What Is Metasploit? A Comprehensive Overview (2021)

Introduction

Pentesting involves a lot of repetitive tasks and labour that is now automated by Metasploit uses and includes functions like Metasploit commands for gaining access, information gathering, persistency-maintenance and detection evasion technology. What is Metasploit? Thus, it is really a collection of tools for hacking codes quite similar to Perl’s Swiss army knife kit in the field of information security. It is widely used by IT professionals dealing with security.

1. Metasploit definition
2. History of Metasploit
3. How to use Metasploit
4. How to learn Metasploit?
5. Where to download Metasploit?

1. Metasploit definition

Meta sploit is a hacking kit in what is Metasploit’s penetration testing Metasploit framework and an essential tool for defenders and hackers alike. One needs to just target and choose the exploit by pointing the Metasploit tool at it. Decide the drop-payload and hit enter to get Metasploit to do the rest. The Metasploit Framework core is libre software for free and works with the BSD-licensed Kali Linux pre-installed on it. It typically has only an interface with a command-line though the  Metasploit Pro version does offer click-and-drag GUI-based hacking with many other features and comes with licensing on a per-seat basis.

2. History of Metasploit

What is Metasploit’s v1.0 was first released in Perl by HD Moore in 2003. From the original exploits numbering 11, the number of payloads is 500 and exploits about 1,500 in the Ruby version of Metasploit. It was acquired in 2009 along with Moore’s involvement by Rapid7 the security experts in 2009. It is despite the competition from Core Impact and Canvas still considered the de facto framework and is typically used for reports like zero-day for the proof of concept module in Metasploit.

3. How to use Metasploit

All tools of reconnaissance like the enumeration patch of Windows, SNMP scanning, Nmap, Nessus-bridge and the vulnerability tools and scanner in Tenable can integrate with what is Metasploit during the pentest phase of information gathering. On finding the weakness in the tested armour, one can use the extensible and large Metasploit database to get into the system. For Ex: Shadow Brokers version of 

Once you’ve identified a weakness, hunt through Metasploit’s large and extensible database for the ‘what is metasploitable exploit’ to crack the weakness and allow one to get into the system. For instance, EternalBlue exploit by NSA released in 2017 can deal with systems like Windows that come with un-patched legacy systems and are specially designed to allow Metasploit to deal with it.

Just pairing the payload and Metasploit exploits based on the task at hand to attack the system with Metasploit is sufficient for Windows systems where all one requires is what is Metasploit’s suitable payload and a shell-like the Meterpreter. This popular interactive shell in what is meterpreter, has the in-memory-only feature of interactive shells.  Similarly, the boxes in Linux depend on the exploit used to get their own shellcode.

Once Metasploit gets onto the machine targeted its entire tool suite set for post-exploitation is available including the features like pass the hash, privilege escalation, packet sniffing, keyloggers, screen capture and tools for pivoting. Just in case the target machine reboots, it deploys a very persistent backdoor.

Annually Metasploit is adding several features to its suites like the potential binaries security flaw identifying fuzzer and a long list of modules as auxiliary tools to its modular framework. It is also very extensible and has a large community base ensuring that it can be tweaked to suit the purpose in mind.

4. How to learn Metasploit?

Metasploit is available across several cheap resources that are free if one wishes to learn it. The most appropriate way is to download it with a VM- Vulnerable Virtual Machine and the Kali Linux installation which allows one to get practice in targeting networks. Note that it is illegal to target other networks sans their permission, by using Metasploit.

Metasploit Unleashed is offered by Offensive Security, the official people for Kali’s maintenance and OSCP certification. Their course which offers free training on Metasploit requests a reciprocal donation to Africa’s hungry children. The Metasploit book by No Starch comes with a free e-book on DRM and form a great resource base like the Press books of No Starch. One can also exploit the YouTube channel and detailed documentation of the Project Metasploit to start-off as a penetration testing expert.

5. Where to download Metasploit?

One can download Metasploit from their website for Metasploit though it is typically a part of the Kali Linux suite and shipped with it. It runs on Windows and *nix systems with its source code for Metasploit Frameworks being GitHub available.

Conclusion

Metasploit has many suite flavours to suit different applications based on what is Metasploit used for. Rapid7 provides the libre/ free version of the Metasploit Framework and the Metasploit web-based free user interface in its Community Edition as well as the Metasploit Pro. The Metasploit Pro version has add-ons that are non-free for pentesters with a preference for MS Office-like or GUI wizard-suites performing phishing and baseline audits as part of their client-engagement procedures. Rapid7 also has a comparison of features provided on its official website.

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