SOCIAL ENGINEERING TOOLKIT

Pentesting Tool

The Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) is an open-source penetration testing framework designed for social engineering attacks against the human element. It has a number of custom attack vectors that allow you to make a believable attack quickly. SET is a product of TrustedSec, LLC, an information security consulting firm located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a Python-driven tool aimed at penetration testing around social-engineering and has been presented at large-scale conferences including Blackhat, DerbyCon, Defcon, and ShmooCon. With over two million downloads, SET is the standard for social-engineering penetration tests and supported heavily within the security community.


DOWNLOADS

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

RAM : At least 2GB of RAM to run effectively, 4 GB or higher is recommended.

Storage : The installation typically requires around 50-100 MB of disk space.

OS : Linux, macOS (experimental), and Windows (via WSL/WSL2).

Architecture : Compatible with x86 and x64 systems.

Available On : PC


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Published By

TrustedSec.

Release Date

June 2010.

Approximate Size

30.40 MB of binaries.

Publisher Info

TrustedSec is an information security consulting firm based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Supported Languages

English

Last Update

21 Oct 2024.

Programming Language

Python (majority), with some components in C++, Shell, and others.

Operating System

Cross-platform (Linux, macOS, and Windows via WSL/WSL2).

License

Open-source.

  • Fast penetration testing
  • Integration with third-party modules
  • Phishing attack generator
  • Launch QRCode attacks
  • Support for Powershell attack vectors

  1. Social-Engineering Attacks : This option focuses on various social engineering attack vectors, including spear phishing, website attacks, infectious media generation, and credential harvesting. It allows users to simulate and test various human-centered attack scenarios.
  2. Penetration Testing (Fast-Track) : Fast-Track is a collection of testing tools and scripts designed to rapidly deploy and exploit security vulnerabilities. It helps automate various aspects of penetration testing and speeds up the process of discovering and exploiting vulnerabilities.
  3. Third Party Modules : This option provides integration with external tools and modules developed by the security community. These modules extend SET's functionality and can offer additional attack vectors, exploits, and payloads for use within the toolkit.
  4. Update the Social-Engineer Toolkit : This option allows you to update SET to the latest version, ensuring you have the most recent features, bug fixes, and improvements. Regular updates are essential to maintaining an effective and reliable toolkit.

  1. WiFi AP-based attacks : this kind of attack will redirect or intercept packets from users using our WiFi network
  2. SMS and email attacks : here, SET will try to trick and generate a fake email to get social credentials
  3. Web-based attacks : lets you clone a web page so you can drive real users by DNS spoofing or phishing attacks
  4. Creation of payloads (.exe) : SET will create a malicious .exe file that, after executed, will compromise the system of the user who clicks on it

Social engineering tools like the Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) are used to simulate real-world attacks for testing and training purposes. Here are some examples of how they can be used :

  1. Phishing Campaigns : SET can create fake emails that mimic legitimate ones to test if employees click on malicious links or share sensitive information.
  2. Credential Harvesting : It can simulate login pages to see if users enter their credentials, helping organizations identify vulnerabilities.
  3. USB Drop Attacks : SET can be used to create malicious payloads on USB drives, which are then left in public places to test if employees plug them into their systems.
  4. Pretexting Scenarios : It can help simulate scenarios where attackers pose as IT support to extract information from employees.

  • aircrack-ng
  • dsniff
  • ettercap-common
  • kali-defaults
  • libapache2-mod-php
  • metasploit-framework
  • nginx
  • openssl
  • python3
  • python3-impacket
  • python3-openssl
  • python3-paramiko
  • python3-pefile
  • python3-pexpect
  • python3-pil
  • python3-pycryptodome
  • python3-pymssql
  • python3-qrcode
  • python3-requests
  • upx-ucl

Terminal Installation Commands ...

$ sudo apt-get update

$ sudo apt install set


GUI Installation Steps ...
Linux
  1. Clone the Repository : Run the following command to clone the repository :
  2. $ git clone https://github.com/ThomasVieth/social-engineer-toolkit-plus-gui.git

  3. Navigate to the Directory: Move into the cloned directory : cd social-engineer-toolkit-plus-gui
  4. Install Dependencies: Install the required dependencies using : pip3 install -r requirements.txt
  5. Run the Setup: Execute the setup script : python3 setup.py install
  6. Launch the GUI: Start the GUI application : python3 setoolkit_gui.py
Windows installation with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
  1. Install WSL :
    • Open PowerShell as Administrator and run : wsl --install.
    • Restart your computer if prompted.
  2. Install a Linux Distribution :
    • From the Microsoft Store, download and install a Linux distribution like Ubuntu.
  3. Update and Install SET :
    • Open the Linux terminal and update the package list : sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
    • Install SET : sudo apt install set -y
  4. Run SET :
    • Launch SET by typing setoolkit in the Linux terminal.
Mac
  1. Clone the Repository: Open your terminal and run :
  2. $ git clone https://github.com/trustedsec/social-engineer-toolkit

  3. Navigate to the Directory : cd social-engineer-toolkit
  4. Install Dependencies: If you're using Python 3, set up a virtual environment :
  5. $ python3 -m venv path/to/venv

    $ source path/to/venv/bin/activate

    $ python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt

  6. Run the Setup : sudo python3 setup.py install
  7. Launch SET : sudo ./setoolkit

Terminal Uninstallation Commands ...

$ sudo apt remove set

$ sudo apt autoclean && apt autoremove


GUI Uninstallation Steps ...
Linux
  1. Remove the Directory: Delete the cloned repository : rm -rf social-engineer-toolkit-plus-gui
  2. Uninstall Dependencies: Use pip to uninstall the dependencies : pip3 uninstall -r requirements.txt
Windows
  1. Remove SET :
    • Open the Linux terminal and run : sudo apt remove set -y
  2. Uninstall WSL (Optional) :
    • Open PowerShell as Administrator and run : wsl --unregister <DistributionName>
    • Replace <DistributionName> with the name of your Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu).
Mac
  1. Remove the Directory: Navigate to the parent directory where SET was cloned and delete the folder : rm -rf social-engineer-toolkit
  2. Deactivate Virtual Environment (if used) : deactivate
  3. Remove Dependencies: Uninstall Python packages installed for SET : pip uninstall -r requirements.txt

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