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Ethical Hacking Full Course Exam Revision 12 Weeks in One Session

Week 1: Introduction to Ethical Hacking & Networking

Ethical Hacking Full Course Revision: All 12 Weeks in One Session

Core Concepts

  • Ethical Hacking: Legal, authorized identification of system/network vulnerabilities
  • Three Penetration Testing Approaches:
    • White Box Testing: Full/detailed information about the target
    • Black Box Testing: Little or no prior information
    • Gray Box Testing: Partial information

Switching Techniques

  • Packet Switching: Divides data into packets, suitable for bursty traffic (bandwidth used as needed)

TCP/IP vs. OSI Model

  • TCP/IP Model: 4 layers (Application, Transport, Internet, Network)
  • OSI Model: 7 layers

Key Differences

| Feature | TCP | UDP | |---------|-----|-----| | Connection | Connection-oriented (reliable, ordered delivery) | Connectionless (no guarantee) | | Handshake | 3-way handshake (SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK) | None |

  • IP (Internet Protocol): Logical addressing, routing packets between networks; connectionless, no delivery guarantee
  • TTL (Time to Live): Decremented by routers; packet discarded at 0 to prevent infinite looping

Layer Assignments

  • MAC Address: Data Link layer
  • IP Address: Internet layer (logical addressing)
  • Port Numbers: Transport layer (identify services/endpoints)

Important Numerical Values

| Item | Value | |------|-------| | IP v4 Address | 32 bits | | Port Number | 16 bits | | IP Header Checksum | 16 bits | | IP v4 Header Length (IHL) field | 4 bits | | IP Header Length formula | IHL × 4 bytes | | Maximum IHL | 15 (giving max header 60 bytes) |

Previous Assignment Questions

  • Objective of ethical hacking: Legally identify system vulnerabilities
  • Full target information: White box testing
  • Bursty traffic uses: Packet switching
  • Connectionless, no reliability: UDP
  • Prevents infinite looping: TTL (Time to Live)
  • Max header length: 15 × 4 = 60 bytes
  • Header checksum size: 16 bits

Week 2: IP Addressing, Fragmentation & Subnetting

IP Fragmentation

  • Purpose: Divide packets when exiting outgoing networks due to varying MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit)
  • Three Fragmentation Fields: Identification, Flags, Fragment Offset
  • Fragment Offset Formula: Position in units of 8 bytes
    • Example: Offset 100 means byte position = 100 × 8 = 800 bytes

Fragmentation Flags

  • D (Don't Fragment): D=1 means fragmentation prohibited
  • M (More Fragments): M=1 means more fragments follow; M=0 indicates last fragment

IP Header Length Calculation

  • Formula: IHL × 4 bytes (IHL in 32-bit words)
  • Maximum IHL = 15 → Maximum header = 60 bytes
  • Data Bytes = Total packet size – Header size
    • Example: 2000 – 60 = 1940 bytes

IPv4 Address Classes

| Class | Range (First Octet) | Type | |-------|--------------------|------| | A | 1 – 126 | Unicast | | B | 128 – 191 | Unicast | | C | 192 – 223 | Unicast | | D | 224 – 239 | Multicast | | E | 240 – 255 | Reserved/Experimental |

Private IP Addresses

  • 10.0.0.0/8
  • 172.16.0.0/12 (range 172.16 – 172.31)
  • 192.168.0.0/16

Subnetting Formulas

  • Total addresses: 2^(32-n)
  • Usable hosts: 2^h – 2 (h = number of host bits)
  • VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Mask): Different subnets with different mask lengths
  • CIDR (Classless Interdomain Routing): Prefix notation (e.g., /24)

TCP 3-Way Handshake

  1. SYN segment (SYN=1, ACK=0): Initial connection request
  2. SYN-ACK segment
  3. ACK segment

UDP Header

  • Size: 8 bytes
  • Fields: Source port, Destination port, Length, Checksum

Example Questions

  • Fragmentation needed due to varying MTU
  • D=0, M=1, offset=0 → packet fragmented, first fragment
  • Class identification: 128 → Class B, 192 → Class C
  • Private address check: 172.32 not private (range ends at 172.31)

