How to build a cyber security lab with docker

Key takeaways:

• Create a cybersecurity lab using Docker with two main containers: Kali Linux for penetration testing and Metasploitable as a deliberately vulnerable target.

• Install Docker, retrieve necessary images, deploy containers, and configure networking for communication between them.

• Use Nmap from the Kali container to perform initial scans on the Metasploitable container, including discovery, port, OS, version, and vulnerability scans.

Getting started: Building the lab environment

Step 1: Docker installation and image retrieval

Begin by ensuring Docker is installed on your Linux machine. If you're on a Mac or Linux-based system, refer to Docker's official documentationhttps://docs.docker.com/ for installation instructions. Next, execute the following commands in the terminal to fetch the requisite Docker images:

Step 2: Deploying the containers

Once the images are downloaded open two new terminals, deploy the containers using the following commands in each individual terminal:

In the terminal where you ran this command docker run -it --name kali kalilinux/kali-rolling, run these commands as well:

Step 3: Network configuration

To enable communication between containers, open a new terminal, create a Docker network, and connect each container to it:

Step 4: Testing connectivity

Verify connectivity between containers by executing pingPing is a network utility that tests the reachability of a host on an IP network by sending Echo Request messages and measuring the time it takes to receive an Echo Reply. It helps diagnose network connectivity and performance issues. commands:

This step ensures proper network setup and confirms accessibility between the lab components.

Conducting initial scans

With the lab operational, initiate an initial scan from the Kali container to the Metasploitable container using Nmap:

This command performs a ping scan to identify live hosts within the network. You can test the above commands in the terminal below.

Note: Wait 2-3 minutes when the terminal starts to automatically initialize and manage the docker services.

Exploration and further scans

Expand your exploration by experimenting with various Nmap scan options. These include:

• Discovery scans: These scans determine which hosts are up and running on a network.

• Port scans: Port scans identify open ports on a target machine, revealing which services and applications are potentially accessible.

• OS detection: OS detection infers the operating system running on a target device by analyzing the responses to Nmap’s probes.

• Version detection: Version detection identifies the versions of services running on open ports, providing detailed information about software applications.

• Vulnerability scans: Vulnerability scans assess a target for known vulnerabilities, checking for weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers.

Refer to the Nmap documentationhttps://nmap.org/docs.html for detailed explanations of each scan type and their respective outputs.

Conclusion

Using Docker containers to build a cybersecurity lab gives learners a flexible, scalable, and secure platform to practice. This Answer helps beginners start their journey into cybersecurity by offering a safe space to find and fix vulnerabilities.

Consistent practice and hands-on exploration are key to mastering cybersecurity skills.