13 Powerful Penetration Testing Tools The Pros Use

Penetration testing tools are software applications used to check for network security threats.Each application on this list provides unique benefits. You can compare the features of the software to determine if it is right for your company. Let’s dive in and discover the latest security software options on the market.What Is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing, also known as pen testing, means computer securities experts use to detect and take advantage of security vulnerabilities in a computer application. The experts are known as ethical hackers and white-hat hacker. They simulate real-world attacks of criminal hackers. Organizations use the results to improve their security. They then use software tools to identify vulnerabilities. Testers will try to gain access to a system by tricking a member of an organization into providing access. Testers will try to gain access to a system by tricking a member of an organization into providing access.

Penetration testers provide the results of their tests to the organization, which are then responsible for implementing changes that either resolve or mitigate the vulnerabilities.

Types of Penetration Tests

Penetration testing can consist of one or more of the following types of tests:

White Box Tests

A white box test is one in which organizations provide the penetration testers with a variety of security information relating to their systems, to help them better find vulnerabilities.

Blind Tests

A blind test, known as a black-box test, organizations provide penetration testers with no security information about the system being penetrated. The goal is to expose vulnerabilities that would not be detected otherwise.

Double-Blind Tests

A double-blind test, which is also known as a covert test, is one in which not only do organizations not provide penetration testers with security information. The organizations do not even inform their own security teams about the tests. Such tests are typically highly controlled by those managing them.

External Tests

An external test is one in which penetration testers attempt to find vulnerabilities remotely. Because of the nature of these types of tests, they are performed on external-facing applications such as websites.

Internal Tests

An internal test is one in which the penetration testing takes place within an organization’s premises. These tests are usually focused on the security flaws that an employee within an organisation could exploit. Netsparker

, a popular web application that automates penetration testing, is widely used. This software is capable of detecting everything from SQL injection to cross-site scripting. Developers can use this tool on websites, web services, and web applications.

The system is powerful enough to scan anything between 500 and 1000 web applications at the same time. You can customize your security scanning with attack options and authentication rules. Netsparker takes advantage of weaknesses in a read only way. The impact of vulnerabilities is instantly viewable. The impact of vulnerabilities is instantly viewable.

Benefits:

Scan 1000+ web applications in less than a day!

Add multiple team members for collaboration and easy shareability of findings.

Automatic scanning ensures a limited set up is necessary.

Searches for exploitable SQL and XSS vulnerabilities in web applications.

Legal web application and regulatory compliance reports.

Netsparker Security ScannerProof-based scanning Technology guarantees accurate detection.

2. Wireshark

Once known as Ethereal 0.2.0,

• is an award-winning network analyzer with 600 authors. This software allows you to quickly capture network packets and interpret them. The tool is open-source and available for various systems, including Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD, and Linux.
• Benefits:
• Provides both offline analysis and live-capture options.
• Capturing data packets allows you to explore various traits, including source and destination protocol.
• It offers the ability to investigate the smallest details for activities throughout a network.
• Optional adding of coloring rules to the pack for rapid, intuitive analysis.

3. Metasploit

, the most popular penetration testing automation framework on the planet, is used by professionals around the globe. Metasploit is a tool that helps professionals verify and manage security assessments. It also improves awareness and equips and empowers defenders so they can stay one step ahead of the game. This tool is an Open Source software that allows a network administrator break into a system and find fatal weaknesses. This tool is used by beginners to improve their hacking skills. The tool provides a way to replicates websites for social engineers.WiresharkBenefits:

Easy to use with GUI clickable interface and command line.

• Manual brute-forcing, payloads to evade leading solutions, spear phishing, and awareness, an app for testing OWASP vulnerabilities.
• Collects testing data for over 1,500 exploits.
• MetaModules for network segmentation tests.
• You can use this to explore older vulnerabilities within your infrastructure.

Available on Mac Os X, Windows and Linux.

MetasploitCan be used on servers, networks, and applications.

4. This tool is designed to test a web-browser. It is adapted to combat web-borne threats and could be beneficial for mobile clients.

is the Browser Exploitation framework and it uses GitHub for finding issues. BeEF will explore vulnerabilities beyond the client and network perimeter. Instead, the framework will look at exploitability within the context of just one source, the web browser.

