Master Nikto in 25 Minutes: 30 Commands Every Hacker Needs

What can a web server reveal with just one free security tool? In this lab, I run 30 different Nikto commands against a deliberately vulnerable Metasploitable 2 web server — starting with a basic HTTP scan and progressively moving into deeper web server enumeration and security checks. We test: • Basic HTTP scanning • Multiple web ports • HTTPS and SSL • Verbose output • HTTP redirects • Cookies • Successful responses • Authentication-protected URLs • CGI directories • Interesting files and resources • Default files and misconfigurations • Information disclosure • Injection indicators • Remote file retrieval • Command execution indicators • SQL injection checks • File upload checks • Authentication bypass • Software identification • Remote source inclusion • Web services • Administrative consoles • Mutation-based discovery • Custom User-Agent testing • Full HTML reporting The lab uses: Kali Linux — 192.168.56.101 Metasploitable 2 — 192.168.56.102 Everything is performed inside an isolated, authorized lab environment. But here's the important part: Nikto isn't a magic "find vulnerabilities" button. It's a discovery accelerator. It helps you map the exposed web surface quickly — but the real security workflow is: DISCOVERY → VALIDATION → RISK ASSESSMENT → DOCUMENTATION → REMEDIATION The scanner finds the clues. A security professional determines what they actually mean. If you're responsible for a web server, run this kind of assessment against your own infrastructure before someone else does. A forgotten phpinfo page. An exposed admin console. An outdated server. An insecure cookie configuration. A forgotten CGI directory. None of these necessarily requires an advanced attacker. Sometimes all it takes is a free tool and someone willing to look. If you want to go deeper into reconnaissance, watch the Nmap masterclass next — 60 commands covering the scans every security professional should understand. And if you want to see what these scans actually look like on the wire, check out the Wireshark masterclass with 30 essential filters. Subscribe to SENTINEL. Real tools. Real labs. Real security. #Cybersecurity #Nikto #KaliLinux #WebSecurity #PenetrationTesting #EthicalHacking #WebServerSecurity #InfoSec #CyberSecurity #Metasploitable #SecurityTesting #WebHacking #NetworkSecurity #SENTINEL nikto nikto tutorial nikto tutorial 2026 nikto kali linux nikto web server scan nikto web vulnerability scanner nikto commands nikto commands tutorial 30 nikto commands nikto scanning nikto scanner nikto web security web server security web server scanning web vulnerability scanning web application security web security testing kali linux cybersecurity kali linux penetration testing kali linux tools kali linux hacking tools ethical hacking penetration testing cybersecurity lab cybersecurity tutorial web server audit web server enumeration web reconnaissance security assessment vulnerability assessment metasploitable 2 metasploitable metasploitable 2 lab nikto metasploitable apache security apache web server security information disclosure cgi security web server misconfiguration security misconfiguration admin console security sql injection detection xss detection file upload vulnerability authentication bypass security testing tools offensive security red team tools blue team security infosec cybersecurity SENTINEL