ptf

The Penetration Testers Framework (PTF) is a way for modular support for up-to-date tools.

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Quick Overview

The Penetration Testing Framework (PTF) is a Python script designed to install a variety of tools useful for penetration testing and security assessments. It automates the process of setting up a penetration testing environment, making it easier for security professionals to get started with their work.

Pros

Comprehensive Tool Collection: PTF provides access to a wide range of penetration testing tools, covering various aspects of the security assessment process.
Automated Installation: The script handles the installation process for the tools, saving users time and effort.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: PTF can be used on multiple operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Regularly Updated: The project is actively maintained, with new tools and updates being added regularly.

Cons

Limited Customization: While PTF offers a large selection of tools, users have limited control over the installation process and may not be able to customize the setup to their specific needs.
Potential Security Concerns: As with any tool that downloads and executes code from the internet, there are potential security risks involved in using PTF.
Dependency on External Repositories: The tool relies on external repositories for some of the tools, which could be a point of failure if those repositories become unavailable.
Outdated Tool Versions: The tool versions installed by PTF may not always be the latest, which could lead to security vulnerabilities or compatibility issues.

Getting Started

To get started with PTF, follow these steps:

Clone the PTF repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/trustedsec/ptf.git

Navigate to the cloned directory:

cd ptf

Run the PTF script:

./ptf

In the PTF menu, select the category of tools you want to install, and then choose the specific tool(s) you need.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

Competitor Comparisons

metasploit-framework

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Metasploit Framework

Pros of Metasploit-Framework

Extensive library of exploits and payloads
Robust framework for developing and testing exploits
Active community and regular updates

Cons of Metasploit-Framework

Complexity can be overwhelming for beginners
Potential legal issues with using certain exploits
Dependency on external tools and libraries

Code Comparison

Metasploit-Framework (Ruby):

def exploit
  print_status("Connecting to the target...")
  connect

  print_status("Sending payload...")
  payload = generate_payload_exe
  send_request_raw({'data' => payload}, 0)

  handler
  disconnect
end

PTF (Python):

def install_package(self, module_name):
    try:
        print_status("Installing package: " + module_name)
        if self.ostype == "posix":
            subprocess.call("apt-get install -y " + module_name, shell=True)
        elif self.ostype == "nt":
            subprocess.call("choco install -y " + module_name, shell=True)
        else:
            print_error("Operating system not supported.")
    except Exception as e:
        print_error("Error installing package: " + str(e))

PowerSploit

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PowerSploit - A PowerShell Post-Exploitation Framework

Pros of PowerSploit

PowerSploit is a collection of Microsoft PowerShell modules that can be used to aid in the penetration testing process.
The project is actively maintained and has a large community of contributors.
PowerSploit provides a wide range of functionality, including privilege escalation, credential harvesting, and lateral movement.

Cons of PowerSploit

PowerSploit is primarily focused on Windows-based systems, which may limit its usefulness in more diverse environments.
The project's reliance on PowerShell may be a concern for organizations with strict security policies around scripting languages.

Code Comparison

PowerSploit (Get-GPPPassword.ps1):

function Get-GPPPassword {
    <#
    .SYNOPSIS
        Retrieves the plaintext password and other information for accounts pushed through Group Policy Preferences.
    .DESCRIPTION
        Get-GPPPassword searches the domain for instances of Group Policy Preferences XML files containing passwords and decrypts any found. By default, it will search the current domain for these files.
    .EXAMPLE
        Get-GPPPassword
    .EXAMPLE
        Get-GPPPassword -Server 'SOMEDC.domain.local'
    #>

    [CmdletBinding()]
    param (
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
        [string]$Server
    )

    # ...
}

PTF (install_update.sh):

#!/bin/bash

# Check if script is run as root
if [ "$EUID" -ne 0 ]; then
    echo "This script must be run as root"
    exit 1
fi

# Update package lists
apt-get update

# Upgrade installed packages
apt-get -y upgrade

# Install required packages
apt-get -y install git curl wget unzip build-essential

# ...

BloodHound

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Pros of BloodHound

Provides a comprehensive view of the Active Directory environment, allowing for better understanding of attack paths and potential vulnerabilities.
Supports various data collection methods, including PowerShell, SharpHound, and Azure AD.
Offers a user-friendly interface for visualizing and analyzing the collected data.

Cons of BloodHound

Requires a specific setup and configuration, which can be more complex than some other tools.
Primarily focused on Active Directory environments, limiting its applicability to other types of infrastructure.
May raise privacy concerns due to the sensitive nature of the collected data.

