Reconnaissance with Gobuster from Pluralsight

Performing reconnaissance is one of the most important phases in a red team exercise. In this course, you will learn active scanning and host enumeration using GoBuster.

During a red team exercise, finding all the potential targets is essential for the success of the engagement. The more hosts you enumerate, the higher your chances of finding relevant vulnerabilities to be exploited. In this course, Reconnaissance with Gobuster, you will learn how to utilize GoBuster to execute reconnaissance in a red team engagement. First, you will explore how to discover DNS subdomains via active scanning. Next, you will learn how to enumerate VHosts via brute forcing and dictionary attacks. Finally, you will gather all the potential targets for your red team engagement. When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to execute the techniques “Active Scanning - Wordlist Scanning” (T1595.003) and “Active Scanning - Scanning IP Blocks” (T1595.001) using GoBuster. More importantly, knowing how these techniques can be used against you, will ultimately lend to your ability as an organization, or an individual, to detect and defend against specific attack vectors.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview

Enumerating Hosts with GoBuster

Resources

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Examines techniques that are widely used in industry, such as active scanning and host enumeration, for reconnaissance

Useful for individuals and organizations to develop detection and defense mechanisms against potential threats

Taught by Ricardo Reimao, who is an experienced professional in red team exercises

Teaches how to effectively utilize the GoBuster tool, which is highly relevant in red team engagements

Provides both theoretical knowledge and practical examples to understand the concepts and their applications

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Reconnaissance with Gobuster with these activities:

Compile and review class notes and exercises

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Regularly reviewing your class materials will reinforce your understanding of the concepts covered in this course, including the use of GoBuster for reconnaissance.

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Organize your notes, assignments, and exercises in a systematic way.
Review the materials periodically to refresh your memory.
Identify areas where you need additional clarification or practice.

Find a mentor experienced in GoBuster

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Seeking guidance from an experienced mentor can significantly accelerate your learning and provide valuable insights into the effective use of GoBuster.

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Network with professionals in the field of cybersecurity.
Attend industry events and conferences.
Reach out to potential mentors and express your interest.
Establish a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship.

Participate in a study group for GoBuster

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Engaging in a study group dedicated to GoBuster will provide you with opportunities to share knowledge, ask questions, and enhance your understanding through collaboration.

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Find or create a study group with other learners.
Establish regular meeting times and communication channels.
Share resources, experiences, and insights on GoBuster.
Work together on practice exercises and challenges.

Four other activities

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Follow tutorials on GoBuster

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Following tutorials on how to use GoBuster will enhance your ability to perform active scanning and reconnaissance during red team exercises, as covered in this course.

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Identify reputable sources for GoBuster tutorials.
Select a tutorial that aligns with your learning objectives.
Follow the tutorial step-by-step to gain hands-on experience.
Experiment with different command-line options and configurations.

Practice using GoBuster for DNS subdomain enumeration

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Conducting practice drills on DNS subdomain enumeration using GoBuster will reinforce your understanding of this essential reconnaissance technique.

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Set up a lab environment with multiple targets.
Use GoBuster to perform DNS subdomain enumeration on the targets.
Analyze the results and identify potential attack surfaces.
Repeat the process with different target domains and wordlists.

Create a script to automate GoBuster reconnaissance

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Developing a script to automate GoBuster reconnaissance will enhance your efficiency and productivity during red team engagements.

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Design the script's architecture and functionality.
Implement the script using a suitable programming language.
Configure GoBuster and integrate it with the script.
Test the script on multiple targets to validate its accuracy.

Contribute to the GoBuster open-source project

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Contributing to the development of GoBuster will provide you with hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms, as well as the opportunity to make a direct impact on the reconnaissance community.

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Familiarize yourself with the GoBuster codebase and community.
Identify areas where you can contribute, such as bug fixes or feature enhancements.
Submit your contributions via pull requests and engage in code reviews.
Collaborate with other contributors and maintainers.

