Practical Reverse Engineering: x86, x64, ARM, Windows Kernel, Reversing Tools, and Obfuscation


Bruce Dang - 2014
    Reverse engineering is not about reading assembly code, but actually understanding how different pieces/components in a system work. To reverse engineer a system is to understand how it is constructed and how it works. The book provides: Coverage of x86, x64, and ARM. In the past x86 was the most common architecture on the PC; however, times have changed and x64 is becoming the dominant architecture. It brings new complexity and constructs previously not present in x86. ARM ("Advanced RISC Machine) "is very common in embedded / consumer electronic devices; for example, most if not all cell phones run on ARM. All of apple's i-devices run on ARM. This book will be the first book to cover all three.Discussion of Windows kernel-mode code (rootkits/drivers). This topic has a steep learning curve so most practitioners stay away from this area because it is highly complex. However, this book will provide a concise treatment of this topic and explain how to analyze drivers step-by-step.The book uses real world examples from the public domain. The best way to learn is through a combination of concept discussions, examples, and exercises. This book uses real-world trojans / rootkits as examples congruent with real-life scenariosHands-on exercises. End-of-chapter exercises in the form of conceptual questions and hands-on analysis so so readers can solidify their understanding of the concepts and build confidence. The exercises are also meant to teach readers about topics not covered in the book.

Unauthorised Access: Physical Penetration Testing for IT Security Teams


Wil Allsopp - 2009
    IT teams are now increasingly requesting physical penetration tests, but there is little available in terms of training. The goal of the test is to demonstrate any deficiencies in operating procedures concerning physical security.Featuring a Foreword written by world-renowned hacker Kevin D. Mitnick and lead author of The Art of Intrusion and The Art of Deception, this book is the first guide to planning and performing a physical penetration test. Inside, IT security expert Wil Allsopp guides you through the entire process from gathering intelligence, getting inside, dealing with threats, staying hidden (often in plain sight), and getting access to networks and data.Teaches IT security teams how to break into their own facility in order to defend against such attacks, which is often overlooked by IT security teams but is of critical importance Deals with intelligence gathering, such as getting access building blueprints and satellite imagery, hacking security cameras, planting bugs, and eavesdropping on security channels Includes safeguards for consultants paid to probe facilities unbeknown to staff Covers preparing the report and presenting it to management In order to defend data, you need to think like a thief-let Unauthorised Access show you how to get inside.

Practical Malware Analysis: The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software


Michael Sikorski - 2011
    When malware breaches your defenses, you need to act quickly to cure current infections and prevent future ones from occurring.For those who want to stay ahead of the latest malware, Practical Malware Analysis will teach you the tools and techniques used by professional analysts. With this book as your guide, you'll be able to safely analyze, debug, and disassemble any malicious software that comes your way.You'll learn how to:Set up a safe virtual environment to analyze malware Quickly extract network signatures and host-based indicators Use key analysis tools like IDA Pro, OllyDbg, and WinDbg Overcome malware tricks like obfuscation, anti-disassembly, anti-debugging, and anti-virtual machine techniques Use your newfound knowledge of Windows internals for malware analysis Develop a methodology for unpacking malware and get practical experience with five of the most popular packers Analyze special cases of malware with shellcode, C++, and 64-bit code Hands-on labs throughout the book challenge you to practice and synthesize your skills as you dissect real malware samples, and pages of detailed dissections offer an over-the-shoulder look at how the pros do it. You'll learn how to crack open malware to see how it really works, determine what damage it has done, thoroughly clean your network, and ensure that the malware never comes back.Malware analysis is a cat-and-mouse game with rules that are constantly changing, so make sure you have the fundamentals. Whether you're tasked with securing one network or a thousand networks, or you're making a living as a malware analyst, you'll find what you need to succeed in Practical Malware Analysis.

The Web Application Hacker's Handbook: Discovering and Exploiting Security Flaws


Dafydd Stuttard - 2007
    The authors explain each category of vulnerability using real-world examples, screen shots and code extracts. The book is extremely practical in focus, and describes in detail the steps involved in detecting and exploiting each kind of security weakness found within a variety of applications such as online banking, e-commerce and other web applications. The topics covered include bypassing login mechanisms, injecting code, exploiting logic flaws and compromising other users. Because every web application is different, attacking them entails bringing to bear various general principles, techniques and experience in an imaginative way. The most successful hackers go beyond this, and find ways to automate their bespoke attacks. This handbook describes a proven methodology that combines the virtues of human intelligence and computerized brute force, often with devastating results.The authors are professional penetration testers who have been involved in web application security for nearly a decade. They have presented training courses at the Black Hat security conferences throughout the world. Under the alias "PortSwigger," Dafydd developed the popular Burp Suite of web application hack tools.

Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World


Bruce Schneier - 2000
    Identity Theft. Corporate Espionage. National secrets compromised. Can anyone promise security in our digital world?The man who introduced cryptography to the boardroom says no. But in this fascinating read, he shows us how to come closer by developing security measures in terms of context, tools, and strategy. Security is a process, not a product – one that system administrators and corporate executives alike must understand to survive.This edition updated with new information about post-9/11 security.