Code Comparison

trustedsec/ptf

def install_package(self, package):
    """Install a package using the appropriate package manager."""
    if self.os == "debian" or self.os == "ubuntu":
        self.install_deb(package)
    elif self.os == "redhat" or self.os == "centos":
        self.install_rpm(package)
    elif self.os == "arch":
        self.install_pacman(package)
    elif self.os == "darwin":
        self.install_brew(package)
    else:
        print("[-] Unsupported operating system: " + self.os)

BloodHoundAD/BloodHound

def get_all_nodes(self):
    """Get all nodes in the database."""
    query = """
        MATCH (n)
        RETURN n
    """
    return self.run_query(query)

def get_all_relationships(self):
    """Get all relationships in the database."""
    query = """
        MATCH ()-[r]->()
        RETURN r
    """
    return self.run_query(query)

impacket

13,434

Impacket is a collection of Python classes for working with network protocols.

Pros of Impacket

Impacket is a well-documented and actively maintained library for working with network protocols.
It provides a wide range of functionality, including support for SMB, MSRPC, DCOM, and more.
Impacket is used by many security professionals and is considered a reliable and robust tool.

Cons of Impacket

Impacket is primarily focused on network protocols and may not provide the same level of functionality as a more comprehensive toolkit like PTF.
The learning curve for Impacket may be steeper than for some other tools, as it requires a deeper understanding of network protocols.
Impacket may not be as user-friendly as some other security tools, as it is primarily a library rather than a standalone application.

Code Comparison

Impacket (SMB example):

from impacket.smb3structs import *
from impacket.smbconnection import SMBConnection

conn = SMBConnection('target_host', 'target_host')
conn.login('username', 'password')
shares = conn.listShares()
for share in shares:
    print(share.get('shi1_netname'))

PTF (install script):

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Install dependencies
apt-get update
apt-get install -y git python3 python3-pip

# Clone the PTF repository
git clone https://github.com/trustedsec/ptf.git
cd ptf

# Install PTF modules
./ptf

Covenant

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Covenant is a collaborative .NET C2 framework for red teamers.

Pros of Covenant

Covenant provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for managing and interacting with the C2 server, making it more user-friendly compared to the command-line interface of PTF.
Covenant supports a wide range of post-exploitation modules and features, including the ability to execute PowerShell scripts, run Mimikatz, and perform lateral movement.
Covenant is actively maintained and has a larger community of contributors, ensuring regular updates and improvements.

Cons of Covenant

Covenant is a .NET-based application, which may limit its compatibility and portability compared to the Python-based PTF.
The installation and setup process for Covenant can be more complex, especially for users unfamiliar with .NET development.
Covenant may have a higher resource footprint compared to PTF, which could be a concern for some use cases.

Code Comparison

PTF (Python):

def install_module(self, module_name):
    """Install a specific module."""
    self.ensure_directory_exists(self.modules_directory)
    module_path = os.path.join(self.modules_directory, module_name)
    if not os.path.exists(module_path):
        self.download_module(module_name, module_path)
    self.run_module_install(module_path)

Covenant (C#):

public async Task<string> ExecuteTaskAsync(string taskName, string taskParameters, string agentId)
{
    var task = new Task
    {
        Name = taskName,
        Parameters = taskParameters,
        AgentId = agentId
    };

    var response = await _httpClient.PostAsJsonAsync("api/tasks", task);
    response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();

    var result = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
    return result;
}

nishang

8,730

Nishang - Offensive PowerShell for red team, penetration testing and offensive security.

Pros of Nishang

Nishang provides a wide range of PowerShell scripts for various post-exploitation tasks, such as privilege escalation, lateral movement, and data exfiltration.
The project is actively maintained and regularly updated with new scripts and features.
Nishang has a large and active community, with contributions from multiple authors.

Cons of Nishang

The project's focus is primarily on PowerShell-based tools, which may not be suitable for all types of penetration testing scenarios.
The documentation and organization of the repository could be improved, making it more challenging for new users to navigate and understand the available tools.

Code Comparison

Nishang (Invoke-Shellcode.ps1):

function Invoke-Shellcode
{
    [CmdletBinding(DefaultParameterSetName="Inject")]
    Param(
        [Parameter(Position = 0, Mandatory = $true, ParameterSetName="Inject")]
        [byte[]]
        $Shellcode,

        [Parameter(ParameterSetName="Inject")]
        [switch]
        $Force,

        [Parameter(ParameterSetName="Inject")]
        [switch]
        $Debug
    )

    # Code to inject the shellcode
}

PTF (install_update.sh):

#!/bin/bash

# Check if script is run as root
if [ "$EUID" -ne 0 ]
  then echo "Please run as root"
  exit
fi

# Update package lists
apt-get update

# Upgrade installed packages
apt-get -y upgrade

# Install required packages
apt-get -y install git wget curl gcc make

# Clone the PTF repository
git clone https://github.com/trustedsec/ptf /opt/ptf

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README

The PenTesters Framework (PTF)

A TrustedSec Project - Copyright 2022

Written by: David Kennedy (@HackingDave)

https://www.trustedsec.com

Twitter: @TrustedSec, @HackingDave

The PenTesters Framework (PTF) is a Python script designed for Debian/Ubuntu/ArchLinux based distributions to create a similar and familiar distribution for Penetration Testing. As pentesters, we've been accustom to the /pentest/ directories or our own toolsets that we want to keep up-to-date all of the time. We have those "go to" tools that we use on a regular basis, and using the latest and greatest is important.

