Introduction

In the realm of cybersecurity, social engineering remains one of the most effective techniques for exploiting human vulnerabilities. While technical defenses such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems are important, they can often be bypassed through manipulation of human behavior. One of the best ways to test an organization’s defense against social engineering attacks is by using a tool like the Social Engineering Toolkit (SET), available in Kali Linux.

SET is a powerful framework specifically designed to simulate social engineering attacks. It allows penetration testers and security professionals to assess the human element of an organization’s security posture. Whether it’s crafting phishing emails, creating fake websites, or executing other malicious actions, SET provides a variety of capabilities to assess and exploit human vulnerabilities.

In this guide, we will walk you through the installation, configuration, and usage of the Social Engineering Toolkit (SET), highlighting its most important features and attack vectors.

1. What is SET (Social Engineering Toolkit)?

The Social Engineering Toolkit (SET) is an open-source framework used for automating social engineering attacks. Developed by TrustedSec, SET is specifically designed for penetration testing and red team assessments. It allows security professionals to simulate a wide range of social engineering scenarios, from phishing attacks to USB-based attacks.

SET is extremely powerful and widely used because it automates many social engineering techniques that would normally require extensive manual effort. With SET, security testers can simulate attacks quickly and efficiently, allowing organizations to identify weaknesses in their security awareness programs and employee training.

2. Installing SET on Kali Linux

Since Kali Linux comes with SET pre-installed, you may not need to install it manually. However, in case it's missing or you need to update it, here's how to install SET on Kali Linux:

Step-by-Step Installation:

  1. Open Terminal in Kali Linux.

  2. Update the system to ensure all packages are up to date:

    bash

    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

  3. Install SET if it is not already installed:

    bash

    sudo apt install setoolkit

  4. Verify the installation:

    bash

    setoolkit

If everything was installed successfully, this will launch the SET interactive interface.

3. Launching SET

Once installed, SET can be launched through the command line. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Open the terminal and type:

    bash

    sudo setoolkit

  2. After entering the command, the SET interactive interface will appear. You will be greeted with a menu of attack vectors that SET can perform.

  3. Enter the number corresponding to the attack type you wish to execute.

4. Key Features of SET

SET provides several powerful tools for social engineering attacks. Here’s an overview of some of the most important features:

4.1. Social Engineering Attacks

This is the core feature of SET, which provides a variety of pre-configured attack vectors to perform social engineering attacks.

  • Phishing Attacks: SET allows you to create phishing emails that mimic legitimate services (e.g., Facebook, Gmail, or Amazon). These phishing emails are designed to steal sensitive information when the recipient clicks on a malicious link.

  • Credential Harvester: When a target clicks on the phishing link, SET can capture credentials entered on a cloned version of the legitimate website.

  • Website Cloning: SET can clone websites, allowing attackers to create replicas of legitimate login pages. This can be used to steal user credentials from unsuspecting victims.

4.2. Website Attack Vectors

SET also allows penetration testers to exploit website vulnerabilities:

  • Web Jacking: SET can be used to perform a web jacking attack, which allows attackers to take over a web session by impersonating a legitimate website.

  • Java Applet Attack: This method tricks victims into downloading a malicious Java applet, which can execute arbitrary code on the victim’s machine.

  • Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attacks: Using SET in combination with tools like Ettercap, you can perform MITM attacks to intercept and manipulate traffic between two parties.

4.3. Malicious USB Attacks

SET can also create malicious payloads for USB devices (e.g., USB Rubber Ducky), which can execute commands or download malicious software when plugged into a victim's computer.

  • USB HID Attacks: SET can generate USB payloads that simulate keystrokes and execute specific actions on the victim’s machine, such as opening a web browser with a malicious URL.

4.4. Spear Phishing via SMS

SET allows the simulation of SMS phishing (smishing), where SMS messages containing malicious links are sent to targets, often appearing as legitimate communications (e.g., from a bank or service provider).

5. Common SET Attacks

Let's take a deeper look at how to execute some of the most commonly used attacks in SET:

5.1. Phishing Attack

Phishing attacks are one of the most common and successful methods of social engineering. With SET, phishing can be automated in the following way:

  1. Launch SET by typing:

    bash

    sudo setoolkit

  2. From the main menu, select option 1: Social-Engineering Attacks.

  3. Then select 2: Website Attack Vectors.

  4. Now select 3: Credential Harvester Attack Method.

  5. Choose the type of phishing attack you want to simulate. You can either clone a website or create a new phishing page.

  6. Once you have selected your desired template, SET will ask for the target's email address to send the phishing email to.

  7. Once the victim receives the email and clicks on the malicious link, SET will harvest the credentials entered on the cloned website.

5.2. Website Cloning

Cloning a website is a simple yet effective way to carry out phishing attacks:

  1. In the SET menu, choose Website Attack Vectors.

  2. Select Clone a Website.

  3. Enter the website you want to clone (e.g., https://www.facebook.com).

  4. SET will create an exact replica of the website.

  5. You can then email the victim a link to the cloned site, making them believe it’s the legitimate one.

  6. Once the victim enters their credentials, SET will capture them.

5.3. SMS Phishing (Smishing)

To conduct an SMS phishing attack using SET:

  1. In the SET menu, choose Social-Engineering Attacks.

  2. Select SMS Spoofing.

  3. Input the target’s phone number and craft a phishing message.

  4. SET will send the message to the target’s phone, luring them to click on a malicious link.

6. Ethical Considerations

Using SET responsibly is critical. It is essential to only perform social engineering attacks in authorized environments, with explicit written consent from the organization or individual being tested. Unauthorized use of SET could lead to legal consequences.

To ensure ethical use of SET:

  • Always have written permission: Obtain clear and documented authorization from the organization or target before conducting any penetration tests or social engineering attacks.

  • Focus on awareness: Use SET to identify weaknesses in security awareness programs and provide recommendations for improvement.

  • Ensure minimal disruption: Ensure that your actions do not cause any harm to systems or data during the test.

7. Conclusion

The Social Engineering Toolkit (SET) is one of the most powerful tools available in Kali Linux for simulating social engineering attacks. By automating the process of phishing, credential harvesting, and other forms of manipulation, SET allows penetration testers to identify human vulnerabilities and improve organizational security.

As an ethical hacker, it is important to use SET responsibly and ensure that the tests are conducted in a controlled, consent-based environment. By leveraging SET and similar tools, organizations can strengthen their defenses against social engineering attacks and enhance their overall cybersecurity posture.