The sys admin’s daily grind: w3af
Braving the Gap
After toiling away to create a small but exclusive website, Charly wanted to run a security scanner against it to check for vulnerabilities. The choice of tools is enormous, but Charly chose w3af.
Penetration testing is really a task for specialists who are familiar with the tools of the trade, understand potential vulnerabilities and attack vectors, and test them on a case-by-case basis. The basic principle is not to fire a broadside at the target but carefully to identify the weak points and select an attack method to match. Suitable tools certainly are not lacking, and Metasploit and OpenVAS are totally over the top if you just want to check whether your new website contains any bugs that expose it to cross-site scripting or SQL injection. For performing a small check, I prefer to use the Web Application Attack and Audit Framework (w3af).
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
News
-
Slimbook Goes All in with a Linux Laptop that Focuses on the Display and the Power
Slimbook is now offering a Linux laptop geared for professionals, with the launch of a new lightweight ultrabook with plenty of power to spare.
-
KDE Plasma 5.22 Released with Better Stability and Usability Across the Board
The KDE Plasma desktop development has kicked into high gear and the latest release reflects newfound popularity and drive behind the open-source environment.
-
Nvidia and Valve Collaborate to Bring DLSS to Linux
Both powerhouses in the gaming industry are trying to make the experience on Linux much improved, by way of DLSS.
-
Kali Linux 2021.2 Official Release Now Available
The latest iteration of security fan-favorite Kali Linux has been released with new tools, themes, and plenty of improvements.
-
Entroware Unleashes a Beast of a Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a portable workhorse, look no further than the Entroware Proteus laptop.
-
System76 Unveils its “Launch” Keyboard
The open-source darling, System76, is about to launch the Launch keyboard and you can pre-order yours now.
-
Armbian 21.05 Now Available
The Armbian developers have released the latest update to the Debian-based Linux distribution geared for ARM and embedded devices.
-
StarLabs has Released Another Linux Laptop
A new 14" Linux laptop has been released by the company that created the 11" Star Lite and can be purchased with your choice of Linux distribution.
-
Ubuntu 21.04 Adds Support for Active Directory and Other Major Changes
In a bid to help make Linux more viable for the business desktop, Canonical adds support for Active Directory and a few other notable changes.
-
GNOME 40 Available on openSUSE
The rolling release edition of openSUSE, Tumbleweed, now offers the latest version of the GNOME desktop.