Most Popular Ethical Hacking Languages- Why?

Ethical hacking is the art of lawfully breaching corporate networks to find possible flaws that hackers could exploit to establish an entry point in a network. The purpose of these ethical hacking efforts is to discover any vulnerability before falling into the hands of malicious attackers and patching them before any attack can take place. For this reason, ethical hackers use a diverse range of hacking programs and programming languages.

Ethical hacking does require a good knowledge of programming, but an ethical hacker may choose to learn a programming language on the need to know basis. Programming with sealing the security vulnerabilities may come in ethical hacking, and so can penetration testing. Ethical hacking may range from exposing a loophole in the system to suggest or code (depending upon their knowledge of code) a security fix for the loophole.
Following are some of the best programming languages which are commonly used for ethical hacking. One may find some of the most common hacking programming languages like PHP and Python because nowadays, these languages are used in several applications, and if he wants to secure his application, he will need knowledge of these languages. Let us see what programming language hackers use and see the best hacking language if one decides to go in the ethical hacking way. This list is in no particular order:

• Ruby
• Bash
• PHP
• LISP
• Python
• Java
• C
• Assembly
• SQL
• Lua
• Perl
• C++
• JavaScript
• Scheme
• HTML

1. Ruby

One of the best programming languages for hacking multi-purpose corporate systems, Ruby is syntactically very similar to Python. Although both languages are great at automating common hacking programs, Ruby is much more web-focused. Ruby is arguably one of the best programming languages for hacking due to the superior flexibility it offers while writing exploits. This is why Metasploit, the most infamous penetration testing framework, chose Ruby as its base language.

Why Ruby is Popular-

• If someone wants to master the art of writing efficient exploits, Ruby is important.
• This language borrows many of Smalltalk's syntactic elements and is an excellent choice for writing programs for quick hacking.
• Having breached a network, Ruby is also used by veteran hackers to write CGI scripts.
• With the Rails framework, several next-generation web applications are created, making Ruby the best choice for breaking them.

2. Bash

While not quite a full-fledged programming language, if an ethical hacker wants to master hacking programming, proficiency in Bash is a must. In most Unix systems, Bash is the default command shell, and every major server is built on top of Unix. So, after he has obtained access to a network by using a mix of hacking programs, modifying the device itself is handy for Bash. It can be thought of as the latest hacking programs' Swiss army knife and is a must for security enthusiasts.

Why Bash is Popular-

• Bash helps to automate the bulk of the hacking programs that are used to infiltrate a network.
• If someone is looking to build highly complex scripts that require the filesystem and directory tree to be changed, then Bash is the best option for scripting.
• To use hacking programs like NMAP, Armitage, and Metasploit properly, a deep understanding of this command shell is necessary.
• Complex shell scripts allow penetration and manipulation of hard-to-break systems by being able to write and understand them.

3. PHP

PHP is an acronym for Hypertext Preprocessor, a dynamic programming language based on modern CMSs such as WordPress and Drupal. Since most of the internet's personal websites are based on these CMSs, PHP's in-depth understanding is a must to compromise those networks. So, if the specialty is web hacking, then one must improve his PHP skills.

Why PHP is Popular-

PHP is used extensively in server-side scripting, so if a server hacking program is required, knowledge of this hacking programming language is important.
Older PHP websites also contain deprecated scripts that can give easy access to servers by manipulating them effectively.
A better understanding of this hacking coding language means that as soon as you find them, you'll be prepared to take down unreliable websites.
For hacking personal websites, PHP is undeniably the best programming language.

4. LISP

The go-to answer for developing creative solutions to software issues among old-school hackers was one of the greatest hacking programming languages, LISP. Due to its rather complex programming style and the advent of verbose languages such as Python and Ruby, the language has lost much of its appeal. Those who know LISP are the most esteemed in the hacker community. For breaking into complex networks, it is the best programming language and will also give popularity amongst fellow hackers.

Why LISP is Popular-

• LISP is completely computer-independent, meaning that without thinking about architecture, one can curate custom hacking programs.
• When discovering runtime bugs in enterprise systems, the high-level debugging functionality provided by LISP is useful.
• LISP offers a simple implementation of convenient macro systems, thus enabling powerful exploits and payloads to be created.
• In curating compelling hacking instruments, the complete I/O library and comprehensive control structures offered by LISP support ethical hackers.

5. Python

Python, the de facto hacking programming language, is heralded as the greatest hacking programming language, and with good reason. This complex programming language is also used by ethical hackers for scripting their on-demand hacking programs on the go. Python lets us do almost anything if used the right way, from checking the credibility of corporate servers to automating most of the hacking programs.

Why Python is Popular-

• The interpreted design of Python allows it to run without compilation being required.
• An easy-to-read language that is useful for ethical hackers to start with.
• Has a wide group that every day wields valuable 3rd-party plugins/library.
• One of the best programming languages for web server hacking.
• Writing scripts for automation makes it reasonably simple.
• Python helps to identify the target network easily and makes prototyping a lot easier.

6. Java

Java is now the industry's most commonly used programming language. It drives several "legacy" and new web servers, such as Apache Tomcat and Spring MVC. Also, Java code now runs on more than 3 billion mobile devices with the launch of Android. So, this language, despite what many may assume, is still important. Java is the language if you're looking for the best programming language for hacking into mobile devices.

