M E T A S P L O I T   B A S I C S

When you encounter the Metasploit Framework (MSF) 
for the first time, you might be overwhelmed by its 
many interfaces, options, utilities, variables, and mod-
ules. In this chapter, we’ll focus on the basics that will 
help you make sense of the big picture. We’ll review 
some basic penetration testing terminology and then

briefly cover the various user interfaces that Metasploit has to offer. Meta-
sploit itself is free, open source software, with many contributors in the secu-
rity community, but two commercial Metasploit versions are also available.

When first using Metasploit, it’s important not to get hung up on that new-

est exploit; instead, focus on how Metasploit functions and what commands 
you used to make the exploit possible.

Terminology

Throughout this book, we’ll use various terms that first bear some explana-
tion. The majority of the following basic terms are defined in the context of 
Metasploit, but they are generally the same throughout the security industry.