BackTrack explained

BackTrack
Developer:	Mati Aharoni, Devon Kearns, Offensive Security^[1]
Family:	Linux (Unix-like)
Ui:	Bash, KDE Plasma Desktop, Fluxbox,^[2] ^[3] GNOME
License:	Various
Source Model:	Open source
Latest Release Version:	5 R3
Supported Platforms:	i386 (x86), AMD64 (x86-64), ARM
Kernel Type:	Monolithic
Working State:	Superseded by Kali Linux

BackTrack was a Linux distribution that focused on security, based on the Knoppix Linux distribution aimed at digital forensics and penetration testing use.^[4] In March 2013, the Offensive Security team rebuilt BackTrack around the Debian distribution and released it under the name Kali Linux.^[5]

History

The BackTrack distribution originated from the merger of two formerly competing distributions which focused on penetration testing:

• WHAX: a Slax-based Linux distribution developed by Mati Aharoni, a security consultant. Earlier versions of WHAX were called Whoppix^[6] and were based on Knoppix.
• Auditor Security Collection: a Live CD based on Knoppix developed by Max Moser which included over 300 tools organized in a user-friendly hierarchy.

On January 9, 2010, BackTrack 4 improved hardware support, and added official FluxBox support.^[7] The overlap with Auditor and WHAX in purpose and in collection of tools partly led to the merger. The overlap was done based on Ubuntu Lucid LTS starting from BackTrack 5.^[8]

Tools

BackTrack provided users with easy access to a comprehensive and large collection of security-related tools ranging from port scanners to Security Audit. Support for Live CD and Live USB functionality allowed users to boot BackTrack directly from portable media without requiring installation, though permanent installation to hard disk and network was also an option.

BackTrack included many well known security tools including:

• Metasploit for integration
• Wi-Fi drivers supporting monitor mode (rfmon mode) and packet injection
• Aircrack-ng
• Reaver, a tool used to exploit a vulnerability in WPS
• Gerix Wifi Cracker
• Kismet
• Nmap
• Ophcrack
• Ettercap
• Wireshark (formerly known as Ethereal)
• BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)
• Hydra
• OWASP Mantra Security Framework, a collection of hacking tools, add-ons and scripts based on Firefox
• Cisco OCS Mass Scanner, a very reliable and fast scanner for Cisco routers to test default telnet and enabling password.
• A large collection of exploits as well as more commonplace software such as browsers.
• Armitage - java frontend to Metasploit.

BackTrack arranged tools into 12 categories:

• Information gathering
• Vulnerability assessment
• Exploitation tools
• Privilege escalation
• Maintaining access
• Reverse engineering
• RFID tools
• Stress testing
• Forensics
• Reporting tools
• Services
• Miscellaneous

Releases

Date	Release
May 26, 2006	First stable release of BackTrack ^[9] ^[10]
October 13, 2006	BackTrack 2 beta #1 released ^[11] ^[12]
November 19, 2006	BackTrack 2 beta #2 released ^[13]
March 6, 2007	BackTrack 2 final released ^[14] ^[15]
December 14, 2008	BackTrack 3 beta released ^[16] ^[17]
June 19, 2008	BackTrack 3 final released (Linux kernel 2.6.21.5) ^[18] ^[19]
February 11, 2009	BackTrack 4 beta released ^[20]
January 9, 2010	BackTrack 4 final release (Linux kernel 2.6.30.9) ^[21] ^[22]
May 8, 2010	BackTrack 4 R1 release ^[23]
November 22, 2010	BackTrack 4 R2 release ^[24]
May 10, 2011	BackTrack 5 release (Linux kernel 2.6.38) ^[25] ^[26]
August 18, 2011	BackTrack 5 R1 release (Linux kernel 2.6.39.5) ^[27]
March 1, 2012	BackTrack 5 R2 release (Linux kernel 3.2.6) ^[28]
August 13, 2012	BackTrack 5 R3 release ^[29]

Whenever a new version of BackTrack was released, older versions would lose their support and service from the BackTrack development team. There are currently no supported versions of BackTrack.^[30]

