Learn the Metasploit Framework inside out

Name: Learn the Metasploit Framework inside out
Rating: 4.3 (58 reviews)

This course structure is based on the PTES. You'll learn Metasploit, its limits, and how to work around them

Created byAdriano Gattabuia

Last updated 2/2018

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

You will have a solid understanding of the Metasploit framework and how to work around its limitations.
You'll also have the right frame of mind to carry out penetration tests efficiently and effectively.

Course content

8 sections • 38 lectures • 3h 48m total length

Course introduction3:42
Explore the metasploit framework from information gathering to exploitation and post-exploitation, guided by the penetration testing execution standard across seven chapters.
Introduction to Metasploit and to the PTES3:11
Master the Metasploit framework to develop and run exploit code against remote machines, perform information gathering, enumeration, vulnerability analysis, exploitation, and post-exploitation, within the PTES penetration testing methodology.
Setting up, updating the Metasploit Framework and other Metasploit variants12:36
Learn how to set up and update the Metasploit framework across Kali and other variants, initialize and manage its PostgreSQL database, and optimize module search by rebuilding the cache.
The Metasploit filesystem and modules5:25
explore the Metasploit Framework's filesystem and core module types—exploits, payloads, auxiliary, and post—accessible via the MSF console, with plugins that extend functionality and practice with in-memory payloads.
Installing the Metasploitable3 virtual machine10:41
Install and configure the Metasploitable3 vulnerable virtual machine on Windows, using VirtualBox, Kali, Packer, and Vagrant; set environment variables, bridge networking, and prepare for penetration testing.
The Metasploit Unleashed reference1:43
Explore the metasploit framework through the unleashed reference, learn core MSF console commands and auxiliary and post modules, and review help pages and tutorials to build practical familiarity.

Msfconsole introduction and its core commands9:30
Explore msfconsole and its core commands to search for exploits, show modules, and manage global and local variables. Master session handling, plugin loading, history, and exit.
Metasploit exploit usage6:37
Learn how to exploit remote hosts with Metasploit: inspect modules, set targets and options, run exploits such as eternal blue, and navigate the module stack to move between exploits.
Payloads and their settings, getting our first Meterpreter shell7:58
Learn how Metasploit payloads execute on a target, establishing a Meterpreter or reverse shell back to your machine, and how to configure payloads with set options.
Meterpreter commands6:06
Master Meterpreter commands to manage sessions, verify root privileges, navigate the remote system, transfer files, migrate processes, load scripts, and run post modules for targeted exploits.
Msfvenom payload generation7:23
Learn to generate and customize msfvenom payloads with metasploit, exploring linux elf and windows executables, encoding options, and how payloads enable back doors, trojan usage, and web shells.
Resource scripts and database backend commands7:40
Automate repetitive Metasploit tasks with resource scripts and files from the MSF console. Manage workspaces, hosts, services, and notes, plus database import/export and map scans.

Introduction to information gathering1:37
Explore information gathering to map a target's surface by identifying services and technologies, evaluating company profiles and emails, and assessing vulnerabilities through manual scanning and version checks.
Port scanning with db_nmap5:16
Explore port scanning with db_nmap in the metasploit framework, discover hosts on the local network with netdiscover, and fingerprint services and versions for assets like apache tomcat and java rmi.
Gathering information manually10:03
Learn manual information gathering with the Metasploit Framework by enumerating services, ports, login pages, default credentials, WordPress, and SSH, then test access using auxiliary modules.

Installing the Nessus community edition and loading it within Metasploit4:31
Install the Nessus community edition, obtain an activation code, start the Nessus service, and load it within Metasploit to perform vulnerability assessments.
Scanning for vulnerabilities with Nessus and saving the results to Metasploit12:01
Learn to connect to Nessus, create a scan policy, run vulnerability scans, inspect findings across services, and save results to Metasploit for exploitation assessment.
Scanning web applications with the Metasploit auxiliary modules8:55
Explore how to scan web applications with Metasploit auxiliary modules, identify vulnerabilities in Ruby on Rails, web console, Tomcat and Struts configurations, and assess WordPress and plugin weaknesses.

Introduction to exploitation4:23
Explore exploitation techniques using the Metasploit framework, focusing on service and web service exploitation, plus social engineering as an attack vector, with practical module and payload workflows.
Three ways to exploit the Tomcat server11:24
Learn to exploit an Apache Tomcat server in three ways using Metasploit, including Tomcat manager deployer credentials, Struts exploits, and privilege escalation to a web shell.
Exploiting ManageEngine, ElasticSearch and Ruby on Rails3:14
Learn how to use the metasploit framework to exploit ManageEngine, Elasticsearch, and Ruby on Rails, gain system and web shell access, and assess WordPress vulnerabilities.
Exploiting WebDav and Wordpress on WAMP5:40
Explore exploiting webdav and WordPress on wamp using metasploit, including uploading files, triggering a reverse shell, and gaining remote access to vulnerable web servers.
Exploiting port 445 with psexec and Eternal Blue2:47
Learn to exploit port 445 using psexec and EternalBlue within the Metasploit framework, leveraging SMB to escalate privileges and access credentials on Windows systems.

