20 Amazing Application Penetration Testing Tools For Every Tester

You might be familiar with Application Penetration Testing. Penetrating testing is popularly known as Pen Testing.It is a test to identify the areas of weakness in software systems in terms of security. For every tester, it is important to have knowledge about the effective Application Penetration Testing Tools.

Here is a list of top Application Penetration Testing Tools that may help you to become a successful tester.

1. Metaspoilt

Metaspoilt is a popular and innovative tool used for pen – testing. This tool works on the concept ‘exploit’, which is a special code capable of surpassing the security system and enter a certain system. The framework for penetration testing is made possible by running a special code called ‘payload’ on the target machine.

You can use this tool on web applications, networks, servers, etc. It is designed with a command – line and a GUI interface, therefore it is compatible with LINUX, Apple Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. Though free limited versions of the same tool are available, it is a commercial product.

Read Also : How Usability Testing Benefits the End User

2. Wireshark

As Wireshark is commonly known as a network protocol analyzer, you can use this tool for tracing the minutest details about your network protocols, packet information, decryption etc. It is compatible with Windows, Linux, OS X, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD etc. You can view the retrieved information via the TTY – mode TShark utility.

3. CORE Impact

CORE Impact is one of the expensive Penetration Testing Tools. You can make use of this tool to test mobile device penetration, password identification, network device penetration, cracking, etc. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows.

4. w3af

w3af is an exclusive tool developed for Web Application Attack and Audit Framework. It is a special penetrating tool owing to its smart features like fast HTTP requests, integration of web and proxy servers into the code, injecting payloads into various kinds of HTTP request, etc.

It is designed with a common- line interface. You can run this tool on Linux, Apple Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. All the versions of this software are available at free of cost

5. Back Track

Back Track is one of the best tools available for Packet Sniffing and injecting. If you are skilled in TCP/IP protocol and networking, you can successfully use this tool. Back Track is compatible only with LINUX machines.

6. Netsparker

Netsparker is a fine web application scanner capable of detecting vulnerabilities, suggesting remedial action, etc. You can use this tool to exploit SQL injection and LFI (local file induction). This tool is compatible only with Microsoft Windows. Even if free limited versions of this tool are available, it is a commercial product.

7. Nessus

Nessus is one of the smartest tools because of its powerful vulnerability identifier tools. It can also work as a scanner tool. With Nessus, you can perform compliance checks, sensitive data searches, IPs scan, website scanning etc. and are able to detect the ‘weak spots’. It works with most of the OS versions.

8. Burp Suite

Burp suite is one of the most popular Application Penetration Testing tools. Testing specialists have no hesitation to say that it is unimaginable to perform pen – testing without this tool. Even though there are no free versions available, it is a very cost effective tool. It is very useful for crawling content and functionality, web application scanning, intercepting proxy, etc.

Burp Suite works on Windows, Mac OS X and LINUX environments.

9. Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

As ZAP is a fully free version tool, you can use this scanner and security vulnerability finder for web applications. Proxy intercepting aspects, wide range of scanners and spiders are the special features of this tool. ZAP works on most of the environments.

10. Cain & Abel

If you want to crack encrypted passwords, Cain & Abel is the right choice for you. This Pen- Testing tool uses Dictionary, Brute Force and Cryptanalysis attacks, network sniffing, cache uncovering and routing protocol analysis techniques to do cracking. Cain & Abel is developed only for Microsoft environments.

11. Acunetix

Acunetix is an efficient web vulnerability scanner for web applications. With Acunetix, you can perform cross site scripting testing and SQl injection. Besides identifying numerous vulnerabilities this tool offers you PCI compliance report as well. Though this is one of the most expensive tools, a limited free trial version is available at their website.

12. Retina

Retina is the most trusted and validated vulnerability detecting tool in the security industry. Unlike other pen – testing tools Retina aims the complete environments at a company. It comes as a package called Retina community. In fact, this is a vulnerability management tool. This is a commercial product and a limited trial version is available on their website.

13. John The Ripper

John the Ripper is a fine password cracker tool. It is mainly developed for UNIX systems, but is compatible with most of the environments. Ripper is one of the fastest tools available in this category. Another exclusive feature is that password hash code and strength – checking code is integrated into your own software code. A limited free trial version is available on their website.

If you want to get full- features of this tool, you can upgrade to its pro version.

14. Sqlmap

Sqlmap is generally used for finding SQL injection issues. It is very effective for hacking database servers. You can download all the version of this pen – testing tool at free of cost. It works on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Apple Mac OS X.

15. Canvas

Canvas is a popularly used tool which offers you more than 400 exploits and numerous payload options. You can utilize it for web applications, wireless systems, networks, etc. It is equipped with a command- line and GUI interface. Microsoft Windows, Linux and Apple Mac OS X are supported platforms. There is no free trial version available for this tool.

16. Sqlninja

The interesting feature of Sqlninja is its process of taking control of the DB server utilizing SQL injection in any platform. This tool is popular as an efficient tool for DB related vulnerability exploitation. It is supported on all platforms except on Microsoft Windows. You can download this tool at free of cost on their website.

Recommended Read : 6 Top Android App Testing Challenges

17. Nmap

Nmap is more popular among the ethical hackers. This tool generally helps in interpreting the features of any target network. Packet filters, firewalls, OS, services, host are the features offered by this network.

18. BeEF

BeEF is the abbreviated form for the Browser Exploitation Framework. This pen – testing tool mainly targets the web browser. This is because open web browsers are always vulnerable to security attacks and BeEF take it as an advantage to attack the target system. This tool is compatible with Windows, Linux and Apple Mac OS X.

Since BeEF is open source software you can download it at free of cost.

19. Dradis

You can maintain the information that can be shared among the participants of Application Penetration Testing with the help of the web application tool Dradis. With the collected information you can assess the progress of the entire test process. The data collected by plugins from network scanning tools help to achieve this feat.

Dradis work on almost all platforms and is available for free download on their website.

20. Ettercap

Ettercap is a useful tool for network and host analysis. You can make use of this tool for sniffing and protocol dissection. In addition, Ettercap offers content filtering and many other amazing techniques.

Being a passionate tester aiming for a successful career in Application Penetrating Testing, you should keep in mind all these 20 amazing tools.