Overview

This course features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. In this comprehensive course, you will gain hands-on experience in ethical hacking by working through real Capture the Flag (CTF) exercises. You will learn how to set up and navigate through different virtual lab environments using tools like Kali Linux and VirtualBox. The course provides an immersive learning experience, where you will walk through the steps of recon, enumeration, gaining access, and exploiting vulnerabilities in real-world CTF challenges. As you progress through the course, you'll work with various CTFs such as Toppo, Lampiao, DC-1, and SickOS 1.1, each offering unique challenges in reconnaissance, exploitation, and post-exploitation. You'll understand how to identify attack vectors, perform privilege escalation, and execute exploits to gain root access. With practical demonstrations and lab preparations for each challenge, you will enhance your problem-solving skills and deepen your technical understanding of ethical hacking. This course is designed for aspiring cybersecurity professionals and ethical hackers who want to sharpen their skills in a hands-on, real-world scenario. Whether you're looking to boost your skills for penetration testing or CTF competitions, this course provides the tools you need. The content is suited for intermediate learners with some foundational knowledge of cybersecurity tools and techniques. By the end of the course, you will be able to set up virtual environments, perform reconnaissance, exploitation, and post-exploitation tasks, elevate privileges, and gain root access on various vulnerable systems in a CTF setting.

Syllabus

Course Overview

In this module, we will introduce the course, its goals, and how the content is organized for hands-on learning. You’ll learn what tools and environments you’ll use and the ethical guidelines for practicing safely. This section prepares you to follow the CTF walkthroughs effectively and get the most from each lab.

Building Your Virtual Lab Environment

In this module, we will build a secure, reproducible virtual lab for all course exercises. You’ll install and configure Kali Linux, adjust virtualization settings, and create snapshots for safe testing. This ensures a stable sandbox where you can practice attacks without risking your host system.

Capture the Flag Walkthrough - Toppo

In this module, we will prepare your environment specifically for the Toppo CTF challenge. You’ll learn systematic recon and enumeration techniques to identify attack vectors and vulnerabilities. Then we’ll walk through gaining access and post-exploitation steps to capture flags and document findings.

Capture the Flag Walkthrough - Lampiao

In this module, we will configure the virtual lab for the Lampiao challenge and validate connectivity. You’ll perform focused footprinting and enumeration to discover exploitable services and misconfigurations. Next, we’ll demonstrate selecting, building, and executing exploits and techniques for privilege elevation.

Capture the Flag Walkthrough - DC-1

In this module, we will ready the lab for the DC-1 CTF scenario and confirm the target is reachable. You’ll learn methodical reconnaissance and analysis to reveal weak points and attack vectors. Finally, we’ll perform exploitation and privilege elevation to capture the challenge’s objectives.

CTF Walkthrough - SickOS 1.1

In this module, we will prepare a recoverable SickOS 1.1 lab and explain required pre-checks. You’ll practice footprinting and enumeration to gather the intelligence necessary to select attacks. Then we’ll demonstrate gaining access, post-exploitation, and safe documentation of your results.