Introduction to Social Engineering1:01
Explore how social engineering aims to obtain confidential information and the role of the Metasploit Framework in security testing, including payloads and evasion techniques.
Generating intranet and internet payloads8:45
Generate intranet and internet payloads using a local Apache setup, and test a reverse shell across the network with port forwarding.
Trojanizing an executable with Msfvenom5:12
Explore the metasploit framework with msfvenom to generate and test payloads, compare 32-bit payloads and alternative delivery methods, and discuss limitations and safer options.
Trojanizer8:17
Explores trojanized payloads within the Metasploit framework, covering bundle methods, installation steps, and stealth considerations to boost awareness of cybersecurity threats.
Social Engineering with Beef-XSS and Metasploit4:48
Learn the metasploit framework and BeEF in social engineering scenarios to understand how attackers deliver payloads, gain shells, and evade antivirus defenses.
Antivirus evasion techniques5:41
Examine how antivirus solutions detect payloads and explore encoding, iterations, and packing techniques to evade detection, while considering disassembly, dynamic generation tools, and the legal framework.
Getting a higher antivirus evasion success rate with the Veil Framework4:37
Learn to enhance antivirus evasion with the Veil Framework, generate payloads, and assess detection rates to support social engineering and post-exploitation topics in penetration testing.

Monitoring the user's screen, keyboard and killing the antivirus4:44
Analyze techniques for monitoring the user's screen and keyboard, including keystroke capture. Explore remote access via in-memory execution that bypasses antivirus defenses and enables webcam and microphone capture.
Enabling Remote Desktop2:39
Explore enabling remote desktop access by testing remote desktop protocol, adjusting firewall settings, and creating an administrative user, then perform basic system enumeration to support privilege escalation.
Privilege escalation: basic enumeration5:11
Explore privilege escalation techniques in the Metasploit framework through basic enumeration, discovering vulnerable configurations, misconfigurations, and credential harvesting to elevate user privileges on Windows.
Privilege escalation: getting the user's password and going deeper9:46
Explore privilege escalation techniques to gain administrative access, including credential discovery, password hash cracking, sudo escalation, and token impersonation, with service enumeration and Empire framework usage.
Cracking found password hashes1:55
Explore cracking found password hashes from hash dumps on compromised systems, using John the Ripper and rainbow tables within the Metasploit framework to access related services.
Using Meterpreer to create a persistent backdoor2:43
Discover how meterpreter enables persistence by creating a backdoor with a payload, a listener, and registry-based startup, and learn how connections recur every two minutes.
Cleaning up after yourself8:11
Learn to clean up after a penetration test by using the event manager to selectively delete log types and manipulate timestamps, ensuring traces are removed while preserving evidence integrity.

Requirements

You should know the basic commands of the Linux command line and little bit of system administration.
A 64 bit PC with 8 GB or RAM and 140GB of free hard drive space, at least an i3 core processor.
Alternatively you could install the vulnerable virtual machine on another PC in your home network and use Kali on your main PC with a light-weight desktop environment like XFCE.

Description

This course will cover all of the fundamental aspects of the Metasploit framework, tying a subset of the phases of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) methodology to the course structure.

These will be specifically information gathering, vulnerability assessment, exploitation and post-exploitation.

The course also goes beyond the basics by dealing with social engineering, privilege escalation, antivirus evasion, persistent backdoors, trojanizing executable files, remote desktop, web penetration testing, port forwarded reverse shells, the Beef-XSS Framework, event log management.

To follow this course you will need to be confident using generic software programs, know the basics of the Linux command line and a little of system administration.
If something isn't clear or doesn't work on your system you can always hit me up and we'll solve the problem.

Concerning hardware requirements: a host machine with at least 8 GB of RAM with a moderately fast processor, 70 GB of hard-drive space for the vulnerable virtual machine and other 30GB for the Kali VM is a good setup to have, but not mandatory: you can also alternatively install the vulnerable machine on another PC in your home network and work with Kali on your main machine.

The course is laid out in 7 main sections:

Section 1: setup of our environment and introduction to the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES), which is a state of art methodology to carry out a penetration test. Other Metasploit variants like the Metasploit framework on Windows, the Metasploit community edition and Armitage will be covered.
Section 2: fundamental commands of Metasploit and how it works, how to automate repetitive tasks, how to run exploits and Metasploit modules.
Section 3: information gathering on the target machine with nmap and the other tools available in Metasploit to check which services are installed and effectively map the the attack surface.
Section 4: vulnerability assessment. We'll check which of the services fingerprinted are likely to be vulnerable. We'll learn how to install the Nessus vulnerability scanner and integrate it with Metasploit to populate its workspace.
Section 5: finally exploit of seven Metasploitable3 services using Metasploit exclusively, web penetration testing will also be covered.
Section 6: exploiting services via Social Engineering. We'll mainly create vectors for Social Engineering engagements, unsuspecting payloads for the victim to execute on their machine to obtain remote command execution. We'll create trojanized files, we'll greatly lower the antivirus detection rate and we'll use the Beef-XSS Framework together with Metasploit to deliver more complex attacks.
Section 7: monitoring the user on his machine, logging his keyboard activity, performing privilege escalation, generating persistent backdoors and log management.
Section 8: the course outro and credits.

Who this course is for:

Anyone interested in penetration testing who would like to learn the Metasploit Framework inside out and learn how it can be integrated with other pentesting tools.

Learn the Metasploit Framework inside out

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction and environment setup6 lectures • 37min

Metasploit fundamentals6 lectures • 45min

Information gathering with Metasploit3 lectures • 17min

Vulnerability assessment3 lectures • 25min

Exploitation of services5 lectures • 27min

Exploitation via Social Engineering7 lectures • 38min

Post-exploitation7 lectures • 35min

Conclusion1 lecture • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: