Black Hat Bash: Creative Scripting for Hackers and Pentesters

Master the art of offensive bash scripting. This highly practical hands-on guide covers chaining commands together, automating tasks, crafting living-off-the-land attacks, and more!

In the hands of the penetration tester, bash scripting becomes a powerful offensive security tool. In Black Hat Bash, you’ll learn how to use bash to automate tasks, develop custom tools, uncover vulnerabilities, and execute advanced, living-off-the-land attacks against Linux servers. You’ll build a toolbox of bash scripts that will save you hours of manual work. And your only prerequisite is basic familiarity with the Linux operating system.

You’ll learn the basics of bash syntax, then set up a Kali Linux lab to apply your skills across each stage of a penetration test—from initial access to data exfiltration. Along the way, you’ll learn how to perform OS command injection, access remote machines, gather information stealthily, and navigate restricted networks to find the crown jewels. Hands-on exercises throughout will have you applying your newfound skills.

Key topics covered include:
Bash scripting essentials: From control structures, functions, loops, and text manipulation with grep, awk, and sed.How to set up your lab: Create a hacking environment with Kali and Docker and install additional tools.Reconnaissance and vulnerability scanning: Learn how to perform host discovery, fuzzing, and port scanning using tools like Wfuzz, Nmap, and Nuclei.Exploitation and privilege escalation: Establish web and reverse shells, and maintain continuous access.Defense evasion and lateral movement: Audit hosts for landmines, avoid detection, and move through networks to uncover additional targets.
Whether you’re a pentester, a bug bounty hunter, or a student entering the cybersecurity field, Black Hat Bash will teach you how to automate, customize, and optimize your offensive security strategies quickly and efficiently, with no true sorcery required.

From the Publisher

About the Authors

Dolev Farhi is a security engineer and author of Black Hat GraphQL (No Starch Press, 2023). He is a distinguished security engineer at Palo Alto Networks, where he uses bash daily to automate security tests and sift through network and application artifacts.

Nick Aleks has served as a distinguished security engineer at TD Bank and is the chief hacking officer at ASEC. He has extensive experience using bash scripting on red teams, in penetration tests, and in software development projects. Aleks is also coauthor of Black Hat GraphQL (No Starch Press, 2023).

About the Publisher

No Starch Press has published the finest in geek entertainment since 1994, creating both timely and timeless titles like Python Crash Course, Python for Kids, How Linux Works, and Hacking: The Art of Exploitation. An independent, San Francisco-based publishing company, No Starch Press focuses on a curated list of well-crafted books that make a difference. They publish on many topics, including computer programming, cybersecurity, operating systems, and LEGO. The titles have personality, the authors are passionate experts, and all the content goes through extensive editorial and technical reviews. Long known for its fun, fearless approach to technology, No Starch Press has earned wide support from STEM enthusiasts worldwide.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ No Starch Press (October 1, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 344 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1718503741
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1718503748
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.06 x 0.82 x 9.19 inches