PTF attempts to install all of your penetration testing tools (latest and greatest), compile them, build them, and make it so that you can install/update your distribution on any machine. Everything is organized in a fashion that is cohesive to the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) and eliminates a lot of things that are hardly used. PTF simplifies installation and packaging and creates an entire pentest framework for you. Since this is a framework, you can configure and add as you see fit. We commonly see internally developed repos that you can use as well as part of this framework. It's all up to you.

The ultimate goal is for community support on this project. We want new tools added to the github repository. Submit your modules. It's super simple to configure and add them and only takes a few minute.

Installation

PTF requires python-pexpect in order to work appropriately.

Run the following command below:

pip install -r requirements.txt
./ptf

Instructions:

First check out the config/ptf.config file which contains the base location of where to install everything. By default this will install in the /pentest directory. Once you have that configured, move to running PTF by typing ./ptf (or python ptf).

This will put you in a Metasploitesque type shell which has a similar look and feel for consistency. Show modules, use <modules>, etc. are all accepted commands. First things first, always type help or ? to see a full list of commands.

For a video tutorial on how to use PTF, check out our Vimeo page here: https://vimeo.com/137133837

Update EVERYTHING!

If you want to install and/or update everything, simply do the following:

./ptf
use modules/install_update_all
yes

This will install all of the tools inside of PTF. If they are already installed, this will iterate through and update everything for you automatically.

You can also individually install each module, then use the use modules/update_installed which will only update what you've previously installed.

For example:

./ptf
use modules/update_installed

This will only update previous ones you've installed.

You can also show options to change information about the modules.

If you only want to install only for example exploitation tools, you can run:

./ptf
use modules/exploitation/install_update_all

This will only install the exploitation modules. You can do this for any module category.

Customize your own installed tools

You can install only the tools you want to by going to the modules/custom_list/list.txt section. Modify the list.txt file and add the tools you only want to install or update.

Example list.txt file:

modules/exploitation/metasploit modules/post-exploitation/unicorn

Then when in PTF:

./ptf
use modules/custom_list/list
yes

This allows you to carry your module configuration over and only install the tools that you want and keep them updated.

You can also simply specify a module without using the category:

./ptf
use trevorc2
yes

Modules:

First, head over to the modules/ directory, inside of there are sub directories based on the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) phases. Go into those phases and look at the different modules. As soon as you add a new one, for example testing.py, it will automatically be imported next time you launch PTF. There are a few key components when looking at a module that must be completed.

Below is a sample module

AUTHOR="David Kennedy (ReL1K)"

DESCRIPTION="This module will install/update the Browser Exploitation Framework (BeEF)"

INSTALL_TYPE="GIT"

REPOSITORY_LOCATION="https://github.com/beefproject/beef"

X64_LOCATION="https://github.com/something_thats_x64_instead_of_x86

INSTALL_LOCATION="beef"

DEBIAN="ruby1.9.3,sqlite3,ruby-sqlite3"

ARCHLINUX = "arch-module,etc"

BYPASS_UPDATE="NO"

AFTER_COMMANDS="cd {INSTALL_LOCATION},ruby install-beef"

LAUNCHER="beef"

TOOL_DEPEND="modules/exploitation/metasploit"

Module Development:

All of the fields are pretty easy, on the repository locations, you can use GIT, SVN FILE, OR TAGS. Fill in the depends, and where you want the install location to be. PTF will take where the python file is located (for example exploitation) and move it to what you specify in the PTF config (located under config). By default it installs all your tools to /pentest/PTES_PHASE/TOOL_FOLDER

Note in modules, you can specify after commands {INSTALL_LOCATION}. This will append where you want the install location to go when using after commands.

You can also specify {PTF_LOCATION} which will pull the base path for your PTF installation.

You also have the ability for repository locations to specify both a 32 bit and 64 bit location. Repository location should always be the x86 download path. To add a 64 bit path for a tool, specify X64_LOCATION and give it a URL. When PTF launches it will automatically detect the architecture and attempt to use the x64 link instead of the x86.

