What Is Metasploit In Cybersecurity?

As the threat of cyberattacks increases rapidly, it’s crucial to equip ourselves with the knowledge of how to maximize security in the business realm. Penetration testing, a key aspect of this, allows us to assess the overall security of our IT infrastructure. And when it comes to penetration testing, one framework stands out: Metasploit. This powerful tool enables businesses to identify and fortify system vulnerabilities before malicious hackers can exploit them. In essence, it’s hacking with consent. 

Throughout this article, we will explore Metasploit’s meaning, history, how it works, tools, uses, and many more important aspects to help you understand about more clearly. 

So, let’s dive into this crucial topic without wasting any more time!

History Of Metasploit:

In October 2003, Metasploit was designed and developed by H D Moore as a Perl-based portable tool network for the development and creation of exploits. The framework was completely rewritten in Ruby by 2007. In 2009, Rapid7 formulated the project. After that, the framework achieved huge popularity as a growing information security tool to test computer system’s vulnerabilities. 

In August 2011, Metasploit’s version 4.0 was introduced, which includes tools that uncover software vulnerabilities other than exploits for known bugs. Developed by Boston-based enterprise Rapid7, the project introduced Metasploit Pro and Express, proprietary versions to improve its offerings.

What Is Metasploit?

What does Metasploit do? It is a computer security project that delivers data about security vulnerabilities and helps to assist in penetration testing. A US-based cybersecurity firm, Rapid7, owns it. The open-source Metasploit Framework is a notable subproject. This tool is also used to create and run exploit code on remote target systems.

The project includes remediation and anti-forensics tools, some of which are built into the framework. It comes pre-installed on the Kali Linux operating system. The framework makes hacking easy for both defenders and attackers.

The multiple tools, user interfaces, libraries, and modules permit a user to configure an exploit module, point at a target, pair it with a payload, and launch it at the target system. Metasploit’s extensive and large database houses multiple payload options and hundreds of exploits.

Who Uses Metasploit?

With the huge range of applications and open-source availability that Metasploit provides, the framework is used by experts in security, development, and operations to hackers. The framework is famous with hackers and is available easily, making it an easy-to-install, trustworthy tool for security experts to be familiar with, even if they don’t want to use it. 

How Does Metasploit Work?

A Metasploit’s pen test begins with the information-gathering phase, wherein it integrates with multiple reconnaissance tools like Nessus, Nmap, Windows patch enumeration, and SNMP scanning to find the vulnerable spot in the system. 

Once the weakness is determined, select an exploit and payload to penetrate the area in vulnerability. If the exploit is successful, the payload will get executed at the target, and the user will get a shell to interact with the payload.

One of the most famous payloads to attack Windows systems is Metasploit Meterpreter, an in-memory-only interactive shell. Once on the target machine, It provide multiple exploitation tools for packet sniffing, privilege escalation, keyloggers, screen capture, pass the hash, plus pivoting tools. Also, users can set up a persistent backdoor if the target machine gets restarted.

What Is The Purpose Of Metasploit?

Metasploit is an effective tool used by network security experts to do penetration tests. This powerful tool is used for the following purposes, including:

• Penetration Testing
• Patch Verification
• Various Security Applications
• Regression Testing
• Cybersecurity Training
• Proactive Defense Building

What Is Metasploit Used For?

Metasploit’s central goal is to allow users to identify, exploit, and fix various vulnerabilities in the target system. The framework consists of multiple precompiled exploits, modules, and also helper payloads that can be used to stimulate attacks and test applications and systems security.

Metasploit is extensively used by ethical hackers, security professionals, and penetration testers to:

• Conduct Penetration Testing: A complete set of modules and tools to carry out penetration tests on a wider variety of applications and systems is available from Metasploit.

• Develop Exploits: The framework offers users a robust scripting language, allowing them to create and connect their exploits. They can also use an extension API.

• Detect Vulnerabilities: The framework consists of a huge library of guided and preconfigured exploit modules that can scan fingerprint systems and networks and also collect information on possible vulnerabilities.

