Essential Programming Languages for Hackers

We get a hell lot of questions regarding“Learning to Hack” and “Which programming languages should I know to learn Hacking?”. So, today, we are going to discuss about some of The Essential Programming Languages which you should know in order to learn Hacking. So, let’s get started!

Do you know that everything you see on your computer is already been programmed in some programming language? So, if you want to become a Computer Hacker, then you must have a deep understanding of the programming language in which the victim’s system is developed.

Well, it is not as straight-forward as you thought. The answer of this question depends on the target’s system and the mechanism on which it works. The only way to understand its logic is to understand how it is coded and if you don’t understand that particular programming language, then you will not be able to understand it.

Web Hacking and Penetration Testing:

Web hacking and Penetration testing is very common but not so easy when it comes to secure targets. So, you may wonder what languages should I know to hack or test web applications.

• HTML: HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is used in every web application. It is one of the most simple and easy to learn programming language. It can help you understand web actions, response and how the front-end of the website is created. You can find HTML tutorials here.

• JavaScript: JavaScript is the client-side web programming language and is often called as “Programming Language of the Web”. It is used in client-side validations, increasing User-Interface of the website and for quick response. JavaScript is a must if you want to get into Penetration Testing field. It can help you to find client-side flaws including common web vulnerabilities like Cross-Site Scripting(XSS). You can findJavaScript tutorials here.

• SQL: SQL stands for Structured Query Language and is a database programming language used in almost every data storing website. SQL is responsible for storing and managing the most sensitive and confidential data on the website such as user credentials, bank details, etc. Mostly websites make use of MySQL, a Relational Database Management System. You can find MySQL documentations here.

• PHP: PHP is the most popular server-side scripting language and is used to make the website Dynamic. It works on the server side and generate dynamic webpages as per client’s request. PHP is strongly recommended for every Hacker who wants to get in Web Hacking and Penetration Testing. You can find some PHP docs here.

Exploit Writing:

Every hacker must know how to write an exploit. It is a must, especially if you don’t want to be considered as Script Kiddie. However, it requires deep knowledge of programming languages. You can do that with Python, C, C++, Ruby and Perl.

• C :  C is considered as one of the most powerful programming language. It can be used for software programming in Linux and Windows, but can be used as a lethal weapon if you want to write exploits in C. It may not be able to provide wider flexibility in some cases, but still considered a good option. You can find some C docs here.

• Python: Python is widely used language for exploit writing or creating pentesting and hacking tools. A Hacker must know Python and Python Socket Programming. It helps lot learning exploit creation. Python is mostly recommended by all Hackers and Security experts because it provides wider flexibility and its not hard if you’re familiar with C or C++. You can find some Python docs here.

• Ruby: Ruby is a simple object-oriented programming language. The Metasploit framework is itself coded in Ruby. It can be a good option for exploit writing and development. You can find some Ruby docs here.