Top 12 Hacking Tools in Kali Linux for Ethical Hackers

Top 12 Kali Linux Tools for Cyber Security and Penetration Testing

Kali Linux is a powerful, security-oriented Linux distribution, often used by ethical hackers, penetration testers, and cybersecurity professionals. Based on Debian, it provides a robust environment with over 600 tools dedicated to penetration testing, digital forensics, and network security assessment. Kali Linux offers pre-installed applications that help strengthen network defenses and find vulnerabilities.

In this article, we will explore the top 12 Kali Linux tools, detailing how they can be used in cybersecurity.

From here on, the journey to ethical hacking begins. One of the first critical concepts is the OWASP - also known as the Open Web Application Security Project. This international, independent non-profit organization primarily focuses on improving software security. OWASP provides critical resources to developers, ethical hackers, and cybersecurity professionals, helping them address and mitigate web application security vulnerabilities. OWASP is particularly significant for any new ethical hacker, as it offers a comprehensive foundation for understanding web application security.

One of the most valuable OWASP resources is the OWASP Top 10: a ranked list of the most prevalent web application security risks. Some of the key vulnerabilities in this list include SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting, and Broken Authentication. Familiarizing yourself with these common vulnerabilities forms a foundation for quickly identifying security flaws in web applications. Understanding these threats allows ethical hackers to focus their efforts on the most crucial areas of penetration testing and application security.

During the learning process, building knowledge of OWASP will not only develop technical skills but also deepen one’s understanding of ethical hacking. It enables you to perform risk assessments more efficiently and effectively, ensuring that you can mitigate risks before they become significant security breaches. By making OWASP resources a core part of your learning path, you gain knowledge invaluable to success in the cybersecurity field. Learning and applying OWASP principles helps you prepare to defend applications and networks against malicious attacks, contributing to cybersecurity improvements across organizations.

1. Nmap - Network Mapper

Nmap is a free and powerful network scanner, crucial for host, service, and vulnerability discovery in a network. It sends IP packets to a specific port and IP address, analyzing the responses to understand the network structure. Its features include:

• Identification based on ports or protocol
• Ping scanning
• OS and hardware identification through TCP/IP fingerprinting
• Completely free and open-source

2. Metasploit Framwork

The Metasploit Framwork is one of the most essential tools for penetration testing. Built with Ruby, it simplifies the process of writing, testing, and executing exploit code. Metasploit includes modules for vulnerability testing, exploit execution, and post-exploitation. It is continually updated and expanded, making it a popular choice for ethical hackers. Some key features include:

• Integration of payload and ancillary modules
• Exploit execution and post-execution
• Robust libraries to create custom modules
• Free version and paid Pro version with advanced capabilities

3. Wireshark

Wireshark is a network traffic analyzer that captures and reads data packets across various protocols. It helps cybersecurity professionals monitor network activity and detect anomalies or potential security threats. Wireshark supports a wide range of protocols from Ethernet to IEEE 802.11, making it highly useful for network diagnostics. Key features include:

• Basic packet capture
• Flexible display filters
• Free and open-source

4. Burp Suite

Burp Suite is a comprehensive tool for web application security testing. It functions as an intercepting proxy for browser requests, supporting OWASP Top 10 Vulnerability Scanning, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Both automatic and manual scanning capabilities are available, with the Professional version offering advanced features. Some features include:

• Proxy interception of HTTP requests
• Smart automation with minimal false positives
• Scanning for modern applications (SPAs, APIs)
• Free Community version, Professional paid edition

5. John the Ripper

John the Ripper is a password-cracking tool that allows ethical hackers to perform brute-force and dictionary attacks on password-protected files and databases. It supports a wide variety of hash types and is highly effective for password recovery and auditing. Key features include:

• Support for various hash types
• Effective password cracking for archives, databases, and networks
• Free versions and paid Pro versions with additional functionality

6. Aircrack-ng

Aircrack-ng is a suite of tools specifically built for testing and analysis of wireless network security. The suite ranges from simple WEP to complicated WPA/WPA2. It provides packet capture, de-authentication attacks, and the ability to crack several security protocols including WEP, WPA, and WPA2. It finds massive usage in Wi-Fi penetration tests due to its high speed in password recovery and network monitoring.

Features:

• WEP, WPA/WPA2 key cracking
• Packet capture and monitoring
• Frame injection and de-authentication attacks
• Free and open-source

7. Hydra

Hydra is a rapid, flexible password cracker for brute-force attacks across multi-protocol hydra and supports FTP, SSH, and HTTP. Penetration testing security consultants use Hydra to test login against servers and websites; thus, it is a good assessment of password strength and access through unauthorized means.

Features:

• Ability for parallel brute-force attack
• Support for custom scripts and modules
• Works with various protocols
• Free and open source

8. Nikto

Nikto is a web server vulnerability scanner that identifies old software, misconfigurations, and weaknesses of security on web servers. Nikto is a free online tool that supports more than one port. It even goes further with SSL and proxy scanning. Mostly used for web vulnerability assessments.