Threat Modeling: Designing for Security


Adam Shostack - 2014
    Dobbs Jolt Award Finalist since Bruce Schneier's Secrets and Lies and Applied Cryptography!Adam Shostack is responsible for security development lifecycle threat modeling at Microsoft and is one of a handful of threat modeling experts in the world. Now, he is sharing his considerable expertise into this unique book. With pages of specific actionable advice, he details how to build better security into the design of systems, software, or services from the outset. You'll explore various threat modeling approaches, find out how to test your designs against threats, and learn effective ways to address threats that have been validated at Microsoft and other top companies.Systems security managers, you'll find tools and a framework for structured thinking about what can go wrong. Software developers, you'll appreciate the jargon-free and accessible introduction to this essential skill. Security professionals, you'll learn to discern changing threats and discover the easiest ways to adopt a structured approach to threat modeling.Provides a unique how-to for security and software developers who need to design secure products and systems and test their designs Explains how to threat model and explores various threat modeling approaches, such as asset-centric, attacker-centric and software-centric Provides effective approaches and techniques that have been proven at Microsoft and elsewhere Offers actionable how-to advice not tied to any specific software, operating system, or programming language Authored by a Microsoft professional who is one of the most prominent threat modeling experts in the world As more software is delivered on the Internet or operates on Internet-connected devices, the design of secure software is absolutely critical. Make sure you're ready with Threat Modeling: Designing for Security.

The Shellcoder's Handbook: Discovering and Exploiting Security Holes


Jack Koziol - 2004
    This much-anticipated revision, written by the ultimate group of top security experts in the world, features 40 percent new content on how to find security holes in any operating system or applicationNew material addresses the many new exploitation techniques that have been discovered since the first edition, including attacking "unbreakable" software packages such as McAfee's Entercept, Mac OS X, XP, Office 2003, and VistaAlso features the first-ever published information on exploiting Cisco's IOS, with content that has never before been exploredThe companion Web site features downloadable code files

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation


Jon Erickson - 2003
    This book explains the technical aspects of hacking, including stack based overflows, heap based overflows, string exploits, return-into-libc, shellcode, and cryptographic attacks on 802.11b.

Reversing: Secrets of Reverse Engineering


Eldad Eilam - 2005
    The book is broken into two parts, the first deals with security-related reverse engineering and the second explores the more practical aspects of reverse engineering. In addition, the author explains how to reverse engineer a third-party software library to improve interfacing and how to reverse engineer a competitor's software to build a better product. * The first popular book to show how software reverse engineering can help defend against security threats, speed up development, and unlock the secrets of competitive products * Helps developers plug security holes by demonstrating how hackers exploit reverse engineering techniques to crack copy-protection schemes and identify software targets for viruses and other malware * Offers a primer on advanced reverse-engineering, delving into disassembly-code-level reverse engineering-and explaining how to decipher assembly language

The Pentester BluePrint: Starting a Career as an Ethical Hacker


Phillip L. Wylie - 2020
    Accomplished pentester and author Phillip L. Wylie and cybersecurity researcher Kim Crawley walk you through the basic and advanced topics necessary to understand how to make a career out of finding vulnerabilities in systems, networks, and applications.You'll learn about the role of a penetration tester, what a pentest involves, and the prerequisite knowledge you'll need to start the educational journey of becoming a pentester. Discover how to develop a plan by assessing your current skillset and finding a starting place to begin growing your knowledge and skills. Finally, find out how to become employed as a pentester by using social media, networking strategies, and community involvement.Perfect for IT workers and entry-level information security professionals, The Pentester BluePrint also belongs on the bookshelves of anyone seeking to transition to the exciting and in-demand field of penetration testing.Written in a highly approachable and accessible style, The Pentester BluePrint avoids unnecessarily technical lingo in favor of concrete advice and practical strategies to help you get your start in pentesting. This book will teach you:The foundations of pentesting, including basic IT skills like operating systems, networking, and security systems The development of hacking skills and a hacker mindset Where to find educational options, including college and university classes, security training providers, volunteer work, and self-study Which certifications and degrees are most useful for gaining employment as a pentester How to get experience in the pentesting field, including labs, CTFs, and bug bounties

Cryptography Engineering: Design Principles and Practical Applications


Niels Ferguson - 2010
    Cryptography is vital to keeping information safe, in an era when the formula to do so becomes more and more challenging. Written by a team of world-renowned cryptography experts, this essential guide is the definitive introduction to all major areas of cryptography: message security, key negotiation, and key management. You'll learn how to think like a cryptographer. You'll discover techniques for building cryptography into products from the start and you'll examine the many technical changes in the field.After a basic overview of cryptography and what it means today, this indispensable resource covers such topics as block ciphers, block modes, hash functions, encryption modes, message authentication codes, implementation issues, negotiation protocols, and more. Helpful examples and hands-on exercises enhance your understanding of the multi-faceted field of cryptography.An author team of internationally recognized cryptography experts updates you on vital topics in the field of cryptography Shows you how to build cryptography into products from the start Examines updates and changes to cryptography Includes coverage on key servers, message security, authentication codes, new standards, block ciphers, message authentication codes, and more Cryptography Engineering gets you up to speed in the ever-evolving field of cryptography.