External links

• • Offensive Security
• SecurityNet on BackTrack

Notes and References

1. Web site: Developers. . 2010-03-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100322191128/http://www.backtrack-linux.org/about/ . 2010-03-22 . dead .
2. Web site: HowTo:Install KDE 4.1 . Offensive-security.com . 2009-12-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090806044712/http://backtrack.offensive-security.com/index.php/HowTo%3AInstall_KDE_4.1 . 2009-08-06 .
3. Web site: BackTrack 4 tutorial . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111026005034/http://forum.indonesianbacktrack.or.id/forumdisplay.php?fid=78 . 2011-10-26 .
4. Web site: BackTrack Linux – Penetration Testing Distribution.
5. Web site: Kali Linux Has Been Released!. 2013-03-12. 2013-03-18.
6. Web site: BackTrack - remote-exploit.org.
7. Web site: BackTrack Linux - Penetration Testing Distribution. www.backtrack-linux.org. en. 2018-09-18.
8. Web site: BackTrack Linux - Penetration Testing Distribution. 2018-04-09. backtrack-linux.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20180409010424/http://backtrack-linux.org/. 2018-04-09. live. 2018-04-14.
9. Web site: BackTrack Downloads (seriously old). https://web.archive.org/web/20080626100030/http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack_download_veryold.html. dead. 2008-06-26. en. 2019-04-09.
10. Web site: BackTrack Security Final Release. 15 May 2006. en. 2019-04-09.
11. Web site: Downloads. https://web.archive.org/web/20061027172529/http://www.offensive-security.com/downloads.html. dead. 2006-10-27. en. 2019-04-09.
12. Web site: BackTrack v2.0 Public Beta Has Been Released!. 14 October 2006. en. 2019-04-09.
13. Web site: BackTrack Downloads. https://web.archive.org/web/20070202024932/http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack_download.html. dead. 2007-02-02. en. 2019-04-09.
14. Web site: BackTrack Developers Log. https://web.archive.org/web/20090529075045/http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack_devlog.html. dead. 2009-05-29. en. 2019-04-09.
15. Web site: BackTrack 2.0 Final Due End of February. 13 February 2007. en. 2019-04-09.
16. Web site: Latest News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080501210105/http://www.remote-exploit.org/news.html. dead. 2008-05-01. en. 2019-04-09.
17. Web site: BackTrack 3 Beta out!. 13 December 2007. en. 2019-04-09.
18. Web site: BackTrack Developers Log. https://web.archive.org/web/20090529075045/http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack_devlog.html. dead. 2009-05-29. en. 2019-04-09.
19. Web site: BackTrack. en. 2019-04-09.
20. Web site: BackTrack Downloads. https://web.archive.org/web/20090523080314/http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack_download.html. dead. 2009-05-23. en. 2019-04-09.
21. Web site: BackTrack 4 Final Released. https://web.archive.org/web/20100114220541/http://www.backtrack-linux.org/backtrack/backtrack4-release/. dead. 2010-01-14. en. 2019-04-09.
22. Web site: BackTrack 4 Final Release. 11 January 2010 . en. 2019-04-09.
23. Web site: BackTrack 4 R1 – Public Release. https://web.archive.org/web/20101130093002/http://www.backtrack-linux.org/backtrack/backtrack-4-r1-public-release/. dead. 2010-11-30. en. 2019-04-09.
24. Web site: BackTrack 4 R2 Download!. https://web.archive.org/web/20110112194447/http://www.backtrack-linux.org/backtrack/backtrack-4-r2-download/. dead. 2011-01-12. en. 2019-04-09.
25. Web site: BackTrack Linux. en. 2019-04-09.
26. Web site: BackTrack 5 Release. https://web.archive.org/web/20120226060247/http://www.backtrack-linux.org/backtrack/backtrack-5-release/. dead. 2012-02-26. en. 2019-04-09.
27. Web site: BackTrack 5 R1 released. https://web.archive.org/web/20120223221229/http://www.backtrack-linux.org/backtrack/backtrack-5-r1-released. dead. 2012-02-23. en. 2019-04-09.
28. Web site: BackTrack 5 R2 Released. https://web.archive.org/web/20120303005136/http://www.backtrack-linux.org/backtrack/backtrack-5-r2-released/. dead. 2012-03-03. en. 2019-04-09.
29. Web site: BackTrack 5 R3 Released!. https://web.archive.org/web/20130314031147/http://www.backtrack-linux.org/backtrack/backtrack-5-r3-released/. dead. 2013-03-14. en. 2019-04-09.
30. Web site: BackTrack to be Reborn as Kali Linux!. 2013-02-01.