Programming languages that are useful to hackers

Programming languages that are useful to hackers

Why should hackers learn how to program?

  • Hackers are problem solvers and tool builders, learning how to program will help you implement solutions to problems. It also differentiates you from script kiddies.
  • Writing programs as a hacker will help you to automate many tasks which would usually take lots of time to complete.
  • Writing programs can also help you identify and exploit programming errors in applications that you will be targeting.
  • You don’t have to reinvent the wheel all the time, and there are a number of open-source programs that are readily usable. You can customize the already existing applications and add your methods to suit your needs.
SR NO.COMPUTER LANGUAGESDESCRIPTIONPLATFORMPURPOSE
1HTMLThe language used to write web pages.*Cross-platformWeb hacking

Login forms and other data entry methods on the web use HTML forms to get data. Being able to write and interpret HTML, makes it easy for you to identify and exploit weaknesses in the code.

2JavaScriptClient-side scripting language*Cross-platformWeb Hacking

JavaScript code is executed on the client browse. You can use it to read saved cookies and perform cross site scripting etc.

3PHPServer-side scripting language*Cross-platformWeb Hacking

PHP is one of the most used web programming languages. It is used to process HTML forms and perform other custom tasks. You could write a custom application in PHP that modifies settings on a web server and makes the server vulnerable to attacks.

4SQLThe language used to communicate with the database*Cross-platformWeb Hacking

Using SQL injection, to bypass web application login algorithms that are weak, delete data from the database, etc.

5Python

Ruby

Bash

Perl

High-level programming languages*Cross-platformBuilding tools & scripts

They come in handy when you need to develop automation tools and scripts. The knowledge gained can also be used in understand and customization the already available tools.

6C & C++Low-Level Programming*Cross-platformWriting exploits, shellcodes, etc.

They come in handy when you need to write your own shellcodes, exploits, rootkits, or understanding and expanding on existing ones.

7Java

CSharp

Visual Basic

VBScript

Other languagesJava & CSharp are *cross-platform. Visual Basic is specific to WindowsOther uses

The usefulness of these languages depends on your scenario.

* Cross-platform means programs developed using the particular language can be deployed on different operating systems such as Windows, Linux based, MAC, etc.

Other skills

In addition to programming skills, a good hacker should also have the following skills:

  • Know how to use the internet and search engines effectively to gather information.
  • Get a Linux-based operating system and know the basics commands that every Linux user should know.
  • Practice makes perfect, a good hacker should be hardworking and positively contribute to the hacker community. He/she can contribute by developing open-source programs, answering questions in hacking forums, etc.

One thought on “Programming languages that are useful to hackers

Leave a Reply