Example code for module 5

Below are several code examples designed to support the concepts in Module 5: Building Your Own Ethical Hacking Lab – A Step-by-Step Guide. These examples help automate common lab setup tasks and testing within your controlled, isolated environment. Always use these examples on systems you own or on lab networks where you have explicit permission.

Example 1: Vagrantfile for Setting Up Your Ethical Hacking Lab

This Vagrantfile sets up a simple lab with two virtual machines on a private network: one for your penetration testing platform (using Kali Linux) and one as a vulnerable target (using Ubuntu). You can use VirtualBox (or another provider) to run these VMs.

# Vagrantfile
Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  # Kali Linux Penetration Testing VM
  config.vm.define "kali" do |kali|
    kali.vm.box = "kalilinux/rolling"
    kali.vm.hostname = "kali-lab"
    kali.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.56.10"
    kali.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
      vb.memory = "2048"
      vb.cpus = 2
    end
    kali.vm.provision "shell", inline: <<-SHELL
      echo "Updating Kali Linux..."
      sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
      echo "Installing additional tools..."
      sudo apt install -y burpsuite wireshark metasploit-framework
    SHELL
  end

  # Vulnerable Target VM (Simulated)
  config.vm.define "vuln" do |vuln|
    vuln.vm.box = "ubuntu/bionic64"
    vuln.vm.hostname = "vuln-target"
    vuln.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.56.11"
    vuln.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
      vb.memory = "1024"
      vb.cpus = 1
    end
    vuln.vm.provision "shell", inline: <<-SHELL
      echo "Setting up the vulnerable target..."
      sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
      # Here you could simulate vulnerabilities by misconfiguring services or installing outdated packages.
      echo "This system is intentionally left with vulnerable configurations for testing purposes."
    SHELL
  end
end

Usage:
Run vagrant up in the directory containing this Vagrantfile. This will download the necessary images, create the VMs, and configure them on a private network so that they can communicate with one another.

Example 2: Bash Script to Update and Configure Your Kali Linux VM

This shell script automates the process of updating the Kali Linux system and installing a set of additional penetration testing tools. You can run it on your Kali VM to ensure your lab environment is current.

#!/bin/bash
# update_kali.sh
# This script updates the Kali Linux system and installs additional tools.

echo "Starting system update..."
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

echo "Installing additional penetration testing tools..."
sudo apt install -y burpsuite wireshark metasploit-framework

echo "System update and tool installation complete."

Usage:
Save the script as update_kali.sh, make it executable with chmod +x update_kali.sh, then run it using ./update_kali.sh.

Example 3: Bash Script to Take a Snapshot of a VirtualBox VM

Before performing major tests or experiments, it’s good practice to take a snapshot of your VM. This script uses VirtualBox’s command-line tool (VBoxManage) to create a snapshot of a specified VM.

#!/bin/bash
# snapshot_lab.sh
# This script takes a snapshot of a specified VirtualBox VM.

# Replace "kali-lab" with the exact name of your VM as recognized by VirtualBox.
VM_NAME="kali-lab"
SNAPSHOT_NAME="pre_experiment_snapshot"

echo "Taking snapshot of VM: $VM_NAME..."
VBoxManage snapshot "$VM_NAME" take "$SNAPSHOT_NAME" --pause

if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Snapshot '$SNAPSHOT_NAME' taken successfully."
else
  echo "Failed to take snapshot. Please check the VM name and try again."
fi

Usage:
Save the script as snapshot_lab.sh, give it executable permissions (chmod +x snapshot_lab.sh), and run it from the command line.

Example 4: Python Script to Test Connectivity Between Lab Machines

This Python script checks connectivity between your lab VMs by pinging their IP addresses. It’s a simple way to ensure that your network configuration is correct.

# connectivity_check.py
import subprocess

def ping_host(host):
    try:
        # Use the "-c 4" flag for Unix-based systems; adjust if using Windows.
        output = subprocess.check_output(["ping", "-c", "4", host], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, universal_newlines=True)
        print(f"Host {host} is reachable:")
        print(output)
    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
        print(f"Failed to reach {host}:")
        print(e.output)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    # IP addresses should match those configured in your Vagrantfile.
    hosts = ["192.168.56.10", "192.168.56.11"]
    for host in hosts:
        ping_host(host)

Usage:
Run the script with python3 connectivity_check.py to see the ping results from each host.

Final Notes

These code examples provide practical steps to help you build and manage your own ethical hacking lab:

Vagrantfile: Quickly sets up a multi-VM lab environment.
Bash Scripts: Automate system updates, tool installations, and snapshot management.
Python Script: Verifies network connectivity within your lab.

By following these examples and tailoring them to your specific needs, you’ll create a safe, controlled environment to practice penetration testing and further develop your ethical hacking skills. Remember to always work within authorized, legal, and isolated environments.

Happy lab building, and keep learning!

Last modified: 08 February 2025