🧰 Introduction to Metasploit Framework (MSF)

📌 What is Metasploit?

• Metasploit Project: Ruby-based penetration testing framework

• Offers tools for:

  • Writing & testing exploits

  • Payload generation

  • Network enumeration

  • Post-exploitation

  • Evading detection

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🧠 Two Versions of Metasploit

Version	Key Features
Metasploit Framework	Open Source, CLI (msfconsole), modular, community-driven
Metasploit Pro	GUI, Paid, Enterprise-focused: adds features like Nexpose integration, phishing, session mgmt

🛠️ Metasploit Pro - Capabilities

Infiltrate	Collect Data	Remediate
Manual Exploits	Import/Scan Data	Bruteforce, Credential Reuse
AV/IPS Evasion	Discovery/Nexpose	Persistent Sessions, Session Mgmt
Phishing Wizard	Evidence Collection	Reporting, Export, Task Chains

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🖥️ msfconsole - The Interface

• Command-line UI for the Framework

• Most complete & only supported way to access all Metasploit features

✅ msfconsole Perks

• Tab completion

• External command execution (!ping, !whoami)

• Modular control: payloads, exploits, jobs, sessions

• Stable and widely adopted by professionals

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⚙️ Metasploit Framework Architecture

🗂️ Located at:

/usr/share/metasploit-framework/

📁 Key Folders:

Folder	Description
data/	Templates, files, wordlists, etc.
lib/	Core Metasploit libraries
documentation/	Technical docs
modules/	All exploits, payloads, auxiliary, etc.
plugins/	Extend msfconsole with more features (e.g. Nexpose, sqlmap)
scripts/	Used with Meterpreter & automation
tools/	External tools: module dev, payload gen, memory dump, recon

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📦 Modules Folder

ls /usr/share/metasploit-framework/modules

Folder	Purpose
auxiliary/	Scanners, fuzzers, sniffers
encoders/	Obfuscate payloads to bypass AV
evasion/	Anti-AV techniques
exploits/	Ready-to-use attack modules
nops/	No-operation padding instructions
payloads/	Reverse shells, bind shells, stagers
post/	Post-exploitation tools

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🔌 Plugins Folder

ls /usr/share/metasploit-framework/plugins/

• Used to extend Metasploit functionality during pentests

🔍 Examples:

• nessus.rb → Integrate with Nessus

• openvas.rb → OpenVAS plugin

• sqlmap.rb → Web app SQL injection

• session_tagger.rb → Tag active sessions

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🧾 Scripts Folder

ls /usr/share/metasploit-framework/scripts/

• Used for:

  • Automating Meterpreter tasks

  • Resource scripts for batch command execution

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🧪 Tools Folder

ls /usr/share/metasploit-framework/tools/

• Command-line utilities for:

  • Payload creation

  • Exploit testing

  • Recon

  • Password tools

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