What is http

What is HTTP?

The "Fast Lane" Answer

HTTP stands for "HyperText Transfer Protocol," and it's the computer communication protocol used for most communication on the world wide web. The protocol is the set of rules that actually conducts the client/server interaction between your web browser and the destination web page. Like a butler, it takes your requests and then retrieves a response from the server in question.

When a client makes a request of a website server, HTTP takes that request and establishes a connection between client and server via TCP. Then HTTP sends the request over to the server, which pulls up the requested information and hands it back, and HTTP carries the response back to the client.

Let's look at an example. Say you want to look at some adorable cat pictures. You direct your browser to your favorite cat-picture website. (You and your browser are the "client" and the cat site is the "server.") HTTP carries your request for cute kitties to the server, the site pulls up a picture, and HTTP brings that picture back to you.

The back and forth continues—like a game of hot potato—for as long as the HTTP session is sustained (by continuing to submit requests to the server), feeding your web browser with all the information it needs to answer your request.

The "Scenic Route" Answer

If you're like most people, there are more than a few things you don't know how to read in a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). One of those things probably looks like this:

http://

Well, brace yourself, because we're about to help you feel really smart. HTTP is both simple and critical, and you're bound to have a lot of fun knowing something all the other kids at school don't know.

Putting the "Hyper" in Hypertext

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. It is the sequence of rules or protocols that mediate the communication and transfer of data between these links. On a larger scale, it's the part of the internet that actually runs your requests from your computer to the website you're browsing. Like many things going on when you use the internet, you don't actually notice HTTP—that is, unless something goes wrong. It serves you dutifully every day, and today you're finding out what those four letters at the front of the URL mean.

All this might prompt the question, "What is hypertext? Is that like a superhero name or something?" While that latter question gives us some crazy-cool ideas, we sadly have to answer "no" (or at least, "not yet"). Hypertext is a concept that refers to interconnectivity on the internet. Whenever there's a word or section of text online that links to something else, that's hypertext.

The format of hypertext that you're likely most familiar with is the blue-highlighted words that you can click on to go to other web pages. They're the reason you spend 3 hours reading instead of 3 minutes when you pull up Wikipedia.

Layers of the Internet

So here's how it works: the internet is built in layers, like a cake. Some layers are occupied by programs, some are occupied by sequences of rules and process methods, and some are simply filled with a bit of information or two. The highest layer is the layer you interact with, the application layer. That's where your web browser sits. You know, the thing you're using right now to read this article.

Below that are layers like IP (which conducts the transmission of data), and TCP (which handles the packing and unpacking of data at either end of the trip). Between these lower layers and the application layer is the layer that interfaces between them—and that's where HTTP sits. HTTP is a facilitator that sets up the TCP connection and fires off your requests to the destination website.

Diagram of an HTTP Connection

Let's start with how you go places. You see that bar up at the top of the browser? That web address that starts with "http" is the URL, and you might consider it the GPS coordinates of where you currently are on the internet. Usually it's tied to the domain name of the website in question, but it will have fun crazy bits you don't know how to read, including lots of backslashes, percent signs, ampersands, and other characters that prove that the developers just want to mess with us.

URLs can be entered in full, or as just the base domain name (i.e., entering SmartyStreets.com will still lead you to us). Once you have the URL punched in, HTTP goes right to work, establishing a connection between your computer and the computer running that particular website.

We call these situations client/server setups. The client is you, the user, with your device and system on that end. The server is the physical hardware on the other end that runs the website you're trying to access. HTTP is a go-between, mediating between the client and the server, via TCP and IP. The entire exchange from the first request to the last, is called an HTTP session.

To facilitate these sessions, there's a fun thing on the server side called a daemon, waiting for HTTP requests to come in. The whole purpose of this Hypertext Transfer Protocol daemon (or HTTPD) is to wait for these requests. When it gets one, it helps the server begin processing and responding to the request.

Side note: Daemons are independent programs, as opposed to their cousins, "demons" which function as a part of a larger program. And yes, they are named for their mythological counterparts, though (as far as we know) they are far less malevolent.

Status Codes

When the server sends its response back to the client, the first thing it sends is something called a status code. Status codes are numeric codes accompanied by explanation phrases that indicate if the response was a success or if there was some sort of complication. The one you want, obviously, is the one that says "Yeah, we got that; here's what you asked for." This is a status code of 200—OK. But since you don't get that every time, here's an explanation of some of the error codes you might receive.

