Top 19 Penetration Testing Tools

Penetration testing is a form of human-driven security assessment designed to identify potential security gaps in an organization’s systems. The penetration tester will identify and exploit various vulnerabilities, typically with the goal of accessing sensitive data or critical systems.

The goal of a penetration test is to simulate how a real cybercriminal would attack an organization’s systems. To do so, they use many of the same tools and techniques as real cyber threat actors. This may include a combination of tools used by real cybercriminals and ones used to simulate many common cyberattack campaigns.

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Types of Penetration Testing Tools

Having the right tools is essential to an effective penetration test. Some of the most widely used penetration testing tools include the following:

Port Scanner: A port scanner is a cybersecurity tool designed to identify open ports on a computer. This can be used to determine the various software running on a computer, which can help with identifying potential vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit.
Vulnerability Scanner: A vulnerability assessment scans computers for software with known vulnerabilities. This typically is accomplished by identifying the version of running software and checking it against a list of software versions with known vulnerabilities.
Web Proxy: A web proxy acts as an intermediary between a web browser and a web server. Web proxies can be used for penetration testing because they can intercept requests and modify them en route, enabling an attacker to search for vulnerabilities or sensitive data or take over a user’s session.
Advanced Password Recovery: Weak and reused passwords are a common issue and attack vector. Password checkers can be used to analyze password hashes to determine whether they could be easily cracked by an attacker and should be changed.
Network Sniffer: Network sniffers are tools for monitoring traffic flowing over a network. This can be used to map a network, collect sensitive data transmitted in plaintext, and identify the various services active on a network.

Top 19Pentesting Tools

Penetration testers need the ability to identify a wide range of vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors in an organization’s systems. Some of the top tools used for penetration testing include the following:

Metasploit: Known for its exploit development toolset, featuring a vast collection of ready-to-use exploits.
Nmap: A free, open-source tool initially designed for rapid scanning and network mapping. It is regularly updated and compatible with major operating systems.
Burp Suite Professional: Specifically designed for testing web application security, it can intercept and modify HTTP messages, manage reconnaissance data, expose hidden attack surfaces, and support HTTP/2-based testing. It includes built-in capabilities for testing DOM XSS vulnerabilities and can automate brute-forcing and fuzzing tasks.
Amass: A subdomain discovery tool utilizing both passive and active information gathering to identify an organization’s externally exposed assets. It can perform SSL grabbing, find ASNs, and integrate external services through API keys.
SpiderFoot: An automated tool for gathering intelligence on a given domain or IP address.
AADInternals: A PowerShell toolkit for exploring Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory internals.
PowerView: A PowerShell tool for network reconnaissance and domain enumeration.
PingCastle: A tool for auditing the security level of Windows domains and networks.
BloodHound: Utilizes graph theory to reveal hidden and unintended relationships within an Active Directory environment.
PowerUpSQL: Designed for SQL Server discovery, auditing, and attack.
Impacket: A collection of Python classes for working with network protocols.
Nessus: Nessus is a widely used vulnerability scanner, providing comprehensive assessments to identify and address security vulnerabilities in networks and systems.
OpenVAS: OpenVAS is an open-source vulnerability scanner that performs in-depth assessments, detecting known vulnerabilities and aiding organizations in managing potential security risks.
ZED Attack Proxy: ZED Attack Proxy (ZAP) is a web proxy tool designed for identifying security vulnerabilities in web applications through intercepting and modifying HTTP/HTTPS traffic.
John the Ripper: John the Ripper is a powerful password-cracking tool, renowned for its efficiency in breaking password hashes through diverse attack methods.
Hashcat: Hashcat is a robust password-cracking tool specializing in brute-force and dictionary attacks on hashed passwords, widely used in penetration testing and password security assessments.
Wireshark: Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer primarily used for network debugging and traffic analysis, allowing users to capture and inspect packets to troubleshoot network issues and identify potential security threats.
Responder: Responder is a network security tool that listens for and responds to LLMNR (Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution) and NBT-NS (NetBIOS Name Service) requests. It is commonly used for obtaining credentials during network assessments and penetration
MITM6: MITM6 is a framework for performing Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks on IPv6 networks. It intercepts and manipulates traffic between devices, providing the ability to eavesdrop, modify, or inject data.

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Penetration testing is a core component of a corporate cybersecurity strategy. By simulating a real-world cyberattack, penetration testers can identify the vulnerabilities most likely to be exploited by an attacker, enabling an organization to close those security gaps before they can be exploited.

Check Point Infinity Global Services offers a range of penetration testing services designed to identify potential security gaps in all parts of an organization’s IT infrastructure. For more information about how penetration testing can help your organization, contact a Check Point security expert.