BackTrack
Encyclopedia
BackTrack is an operating system
based on the Ubuntu
GNU/Linux distribution
aimed at digital forensics
and penetration test
ing use. It is named after backtracking
, a search algorithm. The current version is BackTrack 5, code name "Revolution."
ing:
The overlap with Auditor and WHAX in purpose and tools collection partly led to the merger.
and Live USB
functionality allows users to boot BackTrack directly from portable media without requiring installation, though permanent installation to hard disk is also an option.
BackTrack includes many well known security tools including:
BackTrack arranges tools into 12 categories:
As soon as newer versions of BackTrack are released, older versions lose their support and service from the BackTrack development team.
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
based on the Ubuntu
Ubuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
GNU/Linux distribution
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
aimed at digital forensics
Digital forensics
Digital forensics is a branch of forensic science encompassing the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices, often in relation to computer crime...
and penetration test
Penetration test
A penetration test, occasionally pentest, is a method of evaluating the security of a computer system or network by simulating an attack from malicious outsiders and malicious insiders...
ing use. It is named after backtracking
Backtracking
Backtracking is a general algorithm for finding all solutions to some computational problem, that incrementally builds candidates to the solutions, and abandons each partial candidate c as soon as it determines that c cannot possibly be completed to a valid solution.The classic textbook example...
, a search algorithm. The current version is BackTrack 5, code name "Revolution."
History
The BackTrack distribution originated from the merger of two formerly competing distributions which focused on penetration testPenetration test
A penetration test, occasionally pentest, is a method of evaluating the security of a computer system or network by simulating an attack from malicious outsiders and malicious insiders...
ing:
- WHAX: a SlaxSLAXSlax is a LiveCD Linux distribution based on Slackware and is currently being developed by Tomáš Matějíček. Packages can be selected in a website where users can build a custom Slax iso image. Slax slogan refers to the software as a "Pocket Operating System"...
based Linux distribution developed by Mati Aharoni, a security consultant. Earlier versions of WHAX were called Whoppix and were based on KnoppixKnoppixKnoppix, or KNOPPIX , is an operating system based on Debian designed to be run directly from a CD / DVD or a USB key , one of the first of its kind for any operating system. Knoppix was developed by Linux consultant Klaus Knopper. When starting a program, it is loaded from the removable medium...
. - Auditor Security Collection: a Live CDLive CDA live CD, live DVD, or live disc is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive...
based on KnoppixKnoppixKnoppix, or KNOPPIX , is an operating system based on Debian designed to be run directly from a CD / DVD or a USB key , one of the first of its kind for any operating system. Knoppix was developed by Linux consultant Klaus Knopper. When starting a program, it is loaded from the removable medium...
developed by Max Moser which included over 300 tools organized in a user-friendly hierarchy.
The overlap with Auditor and WHAX in purpose and tools collection partly led to the merger.
Tools
BackTrack provides users with easy access to a comprehensive and large collection of security-related tools ranging from port scanners to password crackers. Support for Live CDLive CD
A live CD, live DVD, or live disc is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive...
and Live USB
Live USB
A live USB is a USB flash drive or a USB external hard disk drive containing a full operating system that can be booted. Live USBs are closely related to live CDs, but sometimes have the ability to persistently save settings and permanently install software packages back onto the USB device...
functionality allows users to boot BackTrack directly from portable media without requiring installation, though permanent installation to hard disk is also an option.
BackTrack includes many well known security tools including:
- MetasploitMetasploit ProjectThe Metasploit Project is an open-source computer security project which provides information about security vulnerabilities and aids in penetration testing and IDS signature development....
integration (Non-Working and Officially Unsupported ) - RFMONMonitor modeMonitor mode, or RFMON mode, allows a computer with a wireless network interface controller to monitor all traffic received from the wireless network. Unlike promiscuous mode, which is also used for packet sniffing, monitor mode allows packets to be captured without having to associate with an...
Injection capable wireless drivers - Aircrack-NGAircrack-ngAircrack-ng is a network software suite consisting of a detector, packet sniffer, WEP and WPA/WPA2-PSK cracker and analysis tool for 802.11 wireless LANs. It works with any wireless network interface controller whose driver supports raw monitoring mode and can sniff 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g...
- Kismet
- NmapNmapNmap is a security scanner originally written by Gordon Lyon used to discover hosts and services on a computer network, thus creating a "map" ofthe network...
- OphcrackOphcrackOphcrack is a free open source program that cracks Windows passwords by using LM hashes through rainbow tables. The program includes the ability to import the hashes from a variety of formats, including dumping directly from the SAM files of Windows...
- EttercapEttercap (computing)Ettercap is a free and open source network security tool for man-in-the-middle attacks on LAN. It can be used for computer network protocol analysis and security auditing. It runs on various Unix-like operating systems including Linux, Mac OS X, BSD and Solaris, and on Microsoft Windows...
- WiresharkWiresharkWireshark is a free and open-source packet analyzer. It is used for network troubleshooting, analysis, software and communications protocol development, and education...
(formerly known as Ethereal) - BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)The Browser Exploitation Framework is a powerful professional security tool. BeEF is pioneering techniques that provide the experienced penetration tester with practical client side attack vectors....
- Hydra
- OWASP Mantra Security FrameworkOWASP Mantra Security FrameworkMantra is a free and open source security toolkit with a collection of hacking tools, add-ons and scripts based on Firefox intended for penetration testers, web application developers and security professionals etc.-Purpose:...
collection of hacking tools, add-ons and scripts based on Firefox - Cisco OCS Mass Scanner A very reliable and fast scanner for Cisco routers with telnet/enable default password.
- Quypt (Terminal Emulator) (which is private software by Crimson Hacking group, which has leaked to the Mainstream) Blackhat
- A large collection of exploitsExploit (computer security)An exploit is a piece of software, a chunk of data, or sequence of commands that takes advantage of a bug, glitch or vulnerability in order to cause unintended or unanticipated behavior to occur on computer software, hardware, or something electronic...
as well as more commonplace software such as browsersWeb browserA web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
.
BackTrack arranges tools into 12 categories:
- Information Gathering
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Exploitation Tools
- Privilege Escalation
- Maintaining Access
- Reverse Engineering
- RFID Tools
- Stress testing
- Forensics
- Reporting Tools
- Services
- Miscellaneous
Releases
| Date | Release |
|---|---|
| February 5, 2006 | BackTrack v.1.0 Beta |
| May 26, 2006 | The BackTrack project released its first non-beta version (1.0). |
| March 6, 2007 | BackTrack 2 final released. |
| June 19, 2008 | BackTrack 3 final released. |
| January 9, 2010 | BackTrack 4 final release. (Now based on Debian Debian Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential... ) |
| May 8, 2010 | BackTrack 4 R1 release |
| November 22, 2010 | BackTrack 4 R2 release |
| May 10, 2011 | BackTrack 5 release (Based on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, Linux kernel 2.6.38) |
| August 18, 2011 | BackTrack 5 R1 release (Based on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, Linux kernel 2.6.39.4) |
As soon as newer versions of BackTrack are released, older versions lose their support and service from the BackTrack development team.