netcatLOLBIN
Network listener and swiss-army knife; catches reverse shells.
Legitimate system binary (LOLBIN): not an offensive tool as such, but an attacker leverages it because it is usually already installed and raises fewer suspicions than dropping a dedicated tool.
Netcat, the network Swiss-army knife: opens and listens for raw TCP/UDP connections. In pentesting it is used mostly as a listener to catch reverse shells, but also to transfer files, talk to services by hand and confirm SSRF by seeing the raw inbound request.
Family Access, shells & transfer
Flags -lvnp -e
Concepts OS Command Injection
Cheatsheet Reverse shells
Installation
sudo apt install -y netcat-traditionalUseful commands
Appears in
Some machines where its use is documented; not an exhaustive list.
- ArcticHackTheBox
- AstronautProving Grounds Practice
- AuthByProving Grounds Practice
- BackdoorHackTheBox
- BastardHackTheBox
- BigPivotingDockerLabs
- BillybossProving Grounds Practice
- BlueHackTheBox
- BoardLightHackTheBox
- BountyHackTheBox
- BratarinaProving Grounds Practice
- ChatterboxHackTheBox
- ChemistryHackTheBox
- ClamAVProving Grounds Practice
- ClueProving Grounds Practice
- CompiledHackTheBox
- CraftProving Grounds Practice
- CraftyHackTheBox
- Darkhole 2VulnHub
- DC-1VulnHub
- DevelHackTheBox
- DockerlabsDockerLabs
- DomainDockerLabs
- EvilCupsHackTheBox
- ExfiltratedProving Grounds Practice
- ExtplorerProving Grounds Practice
- FiredProving Grounds Practice
- FishProving Grounds Practice
- FluProving Grounds Practice
- GrandpaHackTheBox
- GrannyHackTheBox
- GreenHornHackTheBox
- Hacker Kid 1.0.1VulnHub
- HeadlessHackTheBox
- HetemitProving Grounds Practice
- KevinProving Grounds Practice
- LaVitaProving Grounds Practice
- LegacyHackTheBox
- LevramProving Grounds Practice
- MailingHackTheBox
- NagoyaProving Grounds Practice
- NibblesProving Grounds Practice
- OpenSourceHackTheBox
- OptimumHackTheBox
- PayDayProving Grounds Practice
- PebblesProving Grounds Practice
- PelicanProving Grounds Practice
- PermXHackTheBox
- PostfishProving Grounds Practice
- QuackerJackProving Grounds Practice
- SeaHackTheBox
- ServmonHackTheBox
- SickOs 1.2VulnHub
- SightlessHackTheBox
- SquidProving Grounds Practice
- SwagShopHackTheBox
- TrickHackTheBox
- VmdakProving Grounds Practice
- Vulnerable Lab (1 · 4 · 5)VulnHub
- WallaProving Grounds Practice
- WomboProving Grounds Practice
- ZabProving Grounds Practice
- ZenPhotoProving Grounds Practice