet today, and especially the ones built and configured by novices, it's easy to find vulnerabilities. Some are more perilous than others, but the consequences of even the slightest breach can be tremendous in the hands of a skilled hacker. Directory traversal is a relatively simple attack but can be used to expose sensitive information on a server.
How To: Use Beginner Python to Build a Brute-Force Tool for SHA-1 Hashes
Developers creating login systems know better than to store passwords in plain text, usually storing hashes of a password to prevent storing the credentials in a way a hacker could steal. Due to the way hashes work, not all are created equal. Some are more vulnerable than others, and a little Python could be used to brute-force any weak hashes to get the passwords they were created from.
How To: The Beginner's Guide to Defending Against Wi-Fi Hacking
Hacking Wi-Fi is a lot easier than most people think, but the ways of doing so are clustered around a few common techniques most hackers use. With a few simple actions, the average user can go a long way toward defending against the five most common methods of Wi-Fi hacking, which include password cracking, social engineering, WPS attacks, remote access, and rogue access points.
How to Hack Wi-Fi: Disabling Security Cameras on Any Wireless Network with Aireplay-Ng
Electronic warfare tactics work by jamming, disrupting, or disabling the technology a target uses to perform a critical function, and IoT devices are especially vulnerable to attacks. Wireless security cameras like the Nest Cam are frequently used to secure critical locations, but a hacker can surgically disable a webcam or other Wi-Fi connected device without disturbing the rest of the network.
How To: Use Charles Proxy to View the Data Your Mobile Apps Send & Receive
If you're using a mobile device, it's a pretty safe bet that your apps are sending lots of information back and forth from their servers. To make sure there is no inappropriate data collection going on, it's worth setting up a web proxy to spy on this traffic, so you know exactly which apps are "phoning home" and when.
How To: Bypass Locked Windows Computers to Run Kali Linux from a Live USB
It's easy to run Kali Linux from a live USB on nearly any available computer, but many publicly accessible laptops and desktops will be locked down to prevent such use. School, work, or library PCs can be secured with a BIOS password, which is often an easily recovered default password. Once you have access, though, you can use a USB flash drive to run Kali live on any PC you find.
How To: Hack WPA2 Wi-Fi Passwords Using Jedi Mind Tricks (& USB Dead Drops)
The latest Star Wars movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story, has grossed almost $350 million worldwide during its first month in theaters. This is a good opportunity to discuss how hackers can use media hype (in this case, Hollywood movie hype) to disarm an unsuspecting Windows user into inserting an evil USB stick into their computer.
SQL Injection 101: Common Defense Methods Hackers Should Be Aware Of
Database technology has vastly improved the way we handle vast amounts of data, and almost every modern application utilizes it in one way or another. But the widespread use of databases naturally invites a slew of vulnerabilities and attacks to occur. SQL injection has been around for awhile, and as such, there are many defense methods in place to safeguard against these types of attacks.
Hacking macOS: How to Dump Passwords Stored in Firefox Browsers Remotely
Passwords and data stored in web browsers are extremely valuable to hackers. If not for financial gain, black hat hackers may still leak your passwords and personal information for amusement. Never undervalue what you're worth to a hacker.
Hacking macOS: How to Break into a MacBook Encrypted with FileVault
Don't think because your MacBook is using FileVault disk encryption your device is secure or immune to hackers. Here's how to find out if that FileVault password is strong enough to withstand an attack from a motivated attacker.
Hacking macOS: How to Use One Python Command to Bypass Antivirus Software in 5 Seconds
The misconception that macOS is more secure than the Windows operating system is far from the truth. With just one small command, a hacker can completely take over a MacBook and control it remotely.
Hacking macOS: How to Secretly Livestream Someone's MacBook Screen Remotely
It's possible to stream a MacBook's entire computer screen without using Apple's Screen Sharing application and without opening any ports on the target device. A hacker with low user privileges on the backdoored Mac may be able to view a victim's every move in real time no matter where they are.
Hacking Windows 10: How to Create an Undetectable Payload, Part 2 (Concealing the Payload)
Once a hacker has created a PowerShell payload to evade antivirus software and set up msfconsole on their attack system, they can then move onto disguising their executable to make it appear as a regular text file. This is how they will get a Windows 10 users to actually open the payload without knowing they are doing so.
Hacking Windows 10: How to Create an Undetectable Payload, Part 1 (Bypassing Antivirus Software)
Hackers are always seeking zero-day exploits that can successfully bypass Windows 10's security features. There has been extensive research into creating undetectable malware and entire GitHub projects dedicated to automating the creation of undetectable payloads such as WinPayloads, Veil v3, and TheFatRat.
Hacking macOS: How to Remotely Eavesdrop in Real Time Using Anyone's MacBook Microphone
Google, Amazon, and Facebook are always listening. But what's worse? Hackers are listening, too. Windows PCs are particularly vulnerable, but with a few simple commands, a remote attacker can even take over the microphone on someone's Mac computer, streaming audio and listening to private conversations in real time without the victim's knowledge, abusing an overlooked security consideration.
How To: Use Maltego to Fingerprint an Entire Network Using Only a Domain Name
Hackers rely on good data to be able to pull off an attack, and reconnaissance is the stage of the hack in which they must learn as much as they can to devise a plan of action. Technical details are a critical component of this picture, and with OSINT tools like Maltego, a single domain name is everything you need to fingerprint the tech details of an organization from IP address to AS number.
SQL Injection 101: How to Avoid Detection & Bypass Defenses
It is often said that the best hackers remain unknown, and the greatest attacks are left undiscovered, but it's hard for an up-and-coming penetration tester or white hat to learn anything unless one of those factors is actually known or discovered. But the end goal here in our SQL injection lessons is to make that statement as true as possible for us when performing our hacks.
Hacking Elevators: How to Bypass Access Control Systems to Visit Locked Floors & Restricted Levels in Any Building
Many operators use elevators to control access to particular floors, whether it be the penthouse at a hotel or a server room in an office building. However, the law requires them all to have a fire service mode, which gives emergency access to restricted floors, and a hacker can use that to bypass security altogether.
Hacking macOS: How to Install a Persistent Empire Backdoor on a MacBook
After backdooring a MacBook not protected by FileVault or using a fake PDF to gain remote access, an attacker may wish to upgrade their Netcat shell to something more fully featured. While a root shell allows attackers to remotely modify most files on the MacBook, Empire features some useful post-exploitation modules which make hacking Macs very easy.
How To: Install & Lock Down Kali Linux for Safe Desktop Use
Kali Linux is established as the go-to operating system for penetration testing, but in its default configuration, it's less than ideal for regular desktop use. While in many scenarios, a live boot or virtual environment can resolve these issues, in some situations, a full installation is better. A few simple changes can be made to a Kali Linux desktop to make it safer to use in this environment.