Offensive Security

Est. read time: 2 minutes | Last updated: February 16, 2026 by John Gentile

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Contents

• Discovery
  • Tools
• Software Reverse Engineering (SRE)
  • Analysis
  • Tools
  • Anti-SRE
  • SRE Practice Sites
• Web Security
  • Tools
• Kernel/OS Security
• Capture The Flag (CTF) & General Practice Sites
  • Tools
• General References & Learnings
  • Freemium

Discovery

Tools

• Wireshark: prolific network protocol analyzer, packet capture and traffic visualization tool.
• Kismet: Kismet is a sniffer, WIDS, and wardriving tool for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, RF, and more

Software Reverse Engineering (SRE)

Analysis

• Start with basic GNU file utilities like file to show what kind of file it looks to be based on standard headers (e.g. ELF executable or zip archive), and use strings to see if any unobfuscated strings stand out.

Tools

• Ghidra: Ghidra is a software reverse engineering (SRE) framework created and maintained by the National Security Agency Research Directorate.
• IDA: Multi-OS disassembler and debugger with many advanced features.
• ReFirmLabs/binwalk: Firmware Analysis Tool
• Frida: dynamic instrumentation toolkit for developers and reverse engineers.
• Ropper: Display information about files in different file formats and find gadgets to build rop chains for different architectures.
• OFRAK: OFRAK (Open Firmware Reverse Analysis Konsole) supports a wide variety of binaries, including: userspace executables, embedded filesystems, compressed and checksummed firmware, bootloaders, RTOS/OS kernels, and everything in between.
• AFL++: The fuzzer afl++ is afl with community patches, qemu 5.1 upgrade, collision-free coverage, enhanced laf-intel & redqueen, AFLfast++ power schedules, MOpt mutators, unicorn_mode, and a lot more!
• skylot/jadx: Dex to Java decompiler.

Anti-SRE

• Surreptitious Software: Obfuscation, Watermarking, and Tamperproofing for Software Protection
• droberson/ELFcrypt

SRE Practice Sites

• crackmes.one

Web Security

• PortSwigger Web Security Academy

Tools

• Shodan: search engine for IoT devices.

Kernel/OS Security

• kernel-hack-drill
• xairy/linux-kernel-exploitation: a collection of links related to Linux kernel security and exploitation.

Capture The Flag (CTF) & General Practice Sites

• pwnable.kr
• Wargames Nexus: a sorted and updated list of security wargame sites.
• OverTheWire: Wargames
• Root Me
• apsdehal/awesome-ctf: A curated list of CTF frameworks, libraries, resources and softwares
• CTF Time: find upcoming CTF events

Tools

• pwntools is a CTF framework and exploit development library. Written in Python, it is designed for rapid prototyping and development, and intended to make exploit writing as simple as possible.

General References & Learnings

• pwn.college
• ROP Emporium: Learn return-oriented programming through a series of challenges.
• Guyinatuxedo- Nightmare: an intro to binary exploitation / reverse engineering course based around CTF challenges.
• OpenSecurityTraining2
• picoCTF
• Binary Analysis Course - Max Kersten
• microcorruption

Freemium

• TryHackMe
• HackTheBox

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