Error Codes

Error codes are status codes that indicate that there's been some sort of problem in getting you what you asked for. Annoying as they are, error codes serve an important a purpose: they help identify the problem, thereby helping you fix it. Observe:

400—Bad Request:this one means that the actual bits and bytes sent as a request may have gotten irreversibly jumbled, or pieces of it may have gotten lost. This corruption of data makes it pretty much unintelligible, even for the computer. This code's helpful because it tells you that simply refreshing the page will likely fix your problem.

401—Unauthorized:this one means you're not allowed to access this website or part thereof. It pops up most frequently when you try to go somewhere that requires you login first. So this one's helpful for reminding you to sign on.

404—Not Found: probably the one you're most familiar with, this one pops up anytime the server can't find what you're looking for. Sometimes web pages or their contents get pulled down or deleted. When that happens, searching for them leads to a 404 code (like this one), telling you that what you're looking for isn't in the place you're looking.

418—I'm a teapot: this code was an April Fool's joke, intended to be returned by teapots instructed to make coffee. Now it's mostly just an easter egg occasionally used by developers who want to have a giggle. If you're really paying attention, about half of the internet is just a thin veneer hiding treasure troves of jokes like this.

Caching

HTTP does a number of things to try to speed itself up, but the most notable is caching. Caching involves storing frequently used information from a website, so that it doesn't have to be requested and retransmitted upon successive visits to the site. It's kind of like a portion of the website is already preloaded onto your web browser, and it does a lot to speed up browsing on the internet.

And speaking of speeding things up…

HTTP Versions

Early Versions

The very first version of HTTP was—get this—HTTP 0.9; not 1.0, or even 0.0 as a programmer might start counting. We don't know why they decided to begin it where they did, but it was 1991 and we were still shaking off the weirdness of the '80s. The more reasonably named HTTP 1.0 didn't show up until 1996.

HTTP 1.1

A vast improvement on both 0.9 and 1.0, HTTP 1.1 made its debut in 1999. It made some important changes that drastically sped up the internet, one of the most important being the setup of a TCP pipeline. Basically, in 1.0, requests were made one at a time, with a separate connection established for each one. It's kind of like washing your dishes by putting them in the dishwasher one at a time, and running it to wash a single dish.

It works, but it's not a very effective way to get the job done.

1.1 improved this by establishing more perpetual connections, connections that allowed for batching of requests. This not only speeds up how fast requests can be sent, received, and responded to, but it also cuts down on internet traffic overall, which decreases latency simply due to the fact that people aren't hogging the internet like your roommate that takes 45-minutes showers and uses up all the hot water.

HTTP 2.0

2.0 is new; it didn't come out to greet the world until 2015. With hardware leaping and bounding in its upward momentum, software and programming need to keep up. Sometimes they don't, though, which is how we end up with 2015 internet capacity running 1999 HTTP. Version 2.0 aims to address some of the limitations that 1.1 imposes upon the internet, and add things that help speed it up and smooth it out.

2.0 added things like multiplexing and concurrency, making it possible to send multiple requests at the same time (or nearly the same time) on a single TCP connection. The server-side TCP doesn't even have to receive them in the proper order; it can sort through that as it all comes in. This cut down on how many client/server connections have to be established.

2.0 also adds stream dependencies—a fancy way of saying that you should be able to tell the server which resource you're requesting is most important for you to get your hands on.

At the time of this article's creation, the internet is still in the process of transitioning to 2.0. Oddly enough, this coincides with the transition from IPv4 to IPv6. So the internet's not just getting a facelift, it's getting reconstructive surgery.

HTTPS

Now, what do you do when you have sensitive and private information you need to transmit, like social security numbers or credit card info? Well, regular ol' HTTP can't help you much, since it keeps dedicated hackers out as well as a screen door keeps a hungry dog out of your kitchen. So, instead of using HTTP, you use HTTPS.

HTTPS stands for the same thing as HTTP, except the "S" stands for secure. The long answer involves discussion of terms like "SSL," "TLS," which we're not going to provide here. The short version works like this: HTTPS adds keys to the system, and you have to have the appropriate key to unlock the securities to get to the data.

HTTPS communications certify themselves so that you know that they are in play. You can tell they're working properly when the URL turns green, and there's a little lock symbol at the beginning of it. Green, of course, means you're good to go, and that your sensitive information is safely locked away behind that little padlock.

Conclusion

When it all comes down to it, HTTP is your go-to guy for getting stuff done on the internet. It's an evolving system, and one that's finally catching up to the world that's using it. It's the standard; it's become so prolific that you don't even need to put "http://" at the beginning of a URL anymore—it's just assumed.

