Social engineering is a crucial aspect of modern cybersecurity, focusing on manipulating individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security. The Social Engineering Toolkit (SET) is one of the most widely used tools for conducting social engineering attacks, and it plays a pivotal role in penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and improving security awareness.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the capabilities of SET, how it works, and how to use it to simulate social engineering attacks. We will also provide step-by-step instructions and examples to help you understand its use in various attack scenarios.

What is the Social Engineering Toolkit (SET)?

The Social Engineering Toolkit (SET) is an open-source penetration testing tool developed by TrustedSec. It is designed to facilitate social engineering attacks, enabling penetration testers and ethical hackers to simulate real-world cyberattacks. SET is widely used to assess human vulnerabilities and test the effectiveness of security awareness training programs.

SET provides several pre-configured attack vectors that simulate phishing attacks, credential harvesting, website cloning, and even USB payloads. These attacks leverage human error, making them highly effective in exploiting vulnerabilities that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

Key Features of the Social Engineering Toolkit

1. Phishing Attacks: SET allows you to create and send convincing phishing emails designed to trick recipients into clicking on malicious links or downloading harmful attachments.

2. Website Cloning: You can clone websites to capture credentials from unsuspecting users. SET supports popular platforms like Facebook, Gmail, and more.

3. Credential Harvesting: SET can harvest usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information from users by using fake login pages.

4. Payload Generation: SET can create malicious payloads that can be embedded in emails, documents, or websites.

5. USB-based Attacks: SET can generate payloads that execute when a USB device is plugged into a system, simulating an attack where a USB drive is used to infect a computer.

How to Install the Social Engineering Toolkit (SET)

Before you can begin using SET, you need to install it on your machine. SET is compatible with Kali Linux, one of the most popular penetration testing distributions, but it can also be installed on other Linux distributions.

Installation on Kali Linux:

1. Update Kali Linux: Make sure your system is up to date by running the following command:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. Install SET: Kali Linux typically comes with SET pre-installed. However, if it's not already installed, you can install it with:

   sudo apt install set

3. Launch SET: After installation, launch the Social Engineering Toolkit by typing:

   sudo setoolkit

4. Set Up Dependencies: SET may require additional dependencies for specific features like email sending or payload generation. You will be prompted to install them during the initial setup.

Using the Social Engineering Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that SET is installed and running, let's walk through how to perform a simple social engineering attack using one of SET’s most common features: phishing.

Step 1: Start SET

1. Open a terminal and type sudo setoolkit to launch the tool.

2. Once SET is running, you’ll be presented with the main menu. The interface is text-based, and you’ll be prompted to select from several options.

   1. Social-Engineering Attacks

   2. Penetration Testing (Fast-Track)

   3. Third Party Modules

   4. Update SET

   5. Quit

3. Select 1 for Social-Engineering Attacks to begin a phishing attack.

Step 2: Choose an Attack Vector

SET offers multiple attack vectors, such as phishing, credential harvesting, and website cloning. For this example, we'll select a phishing attack.

1. After selecting option 1, you will be presented with the following options:

   1. Spear-Phishing Attack

   2. Website Attack Vectors

   3. Infectious Media Generator

   4. Mass Mailer Attack

   5. Reverse HTTPS Shell

   6. Quit

2. Select 1 for Spear-Phishing Attack to begin crafting your phishing email.

Step 3: Crafting the Phishing Email

1. Next, you’ll be prompted to choose a vector for the phishing attack. SET supports several options, including:

   • Payload: You can include a payload in the email that will execute when the victim interacts with the email.

   • Link: SET can generate a malicious link that leads to a credential-harvesting page.

   • Attachment: You can include an attachment, like a malicious PDF or Word document, designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the victim’s software.

   For this example, we’ll choose Link to create a phishing link that redirects the victim to a credential-harvesting page.

2. You will then be asked to choose a template for your phishing page. You can choose from a variety of options, such as a cloned Gmail login page or Facebook login page. SET will create a realistic replica of the login page to deceive the victim.

   1. Gmail Login

   2. Facebook Login

   3. Twitter Login

   4. Custom Page

   For this example, select 1 for Gmail Login.

Step 4: Configure the Phishing Campaign

1. After choosing the template, you will be asked for the target email addresses. This is where you input the email address of the victim(s) you intend to target with the phishing email.

2. Next, SET will prompt you for the subject line and the message body. Customize these elements to make the email appear more legitimate.

   Example:

   • Subject: “Important Account Update”

   • Body: “Dear User, Your account has been temporarily suspended due to suspicious activity. Please click the link below to verify your account and restore access: [malicious link].”

Step 5: Launch the Phishing Attack

1. Once you’ve configured your email, SET will allow you to send it. The email will contain a malicious link that, when clicked, takes the victim to the fake Gmail login page where they are prompted to enter their credentials.

2. If the victim enters their information, the credentials will be captured by SET, and you will be able to see them in the SET console.

Step 6: Analyze the Results

Once the phishing campaign has been launched, SET will log the results in real-time. You can monitor the victims’ actions, including:

• Credential Harvesting: If the victim enters their login details on the fake page, SET will capture and display the information.

• Tracking Victim Interaction: You can see when a victim clicked the link, entered credentials, or downloaded an attachment.

Example Use Case: Phishing for Credentials

Imagine you're conducting a phishing simulation for a company to test its employees’ awareness of phishing attacks. After configuring the phishing email with a fake login page and sending it out to a list of employees, you monitor the results. One employee clicks the malicious link, enters their credentials, and you can view the login details in real-time. This information allows you to assess the effectiveness of the company's security awareness training and improve it.

Best Practices for Using SET

1. Ethical Usage: Always obtain explicit permission from the target before using SET in any penetration test or phishing campaign. Unauthorized use is illegal and unethical.

2. Educating Users: Use SET to simulate phishing attacks and then provide feedback to individuals or organizations about how to recognize and avoid such attacks.

3. Regular Testing: Conduct phishing simulations periodically to evaluate the effectiveness of your organization's security awareness programs.

Conclusion

The Social Engineering Toolkit (SET) is a powerful tool that can be used to simulate realistic social engineering attacks and assess an organization’s susceptibility to phishing and other human-centric vulnerabilities. By using SET, penetration testers can identify weak points in an organization's security posture, test employee awareness, and improve overall defense mechanisms. However, it’s important to use SET responsibly and ethically, ensuring that all activities are conducted with permission and for legitimate security testing purposes.