PentesterLab Bootcamp: Start Your InfoSec Journey

Your Learning Path

Follow the steps below, week by week, to build a solid infosec foundation.

Try to: Install Linux: Retrieve a virtualisation system (VirtualBox, VM player) and install Linux. Use a traditional distribution like Ubuntu not a security related one.
Learn the basics of a scripting language: Pick between Ruby (Try Ruby), Python (Online) or Perl and learn its syntax and data types. You will need it to keep going.

Try to: Install Apache inside your vm, change the home page of the hosted site using vim. Access this page in your browser (on the host).
Change your host file to access the Linux system under the following names: vulnerable.
Write an HTTP client to retrieve the home page of your site using an http library (for example net/http in ruby).
Write an HTTP client to retrieve the home page of your site using a socket.
Download Burp Suite (free version) and visit a website and see what requests are sent and what responses are received.

Try to: Install PHP in your virtual machine (using your previous Apache installation), write a script that echoes back a parameter in the URL.
Install Mysql and create a script that retrieves information from it, like article.php?id=1 returns a book and article.php?id=2 returns a computer.
Create a page that sends data to itself using a POST request.
Install the command line tool dig in your vm. Find what name servers and mail servers are used by PentesterLab.
Obtain information about pentesterlab.com using the whois tool.

Try to: Enable HTTPs on your web server. Make sure you disabled all the weak ciphers.
Write a SSL client using an HTTP library. Write a SSL client using a socket.
Access your SSL server with your previous HTTP script and socat to do the connection socket<->ssl-socket.

Try to: Fully script From SQL injection to Shell (use Burp to help you debugging).
Do From SQL injection to shell: PostgreSQL edition without reading the course.
Check if the code you wrote during Week 3 is vulnerable to SQL injection and XSS.

Try to: Install and use Wireshark: inspect the traffic sent by your HTTP client (use "Follow TCP stream") and HTTPs client (check the SSL handshake).
Install a FTP server on your system. Write a FTP client using a socket.

Try to: Use Nmap to find the open ports on your VM. Use Nmap to find the open ports on your VM while blocking ICMP using iptables.
Use iptables to close one of the open ports, check that it works using Nmap.
Find a local security meetup (Ruxmon, 2600...) and go there.
Follow CVE-2008-1930: Wordpress 2.5 Cookie Integrity Protection Vulnerability (read the course and test on the ISO).

Try to: Setup a Wifi network using WEP and crack the key.
Follow Rack Cookies and Commands Injection (Read the course and test on the ISO).

Try to: Download and solve the levels 05 to 09 of Nebula (mirror) from exploit.education.
Do the exercises from Web For Pentester.

Resources to deepen your understanding of security.

A list of technical books we find useful. Think there is one we are missing? Send us an email: support@pentesterlab.com

A list of non-technical books we think you will find enjoyable when you are not hacking.