Introduction

As cybersecurity professionals, we’re constantly looking for ways to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to testing our skills and knowledge. One popular tool for doing so is Metasploit, a powerful penetration testing framework that allows users to simulate real-world attacks on targets. However, getting started with Metasploit can be daunting, especially for those new to Linux.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up and using Metasploit on Kali Linux, a popular distribution of Linux used by many penetration testers. By the end of this post, you should have a solid understanding of how to use Metasploit and be ready to start testing your skills.

Installing Metasploit

The first step in getting started with Metasploit is installing it on your Kali Linux machine. This can be done using the following command:

sudo apt-get install metasploit-framework

Once you’ve installed Metasploit, you’ll need to start the framework by running the following command:

msfconsole

Understanding the Metasploit Interface

When you first open Metasploit, you’ll be presented with a command-line interface that may seem overwhelming at first. However, don’t worry - we’re here to guide you through it.

The main menu of Metasploit is divided into several sections:

  • msf > : This is the main prompt for Metasploit.
  • use : This command allows you to load a specific module or plugin for use in your exploit.
  • info : This command provides information about a specific module or plugin.
  • exploit : This command runs an exploit against a target.

Using Modules

One of the most powerful features of Metasploit is its large library of pre-built modules. These modules allow you to easily launch common attacks like buffer overflows, SQL injection, and more.

To use a module, simply type use <module_name> at the Metasploit prompt. For example, if you wanted to use the windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue module, you would type:

msf > use windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue

Creating a Payload

Once you’ve selected a module, you’ll need to create a payload that will be injected into your target. A payload is a piece of code that executes on the target system after it has been exploited.

To create a payload, simply type payload <payload_name> at the Metasploit prompt. For example, if you wanted to use the windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp payload, you would type:

msf > payload windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp

Setting Up a Listener

Before you can exploit your target, you’ll need to set up a listener that will receive the connection from the target. To do this, simply type listen <port> at the Metasploit prompt. For example, if you wanted to use port 8080, you would type:

msf > listen 8080

Exploiting Your Target

Now that you’ve set up your listener and created a payload, it’s time to exploit your target. To do this, simply type exploit at the Metasploit prompt.

For example, if you wanted to use the windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue module with the windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp payload, you would type:

msf > exploit

Interacting with Your Target

Once you’ve exploited your target, you’ll be able to interact with it using Metasploit’s interactive shell. This allows you to run commands on the target system and gather information about it.

For example, if you wanted to list the files in the C:\ directory of your target system, you would type:

msf > ls C:\

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we’ve covered how to set up and use Metasploit on Kali Linux. We’ve walked through installing Metasploit, understanding the Metasploit interface, using modules, creating payloads, setting up listeners, exploiting targets, and interacting with targets.

By following these steps, you should now have a solid understanding of how to use Metasploit and be ready to start testing your skills. Remember to always use Metasploit responsibly and only for legitimate purposes.