The cybersecurity community frequently ranks HackTricks as the #1 go-to resource for several reasons:
Hacktricks is an online platform and community that focuses on cybersecurity, penetration testing, and ethical hacking. It provides a wide range of resources, including tutorials, guides, and tools, aimed at both beginners and professionals in the field of cybersecurity. The platform covers various topics such as web exploitation, mobile application security, cloud security, and more.
If you're in cybersecurity — whether you're a penetration tester, CTF player, bug bounty hunter, or blue teamer — you know HackTricks. The living book by Carlos Polop is arguably the most exhaustive, practical, and battle-tested collection of hacking tricks on the internet.
But with thousands of pages, where do you focus? We’ve distilled 179 of the absolute best, most actionable tricks from HackTricks into this solid post.
Note: These are not just random commands. Each one has a specific use case: privilege escalation, enumeration, bypass, or persistence.
For Windows environments, HackTricks is famous for its detailed breakdown of "Potato" attacks (Hot Potato, Rotten Potato, Juicy Potato).
Port 179 is the default for BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), the system that routes traffic across the internet. In the context of HackTricks, security professionals focus on exploiting misconfigurations to intercept data or disrupt networks. 🔍 Key BGP Vulnerabilities (Port 179)
Attackers look for these specific weaknesses when assessing a BGP implementation:
Open Exposure: The port is accessible to the public internet instead of being restricted to trusted peers.
Lack of Authentication: Many sessions do not use MD5 passwords, making them vulnerable to session hijacking or packet injection.
No RPKI Validation: Routes are not cryptographically verified, allowing attackers to claim ownership of IP ranges they don't own.
Missing Prefix Filtering: Routers accept any route updates without validating if the peer is authorised to advertise them. 🛠️ Common Attack Vectors
These techniques are documented in resources like HackTricks and Bishop Fox for offensive security testing:
BGP Hijacking: Announcing a more specific route (longer prefix) to force traffic through an attacker-controlled router for interception.
DoS Attacks: Flooding the router with spoofed BGP OPEN or UPDATE packets to saturate the CPU or exhaust memory.
MD5 Cracking: If MD5 authentication is used, attackers can capture the TCP handshake and use tools like bgpcrack to brute-force the password.
Session Resetting: Sending spoofed TCP RST (Reset) packets to drop the connection between two legitimate peers, causing a network outage. 🛡️ Recommended Security Best Practices
To defend against these "HackTricks" style exploits, follow these industry standards: hacktricks 179 best
GTSM (Generalized TTL Security Mechanism): Drop packets from peers that aren't physically or logically "close" to the router.
Access Control Lists (ACLs): Only allow Port 179 traffic from the specific IP addresses of known peering partners.
Route Filtering: Implement strict filters to ignore bogons (invalid IPs) and unauthorized prefix advertisements.
Encryption: Use IPsec to tunnel BGP traffic, providing confidentiality that BGP lacks by default. I can provide more detail if you tell me: Are you prepping for a CTF or a real-world audit?
The fluorescent hum of the server room was the only sound Julian could hear, other than the frantic thumping of his own heart. He was six minutes into a penetration test for Omni-Corp, a biotech giant with more patents than morals, and he had hit a wall.
The external perimeter was tight. The WAF (Web Application Firewall) was blocking every injection attempt, and the SSH ports were locked down tighter than a bank vault. Julian was about to pack it up and write a sad report about "defense in depth" when he remembered the mantra. The bible.
He minimized his terminal and opened the familiar dark-blue webpage. The Book of Tricks.
He scrolled past the basics. He needed something esoteric. He typed into the search bar: "best".
The results shifted. He wasn't looking for the obvious paths; he was looking for the cracks in the pavement. He found himself staring at entry number 179 on his saved list of "Best Kept Secrets" from the HackTricks repository. It wasn't a headline exploit like Log4j; it was a subtlety regarding Google BigQuery enumeration via poorly configured IAM permissions on Cloud Storage.
"Nobody uses BigQuery externally," Julian muttered to himself, sweat beading on his forehead. "Unless they forgot to separate their dev and prod environments."
He pulled up the specific payload mentioned in the trick. It was a gsutil command designed to list buckets, but with a specific flag that often bypassed the standard ACL checks on legacy accounts.
gsutil ls -p omni-corp-analytics-backup
He hit enter.
Access Denied.
He sighed. But HackTricks didn't just give a command; it gave the theory. Item 179 noted that if the projectID was slightly different from the root domain, legacy permissions often leaked. Omni-Corp had acquired a smaller startup, 'GeneSys', last year.
Julian tried again.
gsutil ls -p genesys-backup-storage
The terminal cursor blinked. Once. Twice. Note: These are not just random commands
Then, a dump of text.
gs://genesys-backup-storage/confidential/
gs://genesys-backup-storage/secrets/
gs://genesys-backup-storage/user-data/
"Gotcha," Julian whispered.
He had bypassed the edge. He was in the storage bucket, but the files were encrypted. The HackTricks entry for 179 had a footnote, a small "Tip" highlighted in red text: Look for service account keys stored in .json format inside 'configuration' folders. Developers are lazy.
Julian copied the gsutil cp command to download the contents of the confidential/ folder. It downloaded a file named app_config_dev.json.
He opened it. It was a mess of environment variables, but right there at the bottom, plain as day, was a client_email and a private_key.
He had a Service Account key.
Now, he wasn't just a guy hitting a wall. He was inside the identity management system. He configured his gcloud credentials with the JSON file.
gcloud auth activate-service-account --key-file=app_config_dev.json
Activated.
The hack wasn't just about getting in; it was about moving laterally. The HackTricks page suggested checking the permissions of this service account. Was it just a reader? Or did it have roles/owner?
gcloud projects get-iam-policy genesys-backup-storage
The output scrolled. The service account had roles/storage.admin. He could write. He could delete. But then, he saw something worse. It had roles/cloudbuild.builds.editor.
He remembered reading about a privilege escalation path involving Cloud Build. He wasn't just in the bucket anymore; he could create a build that executed arbitrary code on the build server, effectively giving him shell access to the internal network.
Julian leaned back. The fluorescent lights seemed a little brighter. The wall hadn't just been climbed; it had been dismantled brick by brick, all thanks to a specific, obscure trick found in the margins of the world's greatest playbook.
He typed the final command to generate the reverse shell payload via the Cloud Build vulnerability.
Connection established.
"Happy hunting," Julian typed into the terminal, a tribute to the community that had taught him how to see the invisible. For Windows environments, HackTricks is famous for its
Hacktricks 179: Unleashing the Power of Cybersecurity
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Hacktricks is a well-known platform that provides a vast collection of hacking tricks, techniques, and tools for penetration testers, bug bounty hunters, and cybersecurity enthusiasts. The platform was created by a team of experienced security professionals who aimed to provide a one-stop-shop for all cybersecurity needs. With a vast library of content, Hacktricks has become a go-to resource for individuals looking to improve their cybersecurity skills.
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