The Complete Ethical Hacking, Pen Testing : System Security

Install Dev-C++, accept the license, finish the wizard with default language and font settings, switch to 32-bit for Immunity debugger, compile and run a simple file, save Test01 on desktop.

Install Notepad++ by downloading the setup, selecting English language, agreeing to the license, and finishing the installation wizard.

Install immunity debugger by downloading it, accepting the license, and completing the Python installation. Then open the debugger and run the compiled Test01 file to verify it works.

Explore system hacking stages, from reconnaissance to gaining access, escalating privileges, maintaining access, and clearing logs, using footprinting, scanning, enumeration, and vulnerability analysis for ethical testing.

Explore memory layout, including the kernel space, text, data, heap, and stack, and how the stack grows downward, with prologue and epilogue governing stack frames and ESP, EBP, and EIP.

Learn to use Immunity Debugger to load and attach to applications, inspect CPU view, disassembly, registers, and breakpoints, and distinguish step into from step over.

Learn how stack frames are created and destroyed by debugging a simple C program with Immunity Debugger, observing breakpoints, prologue and epilogue, and EBP and ESP during function calls.

Demonstrate how a buffer overflow occurs by debugging with immunity debugger, examining the stack and prologue, and show how overflowing a buffer overwrites the return address to hijack control flow.

Learn how shellcode acts as exploit payload that starts a command shell for attacker control, and generate it with msfvenom on Kali Linux, addressing null bytes with -b.

Explore a practical buffer overflow exploit: craft a payload to overwrite the return address, inject shellcode, and gain control, demonstrated with C, gdb, and Python.

Explore malware: malicious software that steals data, damages systems, or gains control. Learn about viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, rootkits, botnets, and how users trigger infections.

Ncat, a tcp/udp network utility, demonstrates listening mode, executing a file, and interactive shells across victim and attacker machines to run commands like ipconfig.

Demonstrates a reverse connection using ncat to access a victim inside a protected network, with the attacker running a listener and the victim initiating the connection.

Install a persistent backdoor with ncat by adding a registry entry that launches at boot, connects to the attacker’s IP and port, and grants access on user login.

Learn how to use Metasploit and Meterpreter to establish an active backdoor, configure persistence, deploy payloads, and perform post-exploitation tasks to gather system information in a controlled lab.