The Practice of Network Security Monitoring: Understanding Incident Detection and Response


Richard Bejtlich - 2013
    The most effective computer security strategies integrate network security monitoring (NSM): the collection and analysis of data to help you detect and respond to intrusions.In The Practice of Network Security Monitoring, Mandiant CSO Richard Bejtlich shows you how to use NSM to add a robust layer of protection around your networks — no prior experience required. To help you avoid costly and inflexible solutions, he teaches you how to deploy, build, and run an NSM operation using open source software and vendor-neutral tools.You'll learn how to:Determine where to deploy NSM platforms, and size them for the monitored networks Deploy stand-alone or distributed NSM installations Use command line and graphical packet analysis tools, and NSM consoles Interpret network evidence from server-side and client-side intrusions Integrate threat intelligence into NSM software to identify sophisticated adversaries There's no foolproof way to keep attackers out of your network. But when they get in, you'll be prepared. The Practice of Network Security Monitoring will show you how to build a security net to detect, contain, and control them. Attacks are inevitable, but losing sensitive data shouldn't be.

Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking


Christopher Hadnagy - 2018
    The way that we make decisions as humans affects everything from our emotions to our security. Hackers, since the beginning of time, have figured out ways to exploit that decision making process and get you to take an action not in your best interest. This new Second Edition has been updated with the most current methods used by sharing stories, examples, and scientific study behind how those decisions are exploited.Networks and systems can be hacked, but they can also be protected; when the "system" in question is a human being, there is no software to fall back on, no hardware upgrade, no code that can lock information down indefinitely. Human nature and emotion is the secret weapon of the malicious social engineering, and this book shows you how to recognize, predict, and prevent this type of manipulation by taking you inside the social engineer's bag of tricks.Examine the most common social engineering tricks used to gain access Discover which popular techniques generally don't work in the real world Examine how our understanding of the science behind emotions and decisions can be used by social engineers Learn how social engineering factors into some of the biggest recent headlines Learn how to use these skills as a professional social engineer and secure your company Adopt effective counter-measures to keep hackers at bay By working from the social engineer's playbook, you gain the advantage of foresight that can help you protect yourself and others from even their best efforts. Social Engineering gives you the inside information you need to mount an unshakeable defense.

The IDA Pro Book: The Unofficial Guide to the World's Most Popular Disassembler


Chris Eagle - 2008
    With IDA Pro, you live in a source code-optional world. IDA can automatically analyze the millions of opcodes that make up an executable and present you with a disassembly. But at that point, your work is just beginning. With The IDA Pro Book, you'll learn how to turn that mountain of mnemonics into something you can actually use.Hailed by the creator of IDA Pro as the "long-awaited" and "information-packed" guide to IDA, The IDA Pro Book covers everything from the very first steps to advanced automation techniques. While other disassemblers slow your analysis with inflexibility, IDA invites you to customize its output for improved readability and usefulness. You'll save time and effort as you learn to:Identify known library routines, so you can focus your analysis on other areas of the code Extend IDA to support new processors and filetypes, making disassembly possible for new or obscure architectures Explore popular plug-ins that make writing IDA scripts easier, allow collaborative reverse engineering, and much more Utilize IDA's built-in debugger to tackle obfuscated code that would defeat a stand-alone disassembler You'll still need serious assembly skills to tackle the toughest executables, but IDA makes things a lot easier. Whether you're analyzing the software on a black box or conducting hard-core vulnerability research, a mastery of IDA Pro is crucial to your success. Take your skills to the next level with The IDA Pro Book.

Gray Hat Python: Python Programming for Hackers and Reverse Engineers


Justin Seitz - 2008
    But until now, there has been no real manual on how to use Python for a variety of hacking tasks. You had to dig through forum posts and man pages, endlessly tweaking your own code to get everything working. Not anymore.Gray Hat Python explains the concepts behind hacking tools and techniques like debuggers, trojans, fuzzers, and emulators. But author Justin Seitz goes beyond theory, showing you how to harness existing Python-based security tools - and how to build your own when the pre-built ones won't cut it.You'll learn how to:Automate tedious reversing and security tasks Design and program your own debugger Learn how to fuzz Windows drivers and create powerful fuzzers from scratch Have fun with code and library injection, soft and hard hooking techniques, and other software trickery Sniff secure traffic out of an encrypted web browser session Use PyDBG, Immunity Debugger, Sulley, IDAPython, PyEMU, and more The world's best hackers are using Python to do their handiwork. Shouldn't you?