Starting with Kali Linux

 Kali Linux (Kali) is the successor to the BackTrack penetration testing platform

which is generally regarded as the de facto standard package of tools used to facilitate

penetration testing to secure data and voice networks. This chapter provides an

introduction to Kali, and focuses on customizing Kali to support some advanced

aspects of penetration testing. By the end of this chapter, you will have learned:

• An overview of Kali

• Configuring network services and secure communications

• Updating Kali

• Customizing Kali

• Extending Kali's functionality with third-party applications

• Effective management of penetration tests

Kali Linux

BackTrack (BT), ( www.offensive-security.com ) was released to provide an

extensive variety of penetration testing and defensive tools that were perfect for

auditors and network administrators interested in assessing and securing their

networks. The same tools were used by both authorized and unauthorized

(hackers) penetration testers.

The final version of BackTrack, BT 5r3, was released in August 2012. Based on

the Ubuntu Linux platform, it was widely adopted and supported by the security

community. Unfortunately, its file architecture made it difficult to manage the

array of tools and their accompanying dependencies.

In BackTrack, all of the tools used for penetration testing were placed in the

/pentest directory. Subfolders such as /web or /database helped to further define

the location of tools. Finding and executing tools within this hierarchy could be

counterintuitive. For example, is sqlninja, which identifies an SQL injection, a web

vulnerability assessment tool, a web exploit tool, or a database exploit tool?

In March 2013, BackTrack was superseded by Kali Linux, which uses a new platform

architecture based on the Debian GNU/Linux operating system.

Debian adheres to the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS), which is a significant

advantage over BackTrack. Instead of needing to navigate through the /pentest tree,

you can call a tool from anywhere on the system because applications are included in

the system path.

Other features of Kali include the following:

• Support for multiple desktop environments such as Gnome, KDE, LXDE,

and XFCE, and provides multilingual support.

• Debian-compliant tools are synchronized with the Debian repositories

at least four times daily, making it easier to update packages and apply

security fixes.

• Support for ISO customizations, allowing users to build their own versions of

Kali. The bootstrap function also performs enterprise-wide network installs

that can be automated using pre-seed files.

• ARMEL and ARMHF support allows Kali to be installed on devices such as

Raspberry Pi, ODROID-U2/-X2, and the Samsung Chromebook.

• Over 300 penetration testing data forensics and defensive tools are included.

They provide extensive wireless support with kernel patches to permit the

packet injection required by some wireless attacks.

• Kali remains an open source project that is free. Most importantly, it is well

supported by an active online community.

We'll be using a VMware virtual machine (VM) of 64-bit Kali.

A VM is used because it makes it easy to rapidly execute certain applications

in other operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows. In addition, a VM can

be archived with the results from a penetration test, allowing the archive to be

reviewed to determine if a particular vulnerability would have been detected

with the toolset that was used for testing.

When Kali is launched, the user will be taken to the default desktop GUI with a menu

bar at the top and a few simple icons. By selecting the menu item Applications, and

then Kali Linux, the user will gain access to a menu system that contains the Top 10

Security Tools as well as a series of folders, organized in the general order that would

be followed during a penetration test, as shown in the following screenshot:

Next: Configuring network services and secure communications