Linux Reverse Shell that (Almost) Always Works

In the field of penetration testing and ethical hacking, a reverse shell is one of the most effective and widely-used tools. It allows an attacker to gain remote access to a target machine by executing commands on the victim’s machine through a shell. In the Linux environment, setting up a reverse shell is common during post-exploitation or lateral movement in a network. However, not all reverse shells are created equal; some methods fail due to system restrictions, firewalls, or even limitations in shell environments.

This blog aims to guide you through creating a Linux reverse shell that (almost) always works. We’ll explore different techniques, the working mechanism of reverse shells, and methods for evading detection to increase success rates.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction to Reverse Shells
2. Reverse Shell vs Bind Shell: Key Differences
3. Components of a Reverse Shell
4. Basic Reverse Shell Techniques

• Bash Reverse Shell
• Netcat Reverse Shell
• Python Reverse Shell
• PHP Reverse Shell

1. Advanced Reverse Shell Techniques

• Perl Reverse Shell
• Ruby Reverse Shell