So go ahead; impress your friends with your newfound knowledge of—and appreciation for—a part of the internet that goes unnoticed by so many.

Spacial Thanks to  smartystreets

Blog by S.Adhikari

What is anonymous

The Anonymous Group: What is it and How big is it

Research proved that Anonymous hacktivists group is relatively much bigger than you anticipated and become quite popular among people all over the world but how did it all start?

 The Anonymous group has been gaining a lot of attention in the past few years. This is mainly due to the way they act and the way they portray themselves. People donning Guy Fawkes masks and taking down the government and non-government agencies are sure to attract some attention, and because the activity of Anonymous is not restricted to a single country, they have gained global attention.

With many people talking about the hacktivist group, people have often wondered just how big the group is, given their widespread activities. However, that question is not easy to give a definitive answer to. As to what the group is, we take a look at that here.

BEGINNING

Anonymous first came in existence in 2003 when unknown users who were tagged as Anonymous posted images on 4chan’s /b/ board. The images were about random things but the Anonymous tag soon gained popularity on the website. The group then escalated their activities to internet pranks, troll events, and raiding websites like that of Habbo Hotel, a hotel in Finland.

In 2004, they started to use the website of Encyclopaedia Dramatica as a platform for their activities. For some years, they did little more than mass pranks and take action against communities that supported anti-piracy acts.

CHANGE OF STANCE


In 2008, Anonymous started Project Chanology, a direct campaign against the Church of Scientology. The campaign included repeatedly carrying out DDoS attacks on the Church’s website, the Anonymous members, or Anons as they are called, used to make prank calls to the Church’s hotline, and sending black faxes to them to waste their ink cartridges. This project resulted in the group gaining global criticism from the media and authorities and global appreciation from casual internet users.

11 Ongoing Anonymous Operations You Must Know About

In 2010, Anonymous took their next big step, taking down the website of Aiplex software using a DDoS attack. Aiplex was a company based in India which partnered with different film studios to launch DDoS attacks against P2P sharing platforms and websites like The Pirate Bay. The group next took down the website of Recording Industry Association of America and Motion Pictures Association of America.

Under their project “Payback is a Bitch” they hacked the website of Copyright Alliance, giving their reason as an act against all those that want to silence people’s rights to spread information. After this, they attacked websites of companies like Amazon, PayPal, VISA, and Mastercard. This attack, named Operation Avenge Assange, was carried out because the aforementioned companies boycotted WikiLeaks.

OTHER GROUPS AND AGENDAS OF ANONYMOUS

Anonymous is a hacktivist group that has grown enormously since it first came into existence. There are a number of groups that are associated with Anonymous, with LulzSec and Operation AntiSec. These groups have also targeted government agencies, video game companies, media groups, etc. LulzSec was formed after Anonymous attack HBGarry.

Speaking about the philosophy behind Anonymous, there is no particular set of guidelines that the group follows. It is merely a vast and intricate network of like-minded hackers who work with common ideas and goals. Recently, they have been involved in taking down Donald Trump’s Trump Towers’ website following the presidential candidate’s remarks on Muslim immigrants in the USA.

However, the most notable of Anonymous projects, which has gained them the most admirers, is their campaign against ISIS. The group are quite active in taking down any website that copies or spreads the propaganda of the terrorist outfit. They hacked a website related to ISIS that had moved to the dark net, posting a message next to an advert for a pharmaceutical company that sold Prozac and Viagra. The group have also acted against paedophile websites, saying that they are against the injustice of any kind.

Thank you

Blog by  S.Adhikari

What is respberry pi

What is respberry pi ?

A Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer originally designed for education, inspired by the 1981 BBC Micro. Creator Eben Upton's goal was to create a low-cost device that would improve programming skills and hardware understanding at the pre-university level. But thanks to its small size and accessible price, it was quickly adopted by tinkerers, makers, and electronics enthusiasts for projects that require more than a basic microcontroller (such as Arduino devices).

The Raspberry Pi is slower than a modern laptop or desktop but is still a complete Linux computer and can provide all the expected abilities that implies, at a low-power consumption level.

Is the Raspberry Pi open hardware?

The Raspberry Pi is open hardware, with the exception of the primary chip on the Raspberry Pi, the Broadcomm SoC (System on a Chip), which runs many of the main components of the board–CPU, graphics, memory, the USB controller, etc. Many of the projects made with a Raspberry Pi are open and well-documented as well and are things you can build and modify yourself.

