Here's a categorized list of key Kali Linux tools with brief usage summaries for best cybersecurity course:
1. Information Gathering
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Nmap | Network scanner | nmap -sV 192.168.1.1 |
| Recon-ng | Web reconnaissance | recon-ng -m recon/domains-hosts/google_site |
| theHarvester | Email/subdomain OSINT | theHarvester -d example.com -l 100 -b google |
| Maltego | Visual link analysis | GUI-based entity mapping |
| DNSenum | DNS enumeration | dnsenum example.com |
2. Vulnerability Analysis
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Nessus | Vulnerability scanner | GUI (Commercial) |
| OpenVAS | Open-source vulnerability scanner | `gvm-start` → Access via browser |
| Nikto | Web server scanner | `nikto -h http://example.com` |
| Lynis | System auditing | `lynis audit system` |
3. Wireless Attacks
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Aircrack-ng | Wi-Fi cracking | `aircrack-ng -w rockyou.txt capture.cap` |
| Wifite | Automated Wi-Fi attacks | `wifite --kill` |
| Kismet | Wireless detector | `kismet -c wlan0mon` |
| Fern Wifi Cracker | GUI Wi-Fi cracker | GUI-based attack tool |
4. Web Application Tools
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Burp Suite | Web proxy | Configure browser → `127.0.0.1:8080` |
| OWASP ZAP | Web app scanner | GUI automated scans |
| SQLmap | SQL injection | `sqlmap -u "http://site.com?id=1" --dbs` |
| Dirb/Dirbuster | Directory brute-forcing | `dirb http://example.com wordlist.txt` |
| Commix | Command injection | `commix -u http://site.com?cmd=whoami` |
5. Password Attacks
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| John the Ripper | Password cracker | `john --format=md5 hashes.txt` |
| Hashcat | GPU-accelerated cracking | `hashcat -m 0 hash.txt rockyou.txt` |
| Hydra | Network login cracker | `hydra -l admin -P pass.txt ssh://192.168.1.1` |
| Crunch | Wordlist generator | `crunch 6 8 123abc -o wordlist.txt` |
6. Exploitation Tools
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Metasploit | Exploit framework | `msfconsole` → `use exploit/multi/handler` |
| Searchsploit | ExploitDB search | `searchsploit apache 2.4` |
| BeEF | Browser exploitation | `beef-xss` → Hook browsers |
| Armitage | GUI for Metasploit | GUI-based attack management |
7. Post-Exploitation
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Mimikatz | Windows cred dumping | `sekurlsa::logonpasswords` |
| PowerSploit | PowerShell exploits | Load via `Import-Module` in PS |
| Cobalt Strike | Red team C2 | Commercial GUI framework |
| Empire | Post-exploit framework | `./empire` → `listeners` |
8. Forensics Tools
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Autopsy | GUI digital forensics | Analyze disk images |
| Volatility | Memory forensics | `volatility -f memory.dmp pslist` |
| Binwalk | Firmware analysis | `binwalk -e firmware.bin` |
| Foremost | File carving | `foremost -i image.dd -o output` |
9. Social Engineering
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| SET (Social Engineer Toolkit) | Phishing/attacks | `setoolkit` → Option 1 |
| Gophish | Email phishing | GUI-based campaign setup |
| Evilginx2 | Advanced phishing | `evilginx -d microsoft.com` |
| King Phisher | Phishing campaigns | GUI template editor |
10. Hardware Hacking
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| RFcat | RF tool (433MHz, etc.) | rfcat -r → Interactive |
| JTAGulator | JTAG pin finder | Hardware debugging |
| Bus Pirate | Universal serial interface | `screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200` |
11. Reverse Engineering
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Ghidra | NSA’s decompiler | GUI-based analysis |
| IDA Pro | Disassembler (Commercial) | Load binary → Analyze |
| Radare2 | CLI disassembler | `r2 -d ./binary` |
| x64dbg | Windows debugger | GUI debugging |
12. Reporting Tools
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Dradis | Collaborative reporting | Web-based note-taking |
| Faraday | Pentest collaboration | GUI workspace |
| Maltego | Visual link charts | Entity relationship mapping |
13. Miscellaneous
| Tool | Description | Basic Usage |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Wireshark | Network analyzer | GUI packet inspection |
| Tshark | CLI packet analysis | `tshark -i eth0 -Y "http"` |
| Netcat | Network Swiss Army knife | `nc -lvnp 4444` (Listener) |
| Socat | Advanced Netcat | `socat TCP-LISTEN:4444 STDOUT` |
Key Notes:
- Run tools as root when needed (sudo).
- Update Kali regularly:
bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y
-All tools are most important for cybersecurity course
-Legal use only : Always get proper authorization.
🚀 Pro Tip: Use man <tool> or <tool> --help for detailed usage!
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