A little Hacker lingo
I'll get the jargon out of the way now, in case I refer to one of these terms later.
Hacker - one who infiltrates and explores various computer systems for the sole purpose of expanding their knowledge and satisfying their insatiable thirst for information.
Cracker - a hacker who acts maliciously. Deletes, crashes, implements viruses, etc.
Warez d00d - a lowlife techno weenie that sells pirated software (basically people who couldn't quite make it as a hacker).
Elite, eleet, let, el33t, 31337, etc - a hacker who's learned just about everything there is to know regarding computers, networks, and security (not really possible). Many claim to be leet, very few are.
Newbie - an amateur hacker (different from a lamer).
Lamer - a complete hacker wannabe. The difference between a newbie and a lamer is this: a lamer knows a little bit, decides that's enough, and calls himself a hacker. A newbie also knows a little bit, but is humble enough to know that there is a lot more to be learned.
Root - status on any system that gives the hacker total control of it. Usually, root is the desired end result of any hack.
Root shell - a shell is an interface between you as a user and a particular computer. Windows Explorer is a shell, as are DOS prompts. If you log into a UNIX machine, you are using a shell. So a root shell is a shell with root (superuser) privileges to resources on that machine. You can obtain a root shell by either logging into the box as root (assuming you have the password) or by using an exploit program to create a root shell for you (more on this later).
Packet - when data is sent over a network, it is broken down into manageable chunks called packets. This isn't always the case, but in TCP/IP (the protocol used on the Internet), this is always true.
Protocol - a set of rules and guidelines that computers on a network must follow in order for communications to be coordinated, and therefore successful. A protocol defines specifically how data is broken into packets, sent over a wire, and reassembled at the other computer (and how sessions are set up over a network).
Client - Usually refers to either A: a compputer on a network that requests resources from a server, or a computer that is not a server; or B: a program that makes request of a server or service. Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer are client software programs in that they request web pages from servers.
Server
- Either A: a computer set up to shaare resources such as printers, files, or
serve web sites, or B: a program used to fulfill requests, such as IIS
(Microsoft's Internet Information Server).
More on clients and servers later.
Proxy Server - Okay, if a company has its own network and its own website, there will be a portion of the network accessible (with a username and password, of course) by anyone with Internet access. The entire HTML file library for the company's website will be somewhere on this segment of the network. Then, there will be the portion of the network strictly for business purposes, hidden from the rest of the world. A proxy server (along with sometimes a firewall) separates these two segments. So if you want to access the restricted part of any network, you will need to do it via the proxy server. Also, if all the workstations in an office have Internet access, they most likely do through the proxy server.
Firewall - Sort of like a proxy server, but hhas no other purpose but to keep unauthorized user out. Even if you have a valid username and password for a system - if a firewall is in your way, you're pretty much out of luck. Hacking through one is next to impossible. Hacking around one is slightly easier (more on this later).
What you need - a Hacker's equipment
Here is a basic list of the hardware, software, and other miscellaneous things you will need to begin your days in the world of digital espionage.
A computer (duh) with some kind of Internet access, whether it be though PPP, a T1, or whatever (more on this later).
One, preferably two accounts with an ISP, your phone company, or whatever. One should be in no way shape of form attached to you (i.e.: someone else’s account!) More on this later.
··� The following software:
An Internet browser (Netscape Communicator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, whatever).
A telnet client (comes with most UNIX systems, Windows 95/98/NT/2000).
An FTP client (comes with most UNIX systems, Windows 95/98/NT/2000).
A ping utility (comes with most UNIX and Windows products).
An IP scanner.
A port scanner.
A share scanner.
A finger client.
A whois and lookup utility (though this can be done on the Web)
A traceroute utility (comes with most Windows products).
A password cracker.
A brute force engine of some sort (this you can make yourself).
Sound complicated already? Its really not - I'll explain the function of each shortly. First, I'll list some effective programs for each. Browsers (actually, not that important to a hacker) are pretty commonplace. As far as a telnet client, if you have any UNIX system (BSD, System V, Linux, or whatever) or Windows 95 or above, you most likely have one. Do a search for 'telnet.' Otherwise, grab a copy of it from a friend - its pretty common. Most computers come with some sort of FTP client as well - in either UNIX or at a DOS prompt type 'ftp' and it should come up. Otherwise, get it from a friend (most have it, even though they might not even have heard of it). Ping utilities are as common as telnet and FTP. Type 'ping' at a UNIX or DOS prompt. The later versions of Netscape and MIE have an FTP client built in, but are pretty limited. Now the various types of scanners are a little harder to find, as they aren't used for much besides hacking (or attempting to hack). HakTek is an oldie but goodie - it has an IP scanner, a port scanner, a ping utility, and a finger client (and even an email bomb utility, if you're into that sort of thing). WS Ping ProPack (a legitimate program believe it or not) is a great piece of software. It has an IP scanner, a port scanner, a ping utility, a finger client, whois and lookup utilities, traceroute, and a variety of other possibly useful utilities. I seriously suggest that you download the evaluation version at http://www.ipswitch.com. Traceroute is also integrated into (I believe) Windows 95 and above. Type 'tracert' at a DOS prompt. Legion is a pretty good share scanner, and I'm told Winhack Gold is decent (for UNIX). Now as far as password crackers go, there are a lot. What you need all depends on what platform (operating system) you have, and the platform of the computer that the password file belongs to. If you have any flavor of UNIX and are cracking a UNIX password file, get Cracker Jack. If you have a Windows product and are cracking a UNIX password, get John the Ripper. If you have a Windows product and are hacking an NT Server (or any other Windows machine) get Lopht Crack. Finally, the brute force engine. Simply a program designed to spit out words from a dictionary file (or a range of numbers) into a login/password prompt, used by hackers in hopes to find a valid username/password combo. The problem with pre-made BF engines is that there are almost unlimited combinations of login screens (as far as in what order, 'group,' or related login prompts, number of attempts before disconnection, etc), so you are usually better of writing your own. If you have absolutely no programming experience, well, now's the time to learn a little. This isn't nearly as tough as it may seem, as I'll discuss later. One more program you might want to look into is a nuking program of some kind (WinNuke, Bitch Slap, anything). These come in handy in basically two instances (unless you just like to cause trouble - in which case you are considered a 'crracker,' not a hacker). You may, in your explorations, run into a not-so-friendly hacker, who feels threatened by your attempting to move in his territory (Acid Burn in Hackers). Nuking programs allow you to 'nuke' an IP address, and you can usually find out the IP address of anyone logged on to a certain system. So if you are being threatened by a cracker somewhere - nuke em! The other instance where this utility comes in handy is if you get caught red-handed hacking by the system's administrator or operator, and he becomes hell-bent on finding your actual location. Nuke the computer you were on or the network's proxy server, to slow him down, and disconnect as soon as possible. Please, though, don't go around nuking everything because you are getting frustrated. This is very lamer-like, and will get you busted much quicker than breaking into the system. Now to turn your UNIX or Windows machine (or even Mac, I suppose) into a mean h4x0r b0x, you should go about the Internet and download at least one of each of these. Make one of the first options on your start menu something like 'hacker utilities', and have a shortcut to each program on that menu, for quick access.