Overview
While tools like Nmap or Burp Suite are widely known, the real power of a cybersecurity professional lies in mastering supporting tools that help in automation, analysis, crafting, and bypassing defenses. This page introduces must-know tools that don’t fit neatly in traditional categories but are incredibly valuable.
💾 Hashcat (Password Cracking)
Hashcat is a GPU-based password recovery tool. It supports multiple hash formats and is crucial in assessing password strength during audits.
# Crack a SHA256 hash with a wordlist
hashcat -m 1400 hashes.txt /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt- Supports rule-based attacks, combinator, brute-force, mask, and hybrid attacks.
- Can be used offline for hash cracking or in red team engagements.
📡 Wireshark (Traffic Analysis)
Wireshark allows deep inspection of network traffic. It’s vital in sniffing credentials, analyzing protocols, and detecting anomalies.
- Use filters like
http.request.method == "POST"to isolate web traffic. - Combine with tools like Ettercap or ARPspoof for MITM testing in labs.
🎭 Proxychains (Anonymity & Routing)
Proxychains allows routing your tools like Nmap, Nikto, or Python scripts through proxy servers or TOR for anonymity or evasion.
# Use Nmap through TOR
proxychains nmap -sT target.com- Modify
/etc/proxychains.confto configure SOCKS4/5 proxies. - Excellent for red team operations or evading IP-based detection.
⚙️ Impacket (SMB/AD Exploitation)
Impacket is a powerful Python library that includes scripts for interacting with Windows networks. It enables tasks like SMB relay, NTLM cracking, and privilege escalation.
# Run a pass-the-hash attack
psexec.py contoso/Administrator@192.168.1.10 -hashes aad3b435b51404eeaad3b435b51404ee:6f1ed002ab5595859014ebf0951522d9📜 Metasploit Auxiliary Modules
Beyond exploitation, Metasploit includes auxiliary modules for scanning, fuzzing, sniffing, and reporting.
use auxiliary/scanner/http/dir_scanner
set RHOSTS target.com
set PATH /admin/
run🧮 CyberChef (Data Processing & Decryption)
CyberChef is a web-based tool for analyzing and transforming data. It supports decoding, encoding, hashing, regex, and much more.
- Use it to decode JWTs, base64 payloads, or convert hex data.
- No installation needed – runs entirely in-browser.
- URL: https://gchq.github.io/CyberChef/
🔍 FFUF (Fast Web Fuzzer)
FFUF is a fast web fuzzer written in Go, ideal for content discovery and parameter fuzzing.
ffuf -u https://target.com/FUZZ -w wordlist.txt- Supports recursion, headers, data fuzzing, delay control, and more.
- Great alternative to Gobuster with more flexibility.
🧠 Tips for Success
- Build your own toolkit and keep it updated via GitHub or Docker images.
- Practice in a controlled lab before applying in real-world tests.
- Use combination of tools: e.g., Wireshark + Impacket + Responder for full NTLM relay testing.
- Explore scripting with Bash, Python, and PowerShell to automate repetitive tasks.