S I M U L A T E D   P E N E T R A T I O N   T E S T

Penetration testing is the pinnacle for most of us, and 
successfully bypassing an organization’s defenses dur-
ing a penetration test is one of our most rewarding 
experiences. In this chapter, we’ll pull together what 
you’ve learned in previous chapters as we simulate a 
complete penetration test. You will be re-creating steps 
that you’ve seen in previous chapters, so most of what 
is shown here should be familiar.

Before you begin, download and install Metasploit’s vulnerable Linux 

virtual machine called 

Metasploitable

. (You can find it at 

http://www.thepiratebay

.org/torrent/5573179/Metasploitable/

.) Metasploitable was created to train indi-

viduals to use Metasploit for successful exploitation. Follow the directions on 
the site to install Metasploitable, and then power it on. We’ll be running the