What are the differences in Raspberry Pi models?

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has just recently released a new model, the Raspberry Pi 2, which supersedes some of the previous boards, although the older boards will still be produced as long as there is a demand for them. It is generally backwards compatible with previous versions of the board, so any tutorials or projects you see which were built for a previous version of the board should still work.

There are a two Raspberry Pi models, the A and the B, named after the aforementioned BBC Micro, which was also released in a Model A and a Model B. The A comes with 256MB of RAM and one USB port. It is cheaper and uses less power than the B. The current model B comes with a second USB port, an ethernet port for connection to a network, and 512MB of RAM.

The Raspberry Pi A and B boards been upgraded to the A+ and B+ respectively. These upgrades make minor improvements, such as an increased number of USB ports and improved power consumption, particularly in the B+.

If you have a Raspberry Pi and aren't sure which version you have, plug it in and from the terminal window, and run:

cat /proc/cpuinfo

The output will include a revision code. The numbers indicate further differences, but if it is 0002-0006, it is an older Model B with 256MB of RAM. If it is 0007-0009, it is a Model A. The newer Model Bs are listed as 000d-000f. The B+ is 0010, and the A+ is 0012. (Revision 0011 was used for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module.)

What kind of operating system does the Raspberry Pi run?

The Raspberry Pi was designed for the Linux operating system, and many Linux distributions now have a version optimized for the Raspberry Pi.

Two of the most popular options are Raspbian, which is based on the Debian operating system, and Pidora, which is based on the Fedora operating system. For beginners, either of these two work well; which one you choose to use is a matter of personal preference. A good practice might be to go with the one which most closely resembles an operating system you’re familiar with, in either a desktop or server environment.

If you would like to experiment with multiple Linux distributions and aren't sure which one you want, or you just want an easier experience in case something goes wrong, try NOOBS, which stands for New Out Of Box Software. When you first boot from the SD card, you will be given a menu with multiple distributions (including Raspbian and Pidora) to choose from. If you decide to try a different one, or if something goes wrong with your system, you simply hold the Shift key at boot to return to this menu and start over.

There are, of course, lots of other choices. OpenELEC and RaspBMC are both operating system distributions based on Linux that are targeted towards using the Raspberry Pi as a media center. There are also non-Linux systems, like RISC OS, which run on the Pi. Some enthusiasts have even used the Raspberry Pi to learn about operating systems by designing their own.

What are alternatives to the Raspberry Pi?

The Raspberry Pi is not the only small computing device out there. In fact, there are many more options available than we could list here. We’ve reviewed some of the choices before, here, but let’s talk about some of the ones you may have heard of before.

The Arduino is another hobbyist board, which is geared towards those wanting to build out electronics projects. But, while the Raspberry Pi is a fully functional Linux computer, the Arduino is only a microcontroller. This means it does not run an operating system, but instead, runs very specific, small blocks of code written by the person using the device. There are numerous add-on boards that give it more capabilities, but out of the box, it’s less ready-to-go than a Raspberry Pi. Another option is the Beaglebone series of boards, which are more similar to the Raspberry Pi, but a little bit more powerful (and a little bit more costly, too).

One advantage of using the Raspberry Pi over some other alternatives is the size of the community. If you have a question regarding a project you are working on, there are a lot of people who might be able to help you because of the large reach of the community.

Thank you.

Blog by  S.Adhikari

How To Hack Wifi Password

How To Hack Wifi Password Using Android ROOT 2016

Hack Wifi Password using Android ROOT - Latest 2016 hack wifi password using android phone 2016 here tekgyd presents a brand new wifi hack, with the help of this hacking trick you can easily hack wifi password from android device but here is the condition that your Android smartphone must be rooted. you can root android phone in one click easily. here team tekgyd says special thanks to android developing community and iTechHacks who brings new technology and hacks and many tools which makes our life easy.

Security Warning: WiFi Hacking seems to be illegal Please Don't try it to impress anyone!

 hack wifi with android phones easily but the main requirement that need to hack wifi is to root your android device.

Steps to hack wifi password:-

#1.First Root your android smartphone.

#2.After rooting install BUSYBOX in your rooted android phone.

#3.Now Here you have to install some hacking apps in your android phone to hack wifi.

#4.Now install two hacking app

*. WPS CONNECT Download Free (434kb apk)

*. WPS/WPS Tester Download Free (Playstore)

#5.Now enable wifi and start and open WPS CONNECT.