Note that ArchLinux packages are also supported, it needs to be specified for both DEBIAN and ARCH in order for it to be properly installed on either platform in the module

When using the TAGS mode, this will allow you to use a github project that utilizes tags to pull the latest version (usually compiled applications) and automatically download. In order to use the TAGS method, take a look at the structure under modules/intelligence-gathering/teamfiltration.py. In this example, there is no need for a repository_location, but you will need to know the project owner, project name/repo, and the filename to download. In the example of TeamFiltration, it is located at: https://github.com/Flangvik/TeamFiltration. The owner would be Flangvik, the project/tool would be TeamFiltration. If you navigate to releases: https://github.com/Flangvik/TeamFiltration/releases/, we can see here that the name of the file we want to download is "TeamFiltration_Linux". These are under the OWNER, REPOHOME, and FILENAME. Specifying these, PTF will automatically detect the latest release of the tool and install them.

GITLAB Support

You can create your own modules and PTF also supports gitlab access. Instead of specifying git, wget, etc., simply specify gitlab and point to your own internal gitlab tools for modules.

BYPASS UPDATES:

When using traditional git or svn as a main method, what will happen after a module is installed is it will just go and grab the latest version of the tool. With after commands, normally when installing, you may need to run the after commands after each time you update. If you specify bypass updates to YES (BYPASS_UPDATE="YES"), each time the tool is run, it will check out the latest version and still run after commands. If this is marked to no, it will only git pull the latest version of the system. For FILE options, it is recommended to always use BYPASS_UPDATE="YES" so that it will overwrite the files each time.

After Commands:

After commands are commands that you can insert after an installation. This could be switching to a directory and kicking off additional commands to finish the installation. For example in the BEEF scenario, you need to run ruby install-beef afterwards. Below is an example of after commands using the {INSTALL_LOCATION} flag.

AFTER_COMMANDS="cp config/dict/rockyou.txt {INSTALL_LOCATION}"

For AFTER_COMMANDS that do self install (don't need user interaction).

Automatic Launchers

The flag LAUNCHER= in modules is optional. If you add LAUNCHER="setoolkit" for example, PTF will automatically create a launcher for the tool under /usr/local/bin/. In the setoolkit example, when run - PTF will automatically create a file under /usr/local/bin/setoolkit so you can launch SET from anywhere by simply typing setoolkit. All files will still be installed under the appropriate categories, for example /pentest/exploitation/setoolkit however an automatic launcher will be created.

You can have multiple launchers for an application. For example, for Metasploit you may want msfconsole, msfvenom, etc. In order to add multiple launchers, simply put a , between them. For example LAUNCHER="msfconsole,msfvenom". This would create launchers for both.

Automatic Command Line

You can also just run ./ptf --update-all and it will automatically update everything for you without having to go into the framework.

Running Unattended

If you're running ptf in an automatic build, you can use a heredoc so you don't have to interactively type the modules you wish to install. Example:

./ptf <<EOF
use modules/exploitation/metasploit
run
use modules/password-recovery/johntheripper
run
EOF

TOOL DEPENDS

Some tools such as Veil, SET, etc. require tools such as the Metasploit Framework. You can add in the module TOOL_DEPEND="modules/exploitation/metasploit,module/exploitation/set" and multiple other tools if there is a tool required to be installed prior to installing the tool. This will force PTF to install the required tool first, then install the module that requires it. Example:

TOOL_DEPEND="modules/exploitation/metasploit"

This will install Metasploit first or ensured its installed first prior to installing the application.

IGNORE Modules or Categories

The IGNORE_THESE_MODULES= config option can be found under config/ptf.config in the PTF root directory. This will ignore modules and not install them - everything is comma separated and based on name - example: modules/exploitation/metasploit,modules/exploitation/set or entire module categories, like /modules/code-audit/*,/modules/reporting/*

IGNORE Modules from Update/Install All

The IGNORE_UPDATE_ALL_MODULES= config option can be found under config/ptf.config in the PTF root directory. This will ignore modules only when doing install_update_all which are used when you want to install all tools. This could be for large applications that take substantial time, ones that require user interaction, or open up a number of ports and protocols on the system. This works very similar in the IGNORE_THESE_MODULES, except that they can be manually installed and updated through the modules/update_installed. These are comma deliminated, so for example modules/exploitation/tool1,modules/exploitation/tool2, when running install_update_all, this would not install the tools unless you went to use modules/exploitation/tool1 and installed via that method.

INCLUDE_ONLY_THESE_MODULES

The INCLUDE_ONLY_THESE_MODULES in the config option under config/ptf.config will only install and include specific modules that are specified here. This is good for baselining the tools that you want and install only them.

LAUNCH PTF WITH NO BANNER

You can launch PTF with no banner message if you want. Simply specify:

./ptf --no-banner

or 

./ptf -nb

CHECK FOR INSTALLED PROGRAMS THROUGH PTF

You can check to see what applications you've already installed through PTF by typing the following:

ptf>show installed

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