Metasploit Framework is one of the tools most widely used by security auditors and penetration testers. It includes a large collection of exploits and a development environment for creating custom exploits. It integrates easily with tools such as Nmap and vulnerability scanners and can be customized for specific needs.

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BASIC DEFINITIONS

Exploit

Code written to take advantage of programming errors and obtain privileges on vulnerable systems or software. An exploit is used to gain control of a target machine.

Payload

The malicious part delivered by an exploit. It is the code executed on the victim machine after exploitation.

0-Day Exploit

Malicious code that allows an attacker to gain control of a vulnerable system before the vulnerability is known to users or vendors and before a patch is available.

Metasploit

A collection of tools that enables penetration testers to develop and execute exploits against target machines to evaluate security.

Modules

Features that make Metasploit easier to use. Common module types include:

1. Auxiliary – External tools such as scanners and sniffers.
2. Exploits – Contains exploit code.
3. Payloads – Stores payloads to be used with exploits.

MSFVenom

A combination of msfpayload and msfencode, making it easier to generate and obfuscate payloads from a single console.

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MSFCONSOLE COMMANDS

Command	Description
back	Exit the current module/exploit context
check	Check whether the target is vulnerable
connect	Connect to a remote host
exploit	Run the loaded exploit
run	Execute the loaded module
irb	Start the Ruby interpreter
jobs	List background jobs
load	Load a plugin
unload	Unload a plugin
loadpath	Load modules from a custom directory
resource	Execute commands from a script file
route	Manage routing tables
info	Display module information
set	Set module options
unset	Remove an option value
sessions	List/manage active sessions
search	Search for modules
show	Show exploits, payloads, options, etc.
setg	Set global variables
save	Save configuration
use	Select a module

Examples:

show auxiliary
show exploits
show payloads
show options
show targets
show advanced
show encoders
show nops
show evasion

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METERPRETER COMMANDS

Command	Description
sysinfo	Display system information
ps	List running processes
kill <PID>	Terminate a process
getuid	Show current user ID
upload	Upload a file
download	Download a file
pwd / lpwd	Show working directory
cd / lcd	Change directory
cat	Display file contents
bglist	List background scripts
bgrun	Run a script in background
bgkill	Kill a background script
background	Send session to background
edit	Edit a file
shell	Spawn a system shell
migrate	Move to another process
idletime	Show user idle time
screenshot	Take a screenshot
clearev	Clear event logs
?	Show help
exit / quit	Exit Meterpreter
shutdown / reboot	Restart or shut down the system
use	Load an extension

Additional:

channel      Show active channels

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NETWORK COMMANDS

Command	Description
ipconfig	Show network interface configuration
portfwd	Port forwarding
route	View/edit routing table

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USER INTERFACE / OUTPUT COMMANDS

Command	Description
enumdesktops	List available desktops
getdesktop	Show current desktop
keyscan_start	Start keylogger
keyscan_stop	Stop keylogger
keyscan_dump	Dump captured keystrokes
set_desktop	Change desktop

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PROCESS MANAGEMENT COMMANDS

Command	Description
getpid	Show process ID
getuid	Show user ID
ps	List processes
kill	Terminate process
getprivs	List privileges
reg	Access system registry
shell	Open a shell
execute	Execute a command
migrate	Move into another process

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MSFVENOM COMMAND OPTIONS

Option	Description
-p	Payload options
-l	List modules (payloads, encoders)
-f	Output format
-e	Encoder to use
-a	Target architecture
-s	Maximum payload size
-b	Bad characters to avoid
-i	Number of encoding iterations
-x	Use a custom template file
-o	Save payload
-h	Help