Why Java is Popular-

• Much like C++, Java is also commonly used to reverse engineer paid applications by hackers.
• Professional penetration testers use it extensively to curate scalable servers for delivering payloads.
• For professional ethical hackers, Java makes it possible to build state-of-the-art hacking programs.
• Java is dynamic, contrary to C++. This means you can run them on any platform that supports Java once you write your hacking programs with Java.
• The development of hacking programs for the Android framework is integral to a deeper understanding of Java.

7. C

It is no wonder that C, the holy grail of modern programming languages, is still commonly used in the security industry. When it comes to accessing low-level hardware components such as RAM, the low-level nature of C offers an advantage over other languages used for hacking programming. When they need to exploit machine hardware and resources at a lower level, security professionals often use this language. C also gives the ability for penetration testers to write blazing fast programming scripts for sockets.

Why C is Popular-

• C is a fast programming language at a low level.
• Most modern systems are designed using C, like Windows and Unix, so mastery of this language is necessary to understand these systems fully.
• After breaching a system, C is also used to obtain low-level access to memory and system processes.
• To simulate the library's high-jacking attack, veteran security professionals also use C.

8. Assembly

Assembly is considered the best programming language for hacking systems, one of the strongest and hard to learn a hacking coding language. The ability to control low-level system processes at ease makes the Assembly most ideal for designing fast and efficient hacking programs. To construct malware such as viruses and Trojans, it is also the most suitable programming language. So, the outcome will be gratifying if one can tolerate its steep learning curve.

Why Assembly is Popular-

• Assembly language provides the ability for hackers to exploit devices at the architectural level explicitly.
• You can easily alter the processor accesses and execute instructions with Assembly for compromised systems.
• To create computer viruses and other malware, this is the de-facto language.
• With Assembly, you can easily create complex hacking programs that exploit disrupted services.
• Assembly, while difficult to learn, is the best language for time-critical work.

9. SQL

SQL stands for Structured Query Language for ethical hackers and is one of the most common hacking programming languages. To query and fetch information from databases, this programming language is used. Since most web-based software stores useful information in some database, SQL is the best programming language for breaking into corporate databases, such as user credentials. Any ethical hacker  would not be able to combat database attacks without a full understanding of SQL

Why SQL is Popular-

• SQL is not a common language for programming and is mainly used to interact with databases.
• Black hat hackers use this language to build SQL injection-based hacking programs.
• To acquire unhashed passwords, SQL is also used by hackers to run unauthorized queries.
• MySQL, MS SQL, and PostgreSQL provide common SQL databases.

10. Lua

On almost any embedded machine, Lua is a very lightweight language that can run smoothly. The language is fast and comes with a relatively simple but powerful C API that allows ethical hackers to infiltrate such systems by forging possible hacking programs. It can also be the best language for hacking into systems operating on embedded hardware such as smartwatches, smart TVs, and many other IoT products. It's a must for you as a competent, ethical hacker to be able to compromise those computers.

Why Lua is Popular-

• An extremely viable solution for compromising embedded systems is this lightweight and fast programming language.
• Lua is used heavily in the industry to build security systems such as intrusion detection systems (IDS).
• The swift execution and dynamic selection of garbage by Lua make it ideal for creating fast exploits.
• The multi-platform design of Lua makes it particularly ideal for designing programs for general-purpose hacking.

11. Perl

Perl codebases still occupy a significant portion of corporate tools, despite what you might think. While this language of hacking programming has long lost its appeal, Perl is still used by many old systems. This is still one of the best programming languages for hacking into such old computers, as it was the go-to solution for creating legacy Unix applications. A polyglot hacker would use Perl to craft various parts of its hacking programs, from building exploits to building payloads and backdoors.

Why Perl is Popular-

• Perl is still the best language available on Unix systems for manipulating text files.
• With this language, the extensible nature of Perl enables hackers to create a wide range of hacking programs.
• Perl is bundled with the most popular systems, enabling many systems to run Perl scripts.
• It also comes integrated with common web databases, so it can be effortless to break those stores by mastering Perl.

12. C++

This is arguably one of the best corporate software hacking programming languages. Because most corporate software comes under a proprietary license and often needs paid activation, to circumvent that, hackers typically need to do some reverse engineering. C++ gives the low-level access needed to analyze the machine code and bypass certain activation schemes. So, mastering C++ should be your primary focus if you want to crack enterprise software or create proprietary hacking programs yourself.

Why C++ is  Popular-

• The object-oriented design of C++ enables hackers to write modern-day hacking programs that are easy and effective.
• C++ is typed statically, which ensures that right at compile-time, you can prevent several trivial errors.
• With this programming language, access to low-level device components means that hackers can easily reverse engineer enterprise software.
• The high-level polymorphism mechanism enables programmers to use C++ for writing metamorphic computer viruses.

13. Javascript

JavaScript has overtaken PHP's position as the de facto language of the internet, thanks to the recent launch of Node.JS. So, for hacking web applications, it has been the strongest programming language. Security professionals also emulate the technique of writing cross-site scripts in JavaScript by black hat hackers. As this hacking coding language and its back-end equivalent can manipulate front-end web components, it has become a common language for hacking complex web apps.

Why Javascript is Popular-

• It is the de-facto option for the creation of hacking programs for cross-site scripting.
• JavaScript can quickly manipulate