SET Toolkit Tutorial: Social Engineering Attacks Made Easy for Penetration Testers

 Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)

The Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) is an open-source penetration testing framework specifically designed for social engineering attacks. It was developed by Dave Kennedy and is widely used by ethical hackers and security professionals to simulate real-world social engineering scenarios.

Overview of SET

• Purpose: To automate and simplify the process of launching social engineering attacks.
• Platform: Primarily runs on Linux (often bundled with Kali Linux).
• Language: Written in Python.

Key Features of SET

1. Website Attack Vectors

• Clone legitimate websites (e.g., login pages) to trick users into entering credentials.
• Supports credential harvesting and browser exploits.

2. Phishing Attacks

• Send spoofed emails with malicious links or attachments.
• Integrates with tools like Sendmail, SMTP, and Gmail APIs.

3. Payload Generation

• Create payloads for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
• Supports reverse shells, meterpreter sessions, and custom executables.

4. Spear Phishing

• Targeted phishing campaigns using personalized messages.
• Can embed malicious PDFs, Excel files, or Word documents.

5. Mass Mailer Attack

• Send bulk emails to multiple targets with customizable content.
• Useful for simulating phishing campaigns.

6. Arduino-Based Attacks

• Use devices like Teensy or Rubber Ducky to emulate keyboard input and deliver payloads.

7. SMS Spoofing

• Send fake SMS messages (requires third-party services).
• Useful for mobile-based social engineering tests.

Ethical Use and Considerations

• Authorization Required: SET should only be used in environments where you have explicit permission.
• Training and Awareness: Often used in red team exercises and security awareness training.
• Logging and Reporting: SET can log attack results for analysis and reporting.

Example Use Case: Credential Harvesting

• Launch SET and choose the Website Attack Vectors option.
• Select Credential Harvester Attack Method.
• Clone a target login page (e.g., company intranet).
• Send the link via email to employees.
• Capture credentials entered into the fake page.