Career center

Learners who complete Reconnaissance with Gobuster will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Penetration Tester

Penetration Testers use their hacking skills to determine how vulnerable a company's system is to cyber attacks. They aim to identify any weaknesses before a malicious attacker can exploit them. As a Penetration Tester, you can help companies protect their critical data and systems from unauthorized access. Reconnaissance with Gobuster can be a valuable tool for conducting active scanning and host enumeration, which are crucial steps in penetration testing.

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Security Engineer

Security Engineers are responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining an organization's security infrastructure. Their role involves identifying and mitigating security risks, as well as implementing and enforcing security policies and procedures. Reconnaissance with Gobuster helps build a foundation that can enable one to identify any vulnerabilities and weaknesses in a system, which is essential in ensuring an organization's cybersecurity.

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Cyber Threat Analyst

Cyber Threat Analysts are responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and investigating cyber threats. They work to identify and understand the latest threats, as well as develop strategies to mitigate these threats and protect organizations from cyber attacks. Understanding and being able to conduct reconnaissance is a vital skill in this role, as it enables one to stay ahead of potential threats by identifying and understanding them.

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Vulnerability Analyst

Vulnerability Analysts are responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating vulnerabilities in software and systems. They work to ensure that systems are secure and protected from potential threats. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful to those in this role, as it can help in identifying potential vulnerabilities by conducting active scans and host enumeration, which is a key step in vulnerability management.

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Security Researcher

Security Researchers are responsible for identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in software and systems. They work to develop new security techniques and tools to protect organizations from cyber attacks. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for those in this role, as it can enable them to develop a deeper understanding of how systems can be compromised, which is a key step in developing effective security measures.

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Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts are responsible for protecting an organization's information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for Information Security Analysts as it can help identify potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the systems they manage, which can help implement appropriate security measures and configurations.

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System Administrator

System Administrators are responsible for managing and maintaining computer systems and networks. They work to ensure that systems are running smoothly and securely. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for those in this role as it enables them to identify any potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the systems they manage, which can help in implementing appropriate security measures and configurations.

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Network Administrator

Network Administrators are responsible for managing and maintaining computer networks. They work to ensure that networks are running smoothly and securely. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for Network Administrators as it can help identify any potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the networks they manage, which can help in implementing appropriate security measures and configurations.

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Security Architect

Security Architects are responsible for designing and implementing security measures to protect an organization's information systems and networks. They work to identify and mitigate security risks, as well as develop and implement security policies and procedures. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for Security Architects, as it can help them understand the latest threats and vulnerabilities and develop strategies to mitigate these threats and protect organizations from cyber attacks.

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Risk Analyst

Risk Analysts are responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to an organization. They work to help organizations understand the potential risks they face, as well as develop and implement strategies to mitigate these risks. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for Risk Analysts as it can help identify potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an organization's systems and networks, which can help in assessing the organization's risk exposure.

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IT Auditor

IT Auditors are responsible for evaluating an organization's information systems and networks to ensure that they are secure and compliant with regulations. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for IT Auditors as it can help them identify potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the systems they audit, which can help ensure that the organization is adequately protected from cyber attacks.

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Cybersecurity Consultant

Cybersecurity Consultants are responsible for providing guidance and advice to organizations on how to protect their systems and networks from cyber attacks. They work to help organizations identify and mitigate security risks, as well as develop and implement security policies and procedures. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for Cybersecurity Consultants, as it can help them understand the latest threats and vulnerabilities and develop strategies to mitigate these threats and protect organizations from cyber attacks.

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Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are responsible for overseeing an organization's information security program. They work to ensure that the organization's information systems and networks are protected from cyber attacks. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for CISOs as it can help them understand the latest threats and vulnerabilities, and develop strategies to mitigate these threats and protect the organization from cyber attacks.

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Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Data Protection Officers (DPOs) are responsible for ensuring that an organization complies with data protection regulations. They work to protect personal data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or destruction. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for DPOs as it can help identify potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the organization's systems and networks, which can help in ensuring that personal data is adequately protected.

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Forensic Analyst

Forensic Analysts are responsible for investigating cybercrimes and collecting and analyzing evidence from computer systems and networks. Reconnaissance with Gobuster may be useful for Forensic Analysts as it can help identify potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the systems they investigate, which can help in understanding how a cybercrime was committed and who was responsible.

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