Information Gathering
Information Gathering, also known as data gathering or reconnaissance, is the process of collecting various forms of data and information about a target system, network, or organization to understand its architecture, vulnerabilities, and security mechanisms. This process is typically the first step in planning a cyber attack or penetration test. It provides attackers or security professionals with a detailed perspective on the target environment, aiding in the identification of potential vulnerabilities and points of entry.
NMAP (Network Mapper)
NMAP is a powerful open-source tool used for network discovery and security auditing. It can find devices running on a network and discover open ports along with various attributes of the network.
Uses of NMAP
Host Discovery: Identify active hosts on a network.
Port Scanning: Determine open ports and services running on servers and network devices.
Version Detection: Discover what application and version are running on open ports.
OS Detection: Determine the operating system and hardware characteristics of network devices.
Basic NMAP Commands
Ping Scan:
nmap -sn [target]Port Scan:
nmap [target]Service Version Detection:
nmap -sV [target]Aggressive Scan:
nmap -A [target]
Hands-on Exercise
Run basic NMAP commands in a controlled environment.
Analyze the results to identify active hosts, open ports, and services.
Enumeration
Enumeration is the process of extracting detailed information about a network or infrastructure, often leading to discovering ways to infiltrate the system.
Techniques in Enumeration
NetBIOS Enumeration: Extracting information about network shares, users, and groups.
SNMP Enumeration: Gathering data from network devices like routers, switches, and printers.
LDAP Enumeration: Extracting information from LDAP directories.
SMTP Enumeration: Gleaning information from mail servers.
Tools for Enumeration
Enum4linux
Nbtscan
SNMPwalk
Resources
NMAP Official Documentation: NMAP Documentation
Books: “Nmap Network Scanning: The Official Nmap Project Guide to Network Discovery and Security Scanning” by Gordon Fyodor Lyon.
Enumeration Tools Documentation:
Enum4linux: Github Repository
Nbtscan: Information available on various cybersecurity websites.
SNMPwalk: Included in the NET-SNMP suite (http://www.net-snmp.org/)
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