Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker's Handbook, Sixth Edition, 6th Edition

CHAPTER 7

Command and Control (C2)

In this chapter, we cover the following topics:

•   Understanding command and control (C2) systems

•   Payload obfuscation

•   Creating launchers in C#, Go, and Nim

•   Network evasion techniques

•   Endpoint detection and response (EDR) evasion techniques

For hackers, getting into a network is only the first part of an attack. Without being able to interactively execute commands on systems, a hacker (both ethical and criminal) can’t reach their goals. Using C2 tools and using evasion techniques can help testers maintain access for longer periods of time and limit the impact of controls on the hosts and networks that may cut their attack short.

Command and Control Systems

Once a system is compromised, an ...