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Labs

Backdoors using Bash

In this lab, you’ll practice using the bash language and Linux configuration and look at the different ways bash can be used to help create backdoor access into systems and connect to those backdoors. When you’re finished, you’ll have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform red team assessments using bash for activities relevant to pen testing and offensive security.

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Lab Info
Rating
(28)
Level
Intermediate
Last updated
Aug 04, 2025
Duration
40m

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Table of Contents
  1. Challenge

    Getting Started in the Lab Environment

    Here are the initial instructions and explanation of the lab environment. Read this while your environment is busy creating itself from nothing. Yes, this violates physics; we know. How fun!

  2. Challenge

    Backdoor Access using Cron Jobs

    In this challenge you will need to create a backdoor on a corporate machine in order to maintain persistence within the environment. You will perform bash script and system configuration using cron jobs. You will then connect to the created backdoor. Demonstrating how to use tools available on common operating system installations to bypass an organization's security controls supporting red team activities. Helping you to achieve results in a repeatable way.

  3. Challenge

    Backdoor Access using .bashrc

    In this challenge you will need to create a backdoor on a corporate machine. You will target a specific user in a targeted attack. To help hide your activities you will gain and use access when the user is present and using the machine to mask your own red team activities. You will perform bash script and system configuration with the bashrc. You will then connect to the backdoor. This will use commonly available commands found on Linux operating system installations.

  4. Challenge

    The Last Challenge

    Welcome to the final challenge! This is your last chance to experiment in the environment. Clicking Finish Lab will end this little world that flittered into existence just for you.

About the author

Tim Coakley is a Senior Security Solutions Architect for a large multi-national organisation and an author at PluralSight. Tim started a long and successful full-time career in Digital Forensics supporting the criminal justice system and law enforcement on a long list of criminal cases.

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