• Benefits:
• You can use client-side attack vectors to check security posture.
• Connects with more than one web browser and then launch directed command modules.
• 5. John The Ripper Password Cracker
• Passwords are one of the most prominent vulnerabilities. Passwords can be used by attackers to gain access to sensitive systems and steal credentials. The
• pen testing tool is a free open source software
• .

Benefits:

Automatically identifies different password hashes.BeEFDiscovers password weaknesses within databases.

Pro version available for Linux, Mac OS X, Hash Suite, Hash Suite Droid.

• Includes a customizable cracker.
• Allows users to explore documentation online. The

pen testing tool is a free open source software

.John the RipperBenefits:Automatically identifies different password hashes.Discovers password weaknesses within databases.

Pro version is available for Linux, Mac OS X, Hash Suite, Hash Suite Droid.

• Includes a customizable cracker.
• Allows users to explore documentation online. The summary includes changes between versions. Aircrack
• was designed to crack flaws in wireless connections. It does this by capturing packets of data and exporting them through text files. Aircrack, which appeared abandoned in 2010, was updated in 2019.
• This software is compatible with various OS and platforms. It also supports WEP dictionary attacks. The suite can use a password dictionary and statistical techniques to break into WEP after capturing the WPA handshake. After capturing the WPA handshake, the suite is capable of using a password dictionary and statistical techniques to break into WEP.
• Benefits:

Works with Linux, Windows, OS X, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Solaris.

Aircrack NGYou can use this tool to capture packets and export data.

It is designed for testing wifi devices as well as driver capabilities.

Focuses on different areas of security, such as attacking, monitoring, testing, and cracking.

• In terms of attacking, you can perform de-authentication, establish fake access points, and perform replay attacks.
• 7. Acunetix Scanner
• Acutenix is an automated testing tool you can use to complete a penetration test. The tool can audit complex management reports as well as compliance issues. Software can be used to handle various network vulnerabilities.
• is even capable of including out-of-band vulnerabilities.
• The advanced tool integrates with the highly enjoyed Issue Trackers and WAFs. With a high-detection rate, Acunetix is one of the industry’s advanced Cross-site scripting and SQLi testing, which includes sophisticated advanced detection of XSS.

Benefits:

The tool covers over 4500 weaknesses, including SQL injection as well as XSS.AcunetixThe Login Sequence Recorder is easy-to-implement and scans password-protected areas.

The AcuSensor Technology, Manual Penetration tools, and Built-in Vulnerability Management streamline black and white box testing to enhance and enable remediation.

Can crawl hundreds of thousands of web pages without delay.

• Ability to run locally or through a cloud solution.
• 8. Burp Suite Pen Tester
• There is a different version of
• available for developers. The free version includes all the essential tools for scanning. You can also choose the second version for advanced penetration testing. This tool is perfect for testing web-based apps. The tack-surface can be mapped and tools are available to analyze the requests between a destination server and a browser. The framework uses Web Penetration Testing on the Java platform and is an industry-standard tool used by the majority of information security professionals.
• Benefits:

Capable of automatically crawling web-based applications.

Available on Windows, OS X, Linux, and Windows.the Burp Suite9. Ettercap

The suite

• is designed to protect against man-in-the middle attacks. This application allows you to send invalid frames and complete techniques that are more difficult with other options. The software can send invalid frames and complete techniques which are more difficult through other options.
• Benefits:

This tool is ideal for deep packet sniffing as well as monitoring and testing LAN.

Ettercap supports active and passive dissection of protections.EttercapYou can complete content filtering on the fly.

The tool also provides settings for both network and host analysis.

• 10. The W3af frameworks focus on identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities within web applications. Three types of plug-ins are available for attack, discovery, and audit. The software then passes these on to the audit tool to check for flaws in the security.
• Benefits:
• Easy to use for amateurs and powerful enough for developers.
• It can complete automated HTTP request generation and raw HTTP requests.

Capability to be configured to run as a MITM proxy.

