Meterpreter

Meterpreter is a highly advanced, dynamic, and extensible payload used within the Metasploit Framework, a popular tool for penetration testing and exploit development. Meterpreter operates as an in-memory-only payload, providing extensive control over a compromised system without needing to write any data to the disk.

This makes it stealthier compared to traditional payloads.

Meterpreter resides entirely in memory, leaving minimal traces on the target system's disk. This characteristic significantly reduces its detection by antivirus software and forensic tools.

Meterpreter is designed to be highly extensible. It can dynamically load additional modules and scripts into memory as needed, extending its capabilities on the fly.

Once a Meterpreter session is established (typically after exploiting a vulnerability on the target system), it allows comprehensive command and control. Attackers or testers can interact with the system, execute commands, manipulate files, and gather information.

Meterpreter provides a wide range of features, including file system manipulation, capturing screenshots and keystrokes, pivoting to other networks, port forwarding, and recording audio and video.

Its ability to operate in-memory, coupled with features like SSL/TLS encrypted communications, helps in evading detection by security defenses.

Meterpreter excels in post-exploitation, allowing testers to explore and exploit a compromised system's environment further. This includes privilege escalation, dumping system information, and accessing the system's registry.

It can provide an interactive shell to the attacker, allowing them to run native system commands on the compromised machine. Meterpreter is tightly integrated with the Metasploit Framework, making it easy to use alongside other tools and exploits in the framework.