7 Penetration Testing Tools Every Professional Should Know

In a world where cybersecurity risks are evolving and increasing in volume at a blistering pace, firms are getting more thorough in how they address their weaknesses.  

Penetration testing, for example, gives business operators crucial insight into how their systems are vulnerable, and what hackers could do to break in and wreak havoc.

Some penetration testers use tools to scan networks for open access points, while others emulate typical attacks—essentially, all good pen testers have a range of software in their arsenal.

In this guide, we’ll explore different tool types, what they do, and some top examples.

What are Penetration Testing Tools?

Cybersecurity experts use penetration testing tools to scan, assess, test, and attack client systems and networks in controlled environments.

Penetration testing aims to safely assess how secure a client’s infrastructure is against typical attacks. To do this, testers need various scanners, sniffers, and crackers to cover all bases without risking genuine data loss.

Types of Penetration Testing Tools

Some programs offer different insights and perform different tasks, depending on what the end client needs.

Sometimes, for example, penetration testers might choose between automated vs. manual penetration testing tools – with the latter helping them drill deeper into scans and exploits.

It’s also down to the tester to compare different penetration testing tool features based on their client’s needs.

Here is the most common software found in a pen tester’s toolkit, ready for various types of penetration testing.

Network Penetration Testing Tools

Network penetration testing tools are specifically used to assess where weaknesses lie across physical intranets. For example, there might be open ports or misconfigurations that a tool can scan for.

Web Application Testing Tools

These tools specifically test and exploit applications and public-facing web portals. Web application tools might include password crackers, which force several password attempts in a short space of time to gain access.

Wireless Network Tools

Wireless network tools focus on Wi-Fi. They might scan for weaknesses in router security or find avenues for hacking in how Internet of Things (IoT) devices communicate with each other.

Wireless penetration testing tools help experts spot flaws in authentication policies, firewall setups, and access points—before helping them launch exploits.

Social Engineering Tools

Social engineering revolves around playing confidence tricks on personnel within the client organization—to encourage them into giving up sensitive data or access control.

To identify targets and best practices for social engineering, penetration testers use tools to gather intel about staff, their positions, and which areas are most vulnerable.

Post-Exploitation Tools

Post-exploitation tools help testers gather data and explore how much damage a hacker could do if they were to gain access to client systems.

After breaking into a system, for example, a penetration tester might use tools to extract passwords, copy keystrokes, or to help them persist inside networks for as long as possible.

7 Most Popular Penetration Testing Tools

As you can see, there are various use cases for penetration testing tools—and here are some of the most popular and best-rated tools used by professionals right now.

Wireshark

Wireshark is a powerful and insightful open-source network protocol analyzer, capturing packet data and helping users spot potential network flaws.

Key features include:

• Extensive packet data sniffing
• Network traffic analyzer
• Real-time inspection and analysis

Advantages:

• One of several reliable free penetration testing tools
• Supports more than 3,000 network protocols

Limitations:

• Good for reconnaissance, but can’t exploit vulnerabilities
• Has a somewhat steep learning curve for beginners

Use Cases

Wireshark can be an asset for penetration testers who want to know more about traffic flow problems during network testing reconnaissance.

Hashcat

Hashcat is one of the most popular open-source password crackers available to penetration testers. It hashes previously readable data, and helps testers run dictionary and brute force attacks on applications and networks.

Key features include:

• Simultaneous multi-hash cracking
• Automated performance enhancement
• Multi-platform support

Advantages:

• It’s completely free to use
• It’s one of the fastest password crackers on the market

Limitations:

• Can use extensive resources
• Despite speed, can be time consuming

Use Cases

Penetration testers might use Hashcat to thoroughly test the rigidity of a web application or portal’s authentication system. For example, they can run thousands of dictionary attacks in an attempt to test password effectiveness.

John the Ripper

An alternative to Hashcat, John the Ripper supports more operating systems and is widely used by penetration testers looking for flexible, customizable cracking. Like Hashcat, it’s open source and free to use.