11. Since twenty years, Nessus

is used to test security penetrations. The application is used by 27,000 companies worldwide. This software is among the most powerful tools available on the market, with more than 45,000 CEs. This software is ideal for scanning IP addresses, sites and searching sensitive data. The pen test application scans for open ports, weak passwords, and misconfiguration errors. The pen test application scans for open ports, weak passwords, and misconfiguration errors.

• Benefits:
• Ideal for locating and identify missing patches as well as malware.
• The system only has .32 defects per every 1 million scans.

You can create customized reports, including types of vulnerabilities by plugin or host.

NessusIn addition to web application, mobile scanning, and cloud environment, the tool offers priority remediation.

12. Kali Linux

, a Linux distribution for penetration testing, is used to create customized reports. This is considered by many experts to be the best tool available for both password snipping and injecting. Kali Linux is an open-source project that provides tool listings, version tracking, and meta-packages. An open-source project, Kali Linux, provides tool listings, version tracking, and meta-packages.

• Benefits:
• With 64 bit support, you can use this tool for brute force password cracking.
• Kali uses a live image loaded into the RAM to test the security skills of ethical hackers.
• Kali has over 600 ethical hacking tools.

Various security tools for vulnerability analysis, web applications, information gathering, wireless attacks, reverse engineering, password cracking, forensic tools, web applications, spoofing, sniffing, exploitation tools, and hardware hacking are available.

Kali Linux advanced penetration testing softwareEasy integration with other penetration testing tools, including Wireshark and Metasploit.

The BackTrack provides tools for WLAN and LAN vulnerability assessment scanning, digital forensics, and sniffing.

• 13. SQLmap
• SQLmap provides SQL injection takeover tools for databases. Supported database platforms include MySQL, SQLite, Sybase, DB2, Access, MSSQL, PostgreSQL. SQLmap is open-source and automates the process of exploiting database servers and SQL injection vulnerabilities.
• Benefits:
• Detects and maps vulnerabilities.
• Provides support for all injection methods: Union, Time, Stack, Error, Boolean.
• Runs software at the command line and can be downloaded for Linux, Mac OS, and Windows systems

14. (SET) Social Engineer Toolkit

Social engineering is the primary focus of the toolkit. Despite the aim and focus, human beings are not the target of vulnerability scanners.

Benefits:

• It has been featured at top cybersecurity conferences, including ShmooCon, Defcon, DerbyCon and is an industry-standard for penetration tests.
• SET has been downloaded over 2 million times.
• An open-source testing framework designed for social engineering detection.

15. Zed Attack Proxy

OWASP ZAP is part of the OWASP free community. It is perfect for newbies to penetration testing, both developers and testers. ZAP runs in a cross-platform environment creating a proxy between the client and your website. ZAP runs in a cross-platform environment creating a proxy between the client and your website.

Benefits:

• 4 modes available with customizable options.
• To install ZAP, JAVA 8+ is required on your Windows or Linux system.
• The help section is comprehensive with a Getting Started (PDF), Tutorial, User Guide, User Groups, and StackOverflow.

Users can learn all about Zap development through Source Code, Wiki, Developer Group, Crowdin, OpenHub, and BountySource.

16. Users can learn all about Zap development through Source Code, Wiki, Developer Groups and Crowdin. Black box testing is a way to check web applications for vulnerabilities. During the black box testing process, web pages are scanned, and the testing data is injected to check for any lapses in security.

Experts will find ease-of-usability with the command-line application.

• Wapiti identifies vulnerabilities in file disclosure, XSS Injection, Database injection, XXE injection, Command Execution detection, and easily bypassed compromised .htaccess configurations.
• 17. Cain & Abel
• Cain & Abel can be used to obtain network keys and passwords via penetration. The tool makes use of network sniffing to find susceptibilities.
• The Windows-based software can recover passwords using network sniffers, cryptanalysis attacks, and brute force.

Excellent for recovery of lost passwords.

Get Started with Penetration

• Testing Software
• Finding the right

pen testing software

doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The tools listed above represent some of the best options for developers.

• Remember one of the best techniques to defend your IT structure is to use penetration testing proactively. Assess your IT security and discover issues before attackers.
  

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  omurix

  XIII. Unidentified Society

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