Features:

• It identifies known vulnerabilities in more than 6700 files and programs
• SSL and proxy are supported
• Scans multiple ports at a time
• Free and open-source

9. SET (Social-Engineer Toolkit)

SET is a tool based on social engineering, used to assist security professionals in testing human vulnerabilities via phishing, credential harvesting, and other tactics. Developed in Python, the tool allows ethical hackers to run different social engineering attacks, providing valuable security insights and awareness.

Features:

• Phishing page creation and credential harvesting
• Infectious media generation for USB devices
• Simulates multiple social engineering attacks
• Open-source and free

10. WPScan

WPScan is a specialized WordPress site security tool used to find vulnerabilities, outdated plugins, and weak passwords in WordPress installations. WPScan is helpful for web administrators who manage WordPress sites, enabling them to spot quick security concerns related to WordPress.

Features:

• Scanning of outdated plugins, themes, and core files
• Password brute-forcing functionality
• Detects potential vulnerabilities in WordPress installations
• Free with paid options for extended access via API

11. Fluxion

Fluxion is a tool that uses social engineering for Wi-Fi security auditing, specifically testing vulnerabilities by creating a rogue wireless network. It is done through Evil Twin and MITM attacks that enable capturing user credentials and identifying vulnerabilities in wireless networks.

Features:

• Evil Twin and MITM attack capabilities
• Capture and emulation of handshakes while simulating captive portals
• Free and Open Source

12. Maltego

Maltego is an open-source intelligence gathering tool and data miner. This tool reveals hidden relationships across networks, domains, and individuals. Its powerful visualization capabilities make it an important tool for cybersecurity professionals performing reconnaissance and digital forensics.

Features:

• Visual link analysis
• Incorporates public data sources like WHOIS and Shodan
• Real-time gathering of information
• Free, with paid versions for advanced features

FAQs About Kali Linux and Kali Linux Tool

1. What is Kali Linux and how does it relate to cyber security?

Kali Linux is a very powerful, robust OS operating off the Debian open source platform. Originated to check penetration into examinations of network security and digital forensics, beyond 600 preloaded tools help cybersecurity professionals examine vulnerabilities, try out defense strategies and even build more network barriers.

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2. What are the Nmap Features?

Metasploit: This is an open-source free penetration testing tool. Some of its features include the following:

• Port scanning with the ability to pinpoint what services are open.
• There is a method called TCP/IP fingerprinting that could be used for OS detection.
• It is used for network vulnerability analysis regarding security threats that the network suffers from.

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3. Describe how Metasploit assists penetration testing:

Metasploit Framework: Must Have in penetration testing helps the ethical hacker in writing, testing, and execution of exploit code also performs vulnerability testing and post-exploitation activities. It has a vast payload and exploits database for a large number of systems.

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4. What do you use Wireshark for in cyber security?

Wireshark: This is the protocol analyzer used for capturing packets of data and analyzing the real-time data. Its usual known purpose is the following:

• Anomaly based network traffic analysis
• Scanning security threats
• Debugging network problems

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5. What does Burp Suite do to enhance web application security testing?

Burp Suite: it is a proxy that has interpolation power. It identifies the vulnerabilities in the web applications and diagnoses them like SQL injection and cross-site scripting(XSS). Testing involves a combination of both automated and hands-on testing; both should be incorporated into any security provided for the web applications.

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6. Which function is performed by John the Ripper in Penetration testing?

It is used by the penetration tester in verifying the strength of any given password. Aircrack-ng can successfully execute both brute-force and dictionary attacks on a large amount of hash, a characteristic that makes it the most excellent tool that can be used for password auditing security in networks and databases.

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7. How do you test Wi-Fi security using Aircrack-ng?

Aircrack-ng. This is the most advanced suite for testing Wi-Fi security. It performs a wide variety of key cracking types, WEP, WPA, and WPA2, packet capture and de-authentication attacks. It is most often applied in the wireless network security tests.

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8. What is Hydra, and how is it used in the field of cybersecurity?

Hydra password cracker performs brute force attack on all protocols, such as FTP, SSH or HTTP speed and agility. The tool will be very useful for network and cybersecurity experts in password's strength test, therefore will find and detect as many weak login credentials existing on servers and sites.

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9. What does Nikto identify scanning a web server?

The above vulnerabilities are reported scanning a web server by Nikto:

• Old software.
• Misconfiguration problems.
• Webserver security vulnerabilities.

Nikto also supports SSL and proxy scanning, so it is fairly powerful for a web vulnerability scan.

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10. What is SET (Social-Engineer Toolkit), and how does this help in terms of cybersecurity?

The Social-Engineer Toolkit, short for SET, is meant to make real-world attacks against the human target. This will enable the pen tester to understand his weakness through humans using phishing, credential harvesting, and infections from a USB. Important: Humans improve their security awareness of users with the help of SET.

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