Key features include:

• Password hash type detection
• Private key and crypto wallet cracking
• Database and document sifting

Advantages:

• Perhaps the most versatile cracker available
• Supports mobile and desktop testing

Limitations:

• Not the fastest cracking tool available, especially for advanced hashes
• Free version isn’t as capable as its Pro release

Use Cases

Penetration testers might use John the Ripper’s powerful features to crack and harvest passwords protected by robust directories and databases. They can also use it to help detect hash types automatically for ease of translation.

Nmap

Nmap is one of the top-rated network security analysis tools available as open-source software. Penetration testers use the tool to learn more about what’s accessible via a client’s network, and what firewalls and frameworks are in place.

Key features include:

• Open port discovery
• Script scanning
• Software and protocol version detection

Advantages:

• Offers a comprehensive overview of discoverable assets, ports, versions, and services
• One of the most efficient network scanners available

Limitations:

• Can be tricky for beginners
• Results are open to misinterpretation unless analyzed by an experienced user

Use Cases

A pen tester might use Nmap to spot hidden misconfigurations in a complex network—and then use this data to exploit said network with other tools in their kit.

SQLMap

SQLMap is a specialized penetration testing tool that searches for vulnerabilities in systems open to SQL injections and takeovers. It sends requests to web applications, assesses the responses, and extracts database credentials.

Key features include:

• Support for 35+ different database systems
• Support for six injection techniques
• Thorough database credentials scanning

Advantages:

• One of the most powerful automated injection tools
• Highly focused and versatile across most popular database types

Limitations:

• Purely focuses on SQL injections and database retrieval
• Can risk database stability if used improperly

Use Cases

Penetration testers might use SQLMap if a client uses a variety of different database types. SQLMap, when used properly, can analyze most database management systems.

Hydra

Hydra’s password cracker is popular thanks to its versatility and use of the command line. Specifically developed for UNIX platforms, newer versions of the tool accommodate Windows, MacOS, and mobile.

Key features include:

• Brute-force and dictionary attacks
• Multi-user and multi-password list attacks
• Support for SSH, HTTP, IMAP/POP3, MySQL, and other protocols

Advantages:

• One of the most extensive cracking tools available for different protocols
• Easy to scale up and down

Limitations:

• Other crackers use a wider range of password attacks
• Can require extensive knowledge of your target

Use Cases

Hydra is a solid choice for pen testers who want to thoroughly test password security using numerous protocols and who prefer to customize their attacks rather than rely on automated presets.

Nikto

Nikto is a scanning tool that sweeps websites and servers for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. It can process up to 6,000 different tests, making it one of the most comprehensive tools of its type.

Key features include:

• Extensive authorization guessing
• Port scanning and outdated server notifications
• Customizable reports in popular formats

Advantages:

• Some of the most comprehensive scanning for web applications and servers
• Recognizes its own false positives

Limitations:

• It’s not designed to be stealthy
• Focuses largely on web servers

Use Cases

Penetration testers use Nikto to look for outdated and insecure software used in web applications and servers that otherwise go unnoticed. It’s great for “seeing the unseen” thanks to its thousands of individual test parameters.

Other Tools

The most popular tools available to penetration testers are, largely, open source. That means they’re developed for public use without commercial intent.

However, there are several popular commercial suites that pen testers rely on—such as Burp Suite, which brings together multiple tools to emulate attacks.

Metasploit, too, is a popular scanner and attack simulation suite—however, it comes at a cost, and requires extensive training.

Penetration Testing Services

While it’s entirely possible to use penetration testing tools yourself to analyze your security posture, it’s not always recommended. For example, it’s much more thorough and less risky to hire penetration testing services outright.

By using pen testing tools in-house, you risk your data’s integrity if you make a mistake—meaning anyone who uses said tools should ideally be expertly trained and versed in them!

Penetration testing experts, meanwhile, have years of experience in planning, scanning, and exploiting with the most effective tools in the trade. Hiring this type of service also gives you access to customized attack simulations, meaning assessments are more thorough and precise.

Conclusion

The best penetration testing tools give expert testers fantastic insight into where weaknesses lie within target systems and networks. However, they’re used most effectively by trained experts with years of exploitation experience.

Want to know more about how your security posture looks to potential hackers and attackers? Contact the VikingCloud team now for a free consultation and let’s start exploring ways to tighten up your systems.