If you've ever taken the time to modify your Windows to support the tools and features offered by a Linux platform like Kali Linux, we have good news for you, because FireEye has just launched Commando VM.
What is Commando VM?
We are talking about a Windows-based platform that many compare to Kali Linux. Commando VM is not a ready-made operating system distribution like Kali because it turns your existing Windows software into a penetration testing. It offers functions that support offensive and defensive mechanisms and over 140 tools such as Wireshark, Nmap, Burp-Suite, etc.
Nevertheless, it is not the first platform of its kind, as since 2015 PenTestBox, a similar open source tool, offers similar capabilities on Windows computers.
The creator of Commando VM stated on Reddit that its advantages are summarized as follows:
- Support for native Windows protocols (SMP, PowerShell, Sysinternals, etc.)
- Grouped tools
- Windows-based C2 frameworks such as Covenant and PoshC2
How is the installation performed?
FireEye recommends that Commando VM be installed in a virtual machine for convenience and the ability to return the system to a previous "healthy" state.
Also, 2 GB of memory and 60 GB of disk space are recommended as minimum requirements for safe operation and installation, while installation is supported for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 10 versions.
You can then download the Commando VM from the corresponding Github repository, unzip it, and run the included Powershell script to complete the installation.
