PowerShell for Professional Hackers: Network Scanning Techniques

PowerShell, a powerful scripting language and command-line shell, has become an essential tool for both system administrators and cyber security professionals. Its versatility and deep integration with the Windows operating system make it a formidable tool for network scanning and penetration testing. This article delves into the use of PowerShell for professional hackers, focusing on network scanning techniques.

Understanding PowerShell

PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft. It consists of a command-line shell and scripting language built on the .NET Framework. PowerShell provides full access to COM and WMI, enabling administrators to perform administrative tasks on both local and remote Windows systems.

Why Hackers Use PowerShell

PowerShell‘s deep integration with the Windows operating system and its powerful scripting capabilities make it an attractive tool for hackers. It allows them to automate tasks, manipulate system settings, and interact with various system components. Furthermore, PowerShell scripts can be executed in memory, making them difficult to detect by traditional antivirus software.

PowerShell for Network Scanning

network scanning is a critical step in the hacking process. It involves identifying live hosts, open ports, and services running on a network. PowerShell provides several cmdlets (command-let) that can be used for network scanning.

Test-Connection

The Test-Connection cmdlet sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request packets, or “pings”, to one or more computers. This can be used to determine if a host is alive.

Test-NetConnection

The Test-NetConnection cmdlet displays diagnostic information for a connection. It supports many useful parameters, such as -Port, which can be used to test if a specific port is open on a host.

Resolve-DnsName

The Resolve-DnsName cmdlet performs a DNS query and returns the IP address associated with a domain name. This can be used to identify the IP address of a target host.

Advanced Network Scanning Techniques

While the above cmdlets are useful for basic network scanning, more advanced techniques can be achieved with custom scripts. These scripts can automate the scanning process, perform more sophisticated scans, and even evade detection.

Port Scanning

Port scanning is a technique used to identify open ports and services on a host. A custom PowerShell script can be used to perform a port scan by attempting to establish a TCP connection on a range of ports.

Stealth Scanning

Stealth scanning is a technique used to evade detection by firewalls and intrusion detection systems. This can be achieved with PowerShell by using the -Stealth parameter with the Test-NetConnection cmdlet.

OS Fingerprinting

OS fingerprinting is a technique used to determine the operating system of a target host. This can be achieved with PowerShell by analysing the responses to specific network requests.

Case Study: PowerShell in Cyber Attacks

A report by Symantec revealed that PowerShell was used in 38% of cyber attacks in 2018. The report highlighted the use of PowerShell in the SamSam ransomware attack, which caused significant damage to several high-profile targets, including the city of Atlanta.

The attackers used a PowerShell script to propagate the ransomware across the network. The script scanned the network for open ports and used brute force attacks to gain access to systems. Once access was gained, the ransomware was deployed using PowerShell.

Conclusion

PowerShell is a powerful tool for network scanning and penetration testing. Its deep integration with the Windows operating system and powerful scripting capabilities make it an attractive tool for professional hackers. However, with great power comes great responsibility. It is important to use these techniques ethically and responsibly, and to always obtain proper authorisation before performing any penetration testing activities.

As the use of PowerShell in cyber attacks continues to rise, it is more important than ever for cyber security professionals to understand and be able to detect PowerShell-based attacks. By understanding the techniques used by hackers, we can better defend our networks and systems against these threats.