The process is same for both apps now here its your wish which app you want to use for wifi hacking.

#6.Now give ROOT permision to apk.

#7.Now Scan wifi networks. list of all nearby wifi networks going to appear their.

#8.Now choose the wifi network which you want to hack. condition is the network is WPS Enabled.

#9.Now a popup window will appear then just click on "Try to Connect ROOT Option".

#10.now as you click on the option again there will be three options appears it shows three 3 PIN's in popup.

#11.Go Ahead and choose any of the PIN and click on Try To Connect (ROOT) option.

#12.Now App is trying to hack wifi network. relax !

#13.SOMETIMES U NEED TO MORE TRIES TO HACK OR U CAN’T HACK .BUT KEEP TRYING.TRY ALL PINS ONE BY ONE.

#14. Now  A popup window will appear as shown in photo. It shows the password of that hacked wifi.

#15. Copy that password in your own way and connect it with easily.

 Note: Sometime u will get authincation error , so don’t worry just on- off ur WiFi will fix this issue and ur WiFi will connected.

Now Enjoy the free internet access in your hacked wifi network.

Thank you.

Blog by  S.Adhikari

What is the dark web or Deep web and how to access ???

What is the Dark Web?

The Dark Web is a term that refers specifically to a collection of websites that are publicly visible, but hide the IP addresses of the servers that run them. Thus they can be visited by any web user, but it is very difficult to work out who is behind the sites. And you cannot find these sites using search engines.

Almost all sites on the so-called Dark Web hide their identity using the Tor encryption tool. You may know Tor for its end-user-hiding properties. You can use Tor to hide your identity, and spoof your location. When a website is run through Tor it has much the same effect.

Indeed, it multiplies the effect. To visit a site on the Dark Web that is using Tor encryption, the web user needs to be using Tor. Just as the end user's IP is bounced through several layers of encryption to appear to be at another IP address on the Tor network, so is that of the website. So there are several layers of magnitude more secrecy than the already secret act of using Tor to visit a website on the open internet - for both parties (See also: How to delete your Google location history).

Not all Dark Web sites use Tor. Some use similar services such as I2P - indeed the all new Silk Road Reloaded uses this service. But the principle remains the same. The visitor has to use the same encryption tool as the site and - crucially - know where to find the site, in order to type in the URL and visit.

Infamous examples of Dark Web sites include the Silk Road and its offspring. The Silk Road was (and maybe still is) a website for the buying and selling of recreational drugs. But there are legitimate uses for the Dark Web. People operating within closed, totalitarian societies can use the Dark Web to communicate with the outside world. And given recent revelations about US- and UK government snooping on web use, you may feel it is sensible to take your communication on to the Dark Web. (I'll stick to Facebook, but I like the attention.) 

Dark Web or Deep Web? (Or Deepnet, Invisible Web, or Hidden Web?)

Although all of these terms tend to be used interchangeably, they don't refer to exactly the same thing. An element of nuance is required. The 'Deep Web' refers to all web pages that search engines cannot find. Thus the 'Deep Web' includes the 'Dark Web', but also includes all user databases, webmail pages, registration-required web forums, and pages behind paywalls. There are huge numbers of such pages, and most exist for mundane reasons.

We have a staging version of all of our websites that is blocked from being indexed by search engines, so we can check stories before we set them live. Thus for every page publicly available on this website (and there are literally millions), there is another on the Deep Web. The content management system into which I am typing this article is on the Deep Web. So that is another page for every page that is on the live site. Meanwhile our work intranet is hidden from search engines, and requires a password. It has been live for nearly 20 years, so there are plenty of pages there.

Use an online bank account? The password-protected bits are on the Deep Web. And when you consider how many pages just one Gmail account will create, you understand the sheer size of the Deep Web.

This scale is why newspapers and mainstream news outlets regularly trott out scare stories about '90 percent of the internet' consisting of the Dark Web. They are confusing the generally dodgy Dark Web with the much bigger and generally more benign Deep Web. Mixung up the act of delibarately hiding things, with that of necessarily keeping pages away from search engines for  reasons of security or user experience.

Wait, what about the 'Dark Internet'?

Confusingly, 'Dark Internet' is also a term sometimes used to describe further examples of networks, databases or even websites that cannot be reached over the internet. In this case either for technical reasons, or because the properties contain niche information that few people will want, or in some cases because the data is private.

