PowerShell for Penetration Testing

A practical guide to vulnerability assessment and mitigation with PowerShell

Key FeaturesLeverage PowerShell's unique capabilities at every stage of the Cyber Kill Chain, maximizing your effectivenessPerform network enumeration techniques and exploit weaknesses with PowerShell's built-in and custom toolsLearn how to conduct penetration testing on Microsoft Azure and AWS environmentsPurchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookBook DescriptionPowerShell for Penetration Testing is a comprehensive guide designed to equip you with the essential skills you need for conducting effective penetration tests using PowerShell.

You'll start by laying a solid foundation by familiarizing yourself with the core concepts of penetration testing and PowerShell scripting. In this part, you'll get up to speed with the fundamental scripting principles and their applications across various platforms. You'll then explore network enumeration, port scanning, exploitation of web services, databases, and more using PowerShell tools. Hands-on exercises throughout the book will solidify your understanding of concepts and techniques. Extending the scope to cloud computing environments, particularly MS Azure and AWS, this book will guide you through conducting penetration tests in cloud settings, covering governance, reconnaissance, and networking intricacies. In the final part, post-exploitation techniques, including command-and-control structures and privilege escalation using PowerShell, will be explored. This section encompasses post-exploitation activities on both Microsoft Windows and Linux systems.

By the end of this book, you'll have covered concise explanations, real-world examples, and exercises that will help you seamlessly perform penetration testing techniques using PowerShell.

What you will learnGet up to speed with basic and intermediate scripting techniques in PowerShellAutomate penetration tasks, build custom scripts, and conquer multiple platformsExplore techniques to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in network services using PowerShellAccess and manipulate web-based applications and services with PowerShellFind out how to leverage PowerShell for Active Directory and LDAP enumeration and exploitationConduct effective pentests on cloud environments using PowerShell's cloud modulesWho this book is forThis book is for aspiring and intermediate pentesters as well as other cybersecurity professionals looking to advance their knowledge. Anyone interested in PowerShell scripting for penetration testing will also find this book helpful. A basic understanding of IT systems and some programming experience will help you get the most out of this book.

Table of ContentsIntroduction to Penetration TestingProgramming Principles in Power ShellNetwork Services and DNSNetwork Enumeration and Port ScanningThe WEB, REST and SOAPSMB, Active Directory, LDAP, and KerberosDatabases: MySQL, PostgreSQL and MSSQLEmail Services: Exchange, SMTP, IMAP, and POPPowerShell and FTP, SFTP, SSH and TFTPBrute Forcing in PowerShellPowerShell and Remote Control and AdministrationUsing PowerShell in AzureUsing PowerShell in AWSCommand and ControlPost-Exploitation in Microsoft WindowsPost-Exploitation in Microsoft Linux