Lateral Movement & Pivoting
Learn lateral movement and pivoting, the techniques used to reach systems that are not directly exposed from your current position. In segmented environments, the most valuable targets are often hidden behind internal networks, jump points, and access controls. This course teaches you how to use SSH tunneling, dynamic port forwarding, Proxychains, and Metasploit autorouting to move through those environments more effectively.
Why It Matters
Many intrusion paths stop at the first compromised host because the operator cannot reach deeper targets. Pivoting solves that problem. It lets you route tools and sessions through an accessible system so you can explore internal services that would otherwise remain unreachable.
This course focuses on practical network reachability. You will build tunnels, route traffic through SOCKS proxies, add internal paths to Metasploit, and apply those techniques in a scenario where the real target sits behind an internal boundary.
What You Will Learn
- Create SSH tunnels for local and remote port forwarding.
- Use dynamic port forwarding and Proxychains to route tools through a pivot host.
- Add routes inside Metasploit to reach isolated internal networks.
- Understand how segmentation affects exploitation and post-exploitation workflows.
- Use pivoting techniques to reach high-value systems beyond the initial foothold.
Course Roadmap
- SSH Tunneling & Port Forwarding: Use SSH to expose hidden internal services through controlled tunnels.
- Dynamic Port Forwarding with Proxychains: Route entire tool workflows through a SOCKS proxy on the pivot host.
- Metasploit Autorouting: Extend Metasploit sessions into additional network segments.
- Internal Network Breach Challenge: Use pivoting techniques to reach and compromise an otherwise inaccessible internal target.
Who This Course Is For
- Learners progressing into advanced post-exploitation and internal network operations.
- Penetration testers who need practical pivoting workflows.
- Defenders who want to understand how an initial foothold can expand across segmented networks.
Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to route traffic through compromised systems, extend your reach into internal networks, and use pivoting as part of a deliberate multi-stage intrusion workflow.