Week 3: Routing & IPv6

Routing Types

  • Static Routing: Manually configured, unchanged
  • Dynamic Routing: Automatic route updates via protocols

Direct vs. Indirect Delivery

  • Direct: Destination on same physical network
  • Indirect: Destination on different network (uses default route)

Routing Table Flags

| Flag | Meaning | |------|---------| | U | Route is up | | G | Gateway used | | H | Host-specific route | | D | Dynamically created | | M | Dynamically modified |

Routing Protocols

| Protocol | Type | Algorithm | Key Feature | |----------|------|-----------|-------------| | RIP | Interior (IGP) | Distance vector | Uses hop count (max 15); drawback: count-to-infinity | | OSPF | Interior (IGP) | Link state | Least cost routing | | BGP | Exterior (EGP) | Path vector | Between AS; uses TCP port 179 |

IPv6

  • Address size: 128 bits (IPv4: 32 bits)
  • Header size: 40 bytes (fixed)
  • No traditional classes (no A, B, C)
  • Transition methods: Dual stack, tunneling, translation

Previous Questions

  • Static routing: manually configured entry
  • Count-to-infinity problem occurs in RIP
  • Inter-AS routing uses BGP

Week 4: Visualization & Reconnaissance

Virtualization

  • Hypervisor/VMM: Manages VMs, allocates resources

Reconnaissance Types

| Type | Method | Examples | Risk | |------|--------|----------|------| | Passive | Indirect info gathering (no direct probing) | Whois, Netcraft, Wayback Machine, search engine operators | Low detection | | Active | Direct communication with target | Nmap scanning | Higher detection risk |

Key Tools

  • Whois: Domain registration information
  • Netcraft: Website/hosting information
  • Wayback Machine: Historical website snapshots

Google Search Operators

  • "exact phrase" - exact match
  • site:domain.com - restrict to domain
  • filetype:pdf - specific file type

Nmap

  • Functions: Host discovery, port scanning, service/version detection, OS detection
  • ICMP Sweep: Type 8 (Echo Request), Type 0 (Echo Reply)
  • -Pn: Skip host discovery, treat all hosts as online
  • -sn: Host discovery only (no port scan)

Previous Questions

  • Hypervisor allows multiple VMs on one host
  • Passive = indirect, no detection risk
  • Active = direct collection
  • ICMP type 8 = request, type 0 = reply
  • Nmap can scan 1000 ports by default

Week 5: Vulnerability Scanning & System Hacking

Port Scanning vs. Vulnerability Scanning

| Scanning Type | Purpose | |---------------|---------| | Port scanning | Identify open/closed/filtered ports | | Vulnerability scanning | Identify security weaknesses in systems/networks/apps |

Tools & Concepts

  • NSE (Nmap Scripting Engine): Automates checks via scripts
    • --script default: runs default scripts
  • Nessus: Remote security scanner, generates scan reports
  • Password Cracking: Attempts to recover/guess passwords
  • Privilege Escalation:
    • Vertical: Gain higher-level permissions
    • Horizontal: Access same-level but different user accounts

Malware Types

| Type | Description | |------|-------------| | Virus | Attaches to host/program | | Worm | Self-propagates independently | | Trojan | Disguises as legitimate software | | Ransomware | Holds data/access for ransom |

  • Principle of Least Privilege: Grant only required permissions

Previous Questions

  • NSE script checking for slow loris DoS: slowloris-check
  • ARP: maps IP to MAC address

Week 6: Security Attacks & Cryptography

Security Attack Categories

| Attack Type | Affected Security Goal | Example | |-------------|------------------------|---------| | Interruption | Availability | Denial of Service (DoS) | | Interception | Confidentiality | Eavesdropping | | Modification | Integrity | Data tampering | | Fabrication | Authenticity | Inserting fake messages |

Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Cryptography

| Feature | Symmetric | Asymmetric | |---------|-----------|------------| | Key | Same secret key for encryption & decryption | Public/private key pair (different keys) | | Speed | Faster | Slower | | Suitable for | Large data amounts | Small data/key exchange | | Examples | DES, Triple DES, AES | RSA, Diffie-Hellman |

