Chapter 2. Metasploit Basics

When you encounter the Metasploit Framework (MSF) for the first time, you might be overwhelmed by its many interfaces, options, utilities, variables, and modules. 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. Metasploit itself is free, open source software, with many contributors in the security community, but two commercial Metasploit versions are also available.

When first using Metasploit, it’s important not to get hung up on that newest exploit; instead, focus on how Metasploit functions and what commands you used to make the exploit ...

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