A basic rule of thumb is that the phrases 'Dark Web' or 'Deep Web' are typically used by tabloid newspapers to refer to dangerous secret online worlds, the 'Dark Internet' is a boring place where scientists store raw data for research. The Deep Web is a catch-all term for all web pages that are not indexed for search, the others refer to specific things.

How to access the Dark Web

Technically, this is not a difficult process. You simply need to install and use Tor. Go to www.torproject.org and download the Tor Browser Bundle, which contains all the required tools. Run the downloaded file, choose an extraction location, then open the folder and click Start Tor Browser. That's it. The Vidalia Control Panel will automatically handle the randomised network setup and, when Tor is ready, the browser will open; just close it again to disconnect from the network.

Depending on what you intend to do on the Dark Web, some users recommend placing tape over your laptop's webcam to prevent prying eyes watching you. A tinfoil hat is also an option.

The difficult thing is knowing where to look. There, reader, we leave you to your own devices and wish you good luck and safe surfing. And a warning before you go any further. Once you get into the Dark Web, you *will* be able to access those sites to which the tabloids refer. This means that you could be a click away from sites selling drugs and guns, and - frankly - even worse things.

Aggregation sites such as Reddit offer lists of links, as do several Wikis, including http://thehiddenwiki.org/  - a list that offers access to some very bad places. Have a quick look by all means, but please don't take our linking to it as an endorsement.

Also, Dark Web sites do go down from time to time, due to their dark nature. But if you want good customer service, stay out of the dark!

And do heed our warning: this article is intended as a guide to what is the Dark Web - not an endorsement or encouragement for you to start behaving in illegal or immoral behaviour.

Also check : how to setup Tor Browser in Kali linux

Thanks to Pcadvisor

Blog by S.Adhikari

Shodan: The Hacker's Search Engine

Shodan: The Hacker’s Search Engine

What Is Shodan?

A web search engine is a software system that’s designed to search for information on the World Wide Web. As we all know, the information we usually get through search engines (like Google, Yahoo or Bing) is a mix of web pages, images and other types of files. Some search engines also mine data in databases or open directories. I will not address in detail how the search engines work, since it’s a vastly complex subject, but they all maintain the following processes in near real time:

1. Web Crawling
2. Indexing
3. Searching

Different from the “traditional” search engines, Shodan lets the user find specific types of computers (routers, servers, etc.) connected to the internet using a variety of filters to make your your searching more specific.

Some have described Shodan as a search engine for hackers, and have even called it “the world’s most dangerous search engine“. It was developed by John Matherly in 2009, and, unlike other search engines, the information it displays can be invaluable to hackers. According to Shodan.io:

Shodan is the world’s first search engine for Internet-connected devices.

How does it work?

You start by navigating to the home page, and entering text into the search bar, like you’d do with any other search engine. In the search above, I looked for a specific IP address, but I could have searched for a specific word, like we usually do while browsing the internet. The most popular searches are for things like webcams, linksys, cisco, netgear, SCADA and other relevant keywords.

But how does Shodan actually work? It works by scanning the entire Internet and parsing the service banners, which are the meta-data that the server (or device) returns to the client.

The returned data can be information about the server software, what options the service supports, a welcome message or anything else that client finds out before interacting with the server/device. Shodan collects data mostly on web servers (HTTP, port 80), as well as FTP (port 21),  SSH (port 22), Telnet (port 23), SNMP (port 22), Telnet (port 23), SNMP (port 161), SIP (port 5060), and RTSP (port 554) – the latter can be used to access webcams and their video stream. The project currently tests for around 200+ services.

All information obtained is stored in a database and provided to the public through the website without the need of an account. Using that information, Shodan can tell you things like what web server (and version) is most popular, or how many anonymous FTP servers exist in a particular location, and what make and model the device may be.

Shodan currently returns 10 results to users without an account and 50 results to those with one. If users want to remove the restriction, they’re required to provide a reason and pay a fee. With an account, you also get access to more filters and the Developer API, which makes it easy to access the data from within your own scripts (as I intend to address soon in a short tutorial).

Basic Usage

I’ve already presented some features and how to conduct searches using keywords or IP addresses. Now, I’ll talk about filters.

As with any search engine, Shodan works well with basic, single-term searches, but the real power comes with customized queries. Below are the basic search filters you can use.

The usage is pretty simple. You just need to put the keyword, the filter and your query within quotes. For example, to find Apache servers in San Francisco, we need to type the following:

Apache city:”San Francisco”

 You start with a base search term and narrow down your search using the filters like we see above, by passing your query. To combine filters, simply keep adding them. You can also do this by clicking filters in the left sidebar for a given result set.