Key Algorithms

  • AES (Advanced Encryption Standard):
    • Symmetric block cipher
    • Fixed block size: 128 bits
    • Supported key lengths: 128, 192, 256 bits
  • RSA: Asymmetric, based on prime factorization problem

Key Number Formulas

| System | Formula | Example (n=100 parties) | |--------|---------|-------------------------| | Symmetric (private key) | n × (n – 1) / 2 | 100 × 99 / 2 = 4950 | | Asymmetric (public key) | 2 × n | 2 × 100 = 200 |

Substitution (Shift) Cipher

  • Formula: C = (P + K) mod 26
    • P = plaintext letter position (0–25)
    • K = key (shift value)
    • C = ciphertext letter position

Previous Questions

  • 100 parties using RSA: 200 distinct keys
  • DoS attack = interruption (affects availability)
  • AES key lengths: 128, 192, 256

Week 7: Hash Functions, Digital Signatures, SSL & IPsec

Hash Functions

  • Properties: Variable-length input → fixed-length output; same input → same hash; different input could produce same hash (collision)
  • Types:
    • Unkeyed Hash (MDC): For integrity only
    • Keyed Hash (MAC): For integrity + authentication

Common Hash Algorithms

| Algorithm | Output Size (bits) | Block Size (bits) | |-----------|-------------------|-------------------| | MD5 | 128 | 512 | | SHA-1 | 160 | 512 | | SHA-256 | 256 | 512 | | SHA-512 | 512 | 1024 |

SSL & IPsec

  • SSL: Provides authentication, integrity, privacy
  • IPsec:
    • Transport mode: Protects payload only
    • Tunnel mode: Protects entire original packet

Previous Questions

  • Two different messages producing same hash: collision (can be true for any hash function)
  • Unkeyed hash function = MDC (Modification Detection Code)
  • SHA-512 block size = 1024 bits
  • Digital signature provides non-repudiation

Week 8: Steganography, Biometrics & DoS

Steganography vs. Cryptography

| Feature | Cryptography | Steganography | |---------|--------------|---------------| | Hides | Meaning of message | Existence of message | | Medium | Any (encrypted text) | Image, audio, video, etc. |

LSB (Least Significant Bit) Steganography

  • RGB image: Each pixel has 3 color channels (Red, Green, Blue)
  • Capacity formula (in bytes):
    (Width × Height × Number of color channels × Bits hidden per channel) / 8
    
  • Example: 200 × 150 RGB image, 1 bit per channel → capacity = (200 × 150 × 3 × 1) / 8 = 11,250 bytes

Biometrics

| Type | Examples | |------|----------| | Physiological | Fingerprints, iris patterns, retina patterns | | Behavioral | Signature dynamics, keystroke patterns |

Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks

  • Goal: Prevent legitimate users from accessing a service (affects availability)
  • Examples: Smurf attack, Ping of Death (oversized IP packets)
  • DDoS: Distributed DoS from multiple sources

DNS (Domain Name System)

  • Maps human-readable domain names to IP addresses

Previous Questions

  • Capacity calculation for LSB: (200 × 150 × 3 × 1) / 8 = 11,250 bytes
  • DoS example: Ping of Death, Smurf attack

Week 9: Sniffing, Social Engineering & Network Attacks

Packet Sniffing

  • Capturing and examining network packets
  • Wireshark: Packet capture and network analysis tool
    • Displays packet details, protocol info, statistics
    • Does not perform SQL injection or manipulate live traffic

Social Engineering

  • Manipulating people to reveal confidential info or perform compromising actions
  • Reverse Social Engineering: Attacker poses as authority, victim approaches them for help

Network-Level Attacks

  • SYN Flood: Exploits TCP 3-way handshake
  • Slowloris: DoS attack that keeps HTTP connections open by sending partial requests without completing them
  • Botnet: Network of compromised devices controlled by attacker

Previous Questions

  • Social engineering manipulates humans
  • Reverse social engineering: victim approaches attacker
  • SYN flooding, slowloris, botnet related