• Evaluate & Test Security Controls: The effectiveness of various security systems, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software, can be assessed using Metasploit. Multiple modules and instruments are part of the framework for testing the efficacy of safety policies and determining vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

Metasploit Benefits:

It is an effective open-source framework offering a huge range of benefits for ethical hackers, security professionals, and also for penetration testers. Here are some of the essential benefits or it, including:

• Standardized methodology
• Ease of use 
• Wide range of exploit modules
• Collaboration 
• Flexibility 
• Cost-effective 

What Are The Tools Of Metasploit? 

Metasploit is basically a modular exploitation framework providing an extensive range of modules and tools for exploit development, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessment. Some of the primary tools and modules available in this are: 

• Exploits: The tool offers an extensive library of exploits for every operating system, network device, and also application. This can be used to determine vulnerabilities in the system and also to achieve unauthorized access.

• Payloads: After successful exploitation, various payloads are carried out on the target system.

• Post-exploitation Modules: It consists of a wide range of post-exploitation modules that operate on the target system after an exploit has been performed successfully. 

• Auxiliary Modules: It contains various helper modules that execute non-exploitation tasks, including information gathering, scanning, and also fingerprinting.

• Msfvenom: It is a command line tool that can be used to develop multiple types of payloads for various purposes, such as executables, shellcodes, exploit modules, and many more. It is basically done to access systems or develop backdoors remotely.

• Msfconsole: Msfconsole makes it possible for the user to interact with the framework and additionally run many modules and tools by offering a command line interface.

• Meterpreter: The Metasploit Meterpreter tool can perform multiple tasks, such as uploading or downloading files, executing commands, or also transferring files from one system to another.

• Metasploit Framework API: It offers a complete API for interacting programmatically with the framework. This can be used to perform automation tasks, integrate it with another application, and develop some modules and exploits of your own.

Metasploit Framework:

The following are the filesystems of Metasploit Framework (MSF): 

• Tools: Consists of command utilities, including hardware, plugins, and mem dump.
• Data: Includes editable files for storing wordlists, templates, binaries, images, logos, etc. 
• Modules: Consists of actual MSF modules
• Scripts: These include Meterpreter scripts and resources to run functionalities. 
• Lib: Includes libraries needed to run Metasploit from beginning to end. 
• Plugins: Extra extensions for automating manual tasks.
• Documentation: PDFs and documents concerning the Metasploit framework. 

Metasploit Shell Types:

There are two main types of shells in Metasploit: attacking or interacting with the target system.

• Bind Shell: In this, the target machine opens up a listener on the victim machine. After that, the attacker links to the listener to get a remote shell. This type of shell is quite risky because anyone can connect and run the command. 

• Reverse Shell: In this, the headset runs on the attacker. Here, the target system is associated with the attacker using a shell. Additionally, reverse shells solve problems caused by the bind shells.

Metasploit Commands:

Some primary commands of Metasploit are banner, msfconsole, connect, search, back, cd, jobs, grep, load, kill, show options, info, check, set, exploit, use, edit, help, exit, and others.

Here’s how you can utilize Metasploit to protect a system from cyber threats: 

1. Open the terminal and start the ‘Postgres SQL’ database.
2. Run msfconsole command to go to the Metasploit interface.
3. Now, use the attacker system where the tool is present to hack the victim system.
4. To gather information, scan the victim’s system.
5. Run nmap tool to scan the OS of the victim.
6. Use the search command to find the exploit and access the victim’s system.
7. Now, go inside the exploit and set the remote host IP in the exploit.
8. Run the exploit command and wait for some time before entering the victim system.

How To Download and Install Metasploit?

Metasploit is preinstalled in the system if you are operating Kali Linux for penetration testing. So it is not necessary to download and install it. On the other hand, the GitHub repository helps to download and install it on both Linux and Windows systems. It is also available in the GUI version, but you have to buy for full access to the Metasploit licensed version. 

Final Line:

The Metasploit framework is a potent tool that cyber criminals, as well as ethical hackers, can use to analyze systematic vulnerabilities on servers and networks. Because it is an open-source framework, it can be customized simply and used with most of the operating systems. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):