Learn C++ & Ethical Hacking: From Beginner to Advanced[2026]

Install VMware Workstation Pro to run virtual machines by signing in, selecting the latest Windows version, agreeing to terms, completing verification, and using the free personal version.

Set up a Windows C++ development environment by installing Visual Studio Code, adding the C++ extension, installing MinGW-w64 GCC, and configuring PATH and environment variables.

Create a project folder in Visual Studio Code and write a basic C++ program using iostream to print to the console. Compile with g++, run the executable, and save changes.

Learn how to declare variables and work with common data types in c++, including integers, floats, characters, strings, and booleans; print results with cout and build a simple sum example.

Explore input and output operations using cout and cin to read two numbers, store them in number one and number two, compute their sum, and display the result.

explore arithmetic and relational operators in C++, including plus, minus, multiply, divide, modulo, and comparisons like equal and not equal, less and greater, with practical integer examples.

Explore control flow in C++ by building a calculator that reads two numbers and an operator, using if-else and switch to compute plus, minus, divide, or multiply.

Explore for and while loops in c++, practice printing numbers and validating user input with getline, and apply increment operators for basic malware development contexts.

Explore functions in C++, including void functions, returning values, and calling with parameters to perform tasks and compute sums from main.

Explore C++ function prototypes and void functions with no parameters, declare prototypes before main, and keep code readable by placing helper functions below the main.

Learn how template functions enable generic C++ code with a template parameter like t to handle any data type. Use t1 and t2 for multiple return types with auto inference.

Learn how arrays store multiple values under a single variable, declare arrays with a size, and access them with zero-based indexing using for loops and cout in C++.

Learn to work with files in C++, using ifstream, ofstream, and fstream to read, write, and append data, verify file opens, and read lines, within a malware development context.

Master error handling in C++ by using try and catch to manage runtime errors such as division by zero and display clear error messages.

Explore how references and pointers optimize C++ code by avoiding copies and enabling direct access to original data. Learn to distinguish memory addresses from values.

Learn the basics of c++ and the foundations of malware development by building a simple program with iostream, main, and cout, then explore future steps like file handling and login.

Create a C++ key to string converter that maps numeric ascii codes to readable characters, accounts for uppercase and lowercase differences, and handles spaces, tabs, and backspaces for file logging.

Develop caps lock and shift handling in C++ by creating boolean functions that query key state and determine case, then convert keys via ASCII adjustment and plan backspace support.

Builds a foundation for a credential stealing tool in C++, exploring access to Windows credentials, file storage of captured data, and line-by-line code explanations.

Create a separate void function for file handling to write data to a file, using const file name and const content, with an upfront prototype before main.

Enumerate credentials from Windows credential manager using the credential API, count stored items, and display each target name while preparing for memory management with create enumerate and free.

Extract credentials and target names from the Windows credential manager, and save them to credentials.txt using an ofstream, with target and username separated by hyphens.

Explore how to extract passwords from windows credential manager using blob structures, handling credentials, and storing results to a file, including usernames and hashed passwords.

Start by building a foundation for our malware in C++ by creating a server.cpp and initializing Windows sockets to enable reverse shell communication with targets.

Master socket creation in this session by building a server socket with IPv4, tcp, and getaddrinfo, setting up hints, and binding to port 4444 to listen for connections.

Create and bind a server socket with the socket function, store IP address and port information, implement error handling, and return the created socket bound to port 4444.

Create a function to listen for incoming connections using the listen function and a server socket, prototype it, and handle errors while preparing to wait in an infinite loop.

Learn how to implement a server-side accept function using sockets to obtain a client socket, handle errors, and send a message after a client connects.

Set up the client project foundation by including iostream, winsock2, ws2tcpip.h, and linking ws2_32.lib; create main, use std, and declare 'client is ready' to prepare Windows sockets initialization.

Create a void function to initialize the Windows socket, store WSADATA, and call WSAStartup with version MAKEWORD(2,2). Check for errors, print startup failure messages, and indicate successful initialization in main.

Create a client socket by defining address info hints, resolving the server IP 127.0.0.1 and port 4444 with getaddrinfo, then create a TCP socket and handle errors.

Implement a receive message function in C++ to read data from a server using a 512-byte buffer, handle the result, and print the data, building toward a reverse shell.

Implement the main function changes to enable a mini terminal with get line function, a socket-based listen-for-connections setup, and an exit-driven client-server command workflow.

Learn how to implement a client-side command executor in C++, using popen to run shell commands, capturing output as a string with a 128-byte buffer for server-side use.

Develop a C++ function that continuously receives server commands on a client socket and executes them. Then send the execution results back to the server, using buffers and strings.

Learn to implement a cd command handler in a C++ reverse shell, parse input, extract the target directory, change directory, print the path, and report success or failure via socket.

Explore how the ternary operator turns a simple if statement into one line in C++, using a number equal to ten to produce good or bad results.

Initialize windows socket and lay the foundation for our port scanner by including libraries, startup data, and validating the initialization.

Implement a range port scanner in C++ with a scan_port function that iterates from start port to end port, tests each port on a target IP, and prints open ports.

Explore multithreaded port scanning in C++ using a dynamic vector to divide ports among threads and join them for a completed scan.

Learn to retrieve a port's service name and protocol using a get server by port function, tcp, htons, and mutex-protected multi-threaded output for clear console results.