Week 10: Hardware Security

Hardware Attacks

  • Physical probing: Accessing internal chip signals using physical techniques (invasive)
  • Reverse engineering: Examining internal structure and functionality of a chip (invasive)

Side-Channel Attacks

  • Infer information from physical characteristics during computation (non-invasive)
  • Types: Timing analysis, Power analysis (SPA, DPA), Electromagnetic (EM) analysis
    • SPA (Simple Power Analysis): Examines power traces directly
    • DPA (Differential Power Analysis): Uses multiple measurements + statistical analysis

Hardware Trojans

  • Malicious modification inserted into chip design or circuitry

PUF (Physical Unclonable Function)

  • Provides device-unique authentication based on inherent physical variations

Previous Questions

  • Invasive attacks: Physical probing, Reverse engineering
  • PUF: Physical Unclonable Function
  • Side-channel attacks: Timing, power, EM

Week 11: Metasploit, SQL Injection & XSS

Important Note

  • Security testing only on systems you have authorization for

Metasploit Framework

  • Exploit: Module to take advantage of a vulnerability
  • Encoder: Encodes payloads to evade detection
  • Payload: Code that runs on target after exploitation

SQL Injection (SQLMap)

  • SQLMap: Automated tool for detecting/exploiting SQL injection
  • Extract credentials: --users, --passwords, --current-user
  • Database enumeration: --dbs, --tables, --columns

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)

| Type | Description | |------|-------------| | Stored XSS | Malicious script stored on server (e.g., in database) | | Reflected XSS | Script reflected off server (e.g., in search results) | | DOM-based XSS | Vulnerability in client-side script |

Previous Questions

  • Exploit module: takes advantage of vulnerability
  • SQLMap credential extraction: --users, --passwords, --current-user

Week 12: Nmap Options & Wireshark Recap

Key Nmap Options

| Option | Purpose | |--------|---------| | -PE | ICMP Echo discovery (type 8 request) | | -sn | Host discovery only (no port scan) | | -Pn | Skip host discovery, treat all hosts as online | | -sT | TCP Connect scan (full connect scan) | | -sV | Service/version detection | | -O | OS detection | | (default) | Scan 1000 most common ports |

Critical Recall Points

  • -PE used for ICMP echo sweep
  • Type 0 echo reply = host is live
  • -Pn treats all hosts as online (no discovery)
  • Default Nmap scan = 1000 ports

Final Exam Quick Reference

Key Formulas to Remember

  1. IP header length = IHL × 4 bytes (max 60 bytes)
  2. Fragment offset (byte position) = offset value × 8
  3. Data bytes = Total packet size – Header size
  4. Subnet usable hosts = 2^h – 2
  5. Symmetric key count = n × (n – 1) / 2
  6. Asymmetric key count = 2 × n
  7. Shift cipher = (P + K) mod 26
  8. LSB capacity (bytes) = (W × H × channels × bits per channel) / 8

Must-Know Identifications

  • Connectionless protocol: UDP
  • Connection-oriented protocol: TCP
  • Routing using hop count: RIP
  • Link-state routing: OSPF
  • Inter-AS routing: BGP (port 179)
  • Hash for integrity only (unkeyed): MDC
  • Steganography vs. Cryptography: Hides existence vs. meaning
  • DoS attack examples: Smurf, Ping of Death
  • Invasive hardware attacks: Physical probing, Reverse engineering
  • Side-channel attacks: Timing, Power (SPA/DPA), EM

For a broader perspective on ethical hacking principles and career paths, see the Comprehensive Guide to Ethical Hacking: From Basics to Advanced Concepts. If you are a student preparing for Class 11th Computer Science, the Class 11th Computer Science Complete Revision - Python, Logic Gates & Cybersecurity summary can help you review related foundational topics. For a structured learning path, beginners might start with the 30-Day Ethical Hacking Challenge: Day 1 - Introduction to Ethical Hacking. For an overall review of the cybersecurity field, the Complete Cybersecurity Full Course: Threats, Tools & Career Guide is a valuable resource.

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