If you want to search for Apache servers in San Francisco, that are running on port 8080, that are also running Tomcat, you could do the following:

Apache city:”San Francisco”port:”8080″ products:”Apache Tomcat/Coyote JSP engine”

Advanced Usage

Bulk searching and processing of Shodan queries can be performed using Shodan Diggity (part of SearchDiggity, Bishop Fox’s free search engine attack tool suite). The tool provides an easy-to-use scanning interface to Shodan via it’s Developer API.

It comes equipped with a convenient list of 167 search queries ready in a pre-made dictionary file, known as the Shodan Hacking Database (SHDB). This dictionary helps target various technologies including webcams, printers, VoIP devices, routers, toasters, switches and even SCADA/Industrial Control Systems (ICS) – just to name a few.

Here are a few other advanced things you can do with Shodan:

• Data Export: You can export your results in various formats using the top menu, after you’ve performed a search or through your own scripts using the API.
• Browser Plugin: The Shodan plugin tells you where a website is hosted (country, city), who owns the IP and what other services/ports are open. The plugin is available only for Chrome and Firefox.
• Developer API: Shodan provides a public API that allows other tools to access all of Shodan’s data. Integrations are available for Nmap, Metasploit, Maltego, FOCA and many more.
• Enterprise Access: The Shodan Data License provides access to all the information that is gathered by Shodan. It allows you to subscribe to the real-time data feed, download daily files and optionally get a hard drive once a month containing all the data that Shodan has gathered.

Notes

1. Shodan uses its own internally developed port scanner, not Nmap or Zmap.
2. The system uses banners and banners can be modified, spoofed and faked. What you see is what’s being presented – and not necessarily what’s real.
3. Check out the Shodan blog at https://blog.shodan.io.

A Special Thanks To  cybrary

Blog by S.Adhikari

WhatsApp hack by SS7 protocol

How to exploit SS7 protocol to impersonate WhatsApp and Telegram users and act on their behalf.

Both WhatsApp and Telegram messaging services have implemented the end-to-end encryption for chats in order to protect the privacy of their users and improve their security.

Is it enough to keep prying eyes far from them?

No, according to a recent research conducted by Positive Technologies, hackers can impersonate victims and reply to both WhatsApp and Telegram chat messages.

Hackers can exploit the Signaling System 7, aka SS7, which is a set of protocols developed in 1975 that allows the connections of one mobile phone network to another. The information passed from a network to another are needed for routing calls and text messages between several networks.

The SS7 performs out-of-band signaling in support of the call establishment, billing, routing, and information exchange functions of the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

Experts from Positive Technologies discovered that hackers can exploit a flaw in the SS7 protocol to steal the victim’s identity on the messaging services with just basic skills.

The principal instant messaging services, including WhatsApp and Telegram, rely on the SMS authentication as the primary security verification mechanism, which is routed through SS7 signalling. This means that hackers exploit the SS7 to compromise the verification mechanism and take over the victim’s account and impersonate him.

As explained by the experts, the most worrisome aspect of the story is that hacker does not need high-skills or a sophisticated equipment for such attack.

The hackers from the Positive Technologies used a common Linux distro and a publicly available SDK for their tests.

“An intruder doesn’t need sophisticated equipment. Positive Technologies used a popular Linux based computer and a publicly available SDK for generating SS7 packets. + After performing an initial attack using SS7 commands, the intruder is able to execute additional attacks using the same methods.” states the paper from Positive Technologies. “For instance, if an intruder manages to determine a subscriber’s location, only one further step is required to intercept SMS messages, commit fraud, etc. + Attacks are based on legitimate SS7 messages. Therefore, you cannot simply filter messages as it may have a negative impact on the overall quality of service”

Attacks relying on SS7 vulnerabilities could have serious consequences, many threat actors could exploit flaws in the signalling protocol to determining subscriber location, tapping calls, intercepting SMS, disrupt communication services … and takeover instant messaging accounts.

“If telecom and network operators protect their core telecom networks, it will improve the security of customers, but that’s not going to happen over night. Service providers such as WhatsApp need to consider introducing additional mechanisms to verify the identity of users to stay secure,” said Alex Mathews, technical manager EMEA of Positive Technologies.

A special thanks goes to Security affairs

Blog by S.Adhikari

Root Android

       Top 10 Reasons to Root Your Android Phone

Android is one of the most open, versatile, and customizable mobile operating systems out there. You may think you don't need to root your phone, but you'd be surprised at how much more you can accomplish with a little work. Here are 10 reasons rooting your phone is worth the hassle.

