Lab
Cloud
Security

Conducting a Security Assessment

In this lab, we will use security utilities provided with Kali Linux to conduct a risk assessment. The lab provides a subnetwork of Linux and Windows servers to provide a complete VPC for exercising the Kali Linux utilities.

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Path Info

Level

Beginner

Duration

1h 45m

Last updated

Aug 31, 2025

Challenge

Access the Kali Linux System
1. Establish a session to the Kali Linux system:
```
ssh cloud_user@<KALI_LINUX_PUBLIC_IP>
```
2. Change to superuser:
```
su -
```
Challenge

Identify the Address Assigned to the Ethernet Controller
1. Query the ethernet configuration on the Kali Linux server:
```
ifconfig
```
  Make note of the IP address assigned to the primary ethernet controller.
Challenge

Use the `nmap` Command to Explore the Subnet
Use the nmap utility to explore the ports open on the subnetwork.

For help with nmap commands:
```
nmap -h
```
To scan a series or range of subnet private IP addresses:
```
nmap -sn 10.0.1.1-255
```
To try other flags to speed the port scanning process:
```
nmap -T4 -Pn -n -p- --min-parallelism 50 to 100 -vv 10.0.1.1-255 --max-retries 0 or 1
```
Challenge

Use the hping3 Utility to Analyze a Single Host
Use the hping3 to scan a certain host on the subnet:
```
hping3 -1 <INTERNAL_IP_ADDRESS_OF_HOST>
```
Note: You may obtain the internal IP address of the host from the lab interface, the output from an nmap command, or the AWS dashboard.
Challenge

Use `nslookup` to Explore the Nameserver Configuration of Various Hosts
Use nslookup to explore the A record on google.com:
```
nslookup

> google.com
```
Use nslookup to look at MX records on google.com
```
nslookup

> set q=MX

> google.com
```
Use nslookup to interrogate other address types:
```
nslookup

> set type=any

> google.com
```
Challenge

Use the dig Tool to Attempt a Domain Zone Transfer
The syntax for the dig command is:
```
dig axfr [domain host] [IP Address To Transfer To]
```
Challenge

Use `finger` to Determine Which Users Are Logged into Any Given Host
Use the finger command to see who is logged in on a host:
```
finger
```
Or:
```
finger -s root
```

Author

Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

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Conducting a Security Assessment

Path Info

Table of Contents

Access the Kali Linux System

Identify the Address Assigned to the Ethernet Controller

Use the `nmap` Command to Explore the Subnet

Use the hping3 Utility to Analyze a Single Host

Use `nslookup` to Explore the Nameserver Configuration of Various Hosts

Use the dig Tool to Attempt a Domain Zone Transfer

Use `finger` to Determine Which Users Are Logged into Any Given Host

What's a lab?

Provided environment for hands-on practice

Guided walkthrough

Did you know?