Pentester Guide

A comprehensive, SEO-first penetration-testing knowledge base — tools, methodologies, cheatsheets, certifications, and career resources — built as a hand-rolled Jekyll static site on GitHub Pages, with no off-the-shelf theme.

Live site: guide.zishanhack.com — this repo is the source that builds it.

The project

• Stack: Jekyll + Liquid on GitHub Pages — hand-rolled theme, no CSS framework, no build-time JS.
• Scope: 7 deep-dive modules, 7 cheatsheet suites, 10+ curated resource directories, hundreds of hand-picked tools, commands, and links.
• Engineering: custom dark-indigo design system consistent with the ZishanHack brand; SEO pipeline (per-page meta + canonical + robots.txt + single-author sitemap with zero junk URLs); fully responsive; static output for fast load.
• Skills it demonstrates: static-site architecture, Liquid/Jekyll templating, HTML/CSS accessibility & responsiveness, technical writing at scale, SEO, Git/GitHub collaboration.

Guides & Notes

Active Directory · Pentesting Methodology · Bug Bounty Methodology · Bug Bounty Collections · CTF Box Manual · Security Roadmap · Tools Index Also check the ZishanHack Blog & WriteUps.

Contents

• Important Notes
• Certifications
• Pentesting Practice Platforms
• Foss Labs
• Bug Bounty Hunting Platforms
• Independent Pentesting Platforms
• 0Day Market
• Operating System for Hacking
• Awesome Links
• Hackers Manuals
• About Me

Important Notes

1. Tools
2. Active Directory
3. All about Pentesting
4. Bug Bounty Hunting Methodology
5. HackiFy Wordlist and Tool Installer Script
6. Cyber Security / Bug Bounty Hunting Roadmap

Certifications

1. INE eJPT $249
2. AlteredSecurity CRTP $249
3. TCM Security PNPT $499
4. INE eCPPT $599
5. Offensive Security - PEN-200 (OSCP) $1749
6. HTB CPTS With Annual Silver Plan $490
7. Offensive Security - PEN-300 (OSEP) $1649
8. Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (Cloud) $146
9. CompTIA Security+ $500 Exam Voucher
10. CREST CRT $500
11. ISC2 CISSP $750
12. ISC2 CCSP $599
13. SANS SEC560: Enterprise Penetration Testing (GPEN) $2,499
14. SANS SEC660: GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester $2,499

Note: Price may vary.

Pentesting Practice Platforms

1. VulnHub (Offsec) – Free
2. VulnMachines (BlackHat) – Free
3. Web Security Academy (PortSwigger Labs) – Free
4. TryHackMe – Free + Paid
5. pwnable.kr – Free
6. pwnable.tw – Free
7. HackTheBox – Free + Paid
8. root-me – Free
9. PentesterAcademy (Attackdefense) – Free + Paid
10. Pentester Lab – Free + Paid
11. standoff365 hackbase – Free
12. LabEx Cybersecurity Labs – Free + Paid

FOSS Labs

1. Vulhub
2. Metasploitable3 Box
3. OWASP Juice (WEB)
4. DVWA (WEB)
5. WebGOAT (WEB)
6. Kubernetes GOAT
7. Wrong Secrets (WEB)
8. SQLi Lab
9. HackerOne CTF
10. For More Check: Awesome Vulnerable App List

Bug Bounty Hunting Platforms

1. Hackerone
2. Bugcrowd
3. Intigriti
4. YesWeHack
5. Standoff365
6. RedStorm
7. Zerocopter
8. OpenBugBounty
9. Immunify Web3
10. HackenProof WEB3

Independent Pentesting Platforms

1. Yogosha
2. Synack

0Day Market

1. CrowdFense
2. Zerodium (0day Bounty)
3. ZeroZenx