10. Unlock Hidden Features and Install "Incompatible" Apps

Sometimes, even Android isn't open enough to give you some of the features you want. Either an app is blocked by carriers, hacks into Android's system files, or otherwise isn't available. Luckily, rooting can help with that: you can install carrier-blocked apps, get features from the latest version of Android, make incompatible apps compatible, power up your hardware, get features like Beats Audio from other phones, or emulate exclusive features like those on the Moto X. Whatever you want, rooting gives you the power to do a lot more.

9. Automate Everything

You've probably heard of Tasker, the awesome app that automates just about anything on your phone. You don't need to root your phone to use it, but if you're rooted, it can do a whole lot more. Certain tasks, like toggling 3G, GPS, changing CPU speed, turning the screen on, and others require root access. So, if you want to get the full benefit of an app like Tasker, you'll definitely want to root your phone. For more automation inspiration, check out your best Tasker actions, as well as our most recently featured Tasker tricks.

8. Boost Your Phone's Speed and Battery Life

You can do a lot of things to speed up your phone and boost its battery life without rooting, but with root—as always—you have even more power. For example, with an app like SetCPU you can overclock your phone for better performance, or underclock it for better battery life. You can also use an app like Greenify to automatically hibernate apps you aren't using—perfect for those apps that always want to run in the background when you're not looking.

7. Block Ads in Any App

Look, we of all people understand the need for occasional ads—it's how we make money. But ads can also get in the way and use up data. If you want to block ads in certain apps or on certain devices, rooting is by far the best way to do so. AdFree, AdBlock Plus, and Ad Away are all great options. Of course, if you aren't rooted, going into airplane mode works in a pinch too.

6. Back Up Your Phone for Seamless Transitions

When you move to a new Android device—or restore your device to stock for any reason—you can make your life a lot easier by backing up your apps and settings first. That way, you can get your entire setup back in just a few taps. If you aren't rooted, you can back up a few things like apps and data, but you won't necessarily be able to backup system apps and their data, or automate the entire process as well as Titanium Backup can. Check out our guide to Titanium Backup for more tips.

5. Remove Preinstalled Crapware

Titanium Backup is good for more than just backups, too. It can also uninstall that annoying, battery-draining, space-wasting crapware that comes preinstalled on so many phones these days—and, sadly, this feature is root-only. Freeze them first to make sure your phone operates normally without them, then delete them completely to free up that space. You'll be glad you did. 

4. Tweak the Dark Corners of Android

If you're the kind of person that likes to fiddle with every little feature—both on the surface and under the hood—rooting is for you. Whether you want to customize your keyboard layout with something like Keyboard Manager or give yourself faster scrolling, improved multitasking, and extra themes with Pimp My ROM, rooting gives you the power to tweak just about any corner you can think of. If you want to do it, chances are someone over on a forum like XDA has created a mini-app or tweak that will help.

3. Flash a Custom Kernel

Some of Android's most under-the-hood tweaks require a custom kernel, which you can only flash with a rooted device. The kernel is responsible for helping your apps communicate with the hardware of your phone, which means a custom kernel can give you better performance, battery life, and even extra features like Wi-Fi tethering (on unsupported phones), faster battery charging, and lots more. You can flash kernels manually or simplify the process with something like Kernel Manager.

2. Flash a Custom ROM

Okay, so you probably already know about this one—but it's one of the best benefits of rooting. A custom ROM is basically a custom version of Android, and it truly changes how you use your phone. Some merely bring a stock version of Android to non-stock phones, or later versions of Android to phones that don't have it yet. Some add a few handy features, some add lots of really unique features, and some change your operating system from head to toe. No matter what phone you have—even if it's a Nexus—we highly recommend checking out the custom ROMs out there. You won't be disappointed. Note: As some of you have noted, you don't actually need root access to flash a custom ROM—though you will need to unlock your bootloader (a process that sometimes comes bundled with root access). Still, it requires freeing your device from manufacturer lockdowns, so we've kept it in the list despite this technicality!

1. Truly Own Your Device

In the end, all of this boils down to one thing: you own your device, and you should be able to do with it as you please. Certain manufacturers and carriers try to keep that from happening, but with root access, you truly own your device and open yourself up to all the possibilities other parties try to block. Sure, there's some risk involved, and we don't usually recommend rooting other people's phones, but in the end, you can't put a price on true openness and control. 

Special Thanks To LifeHacker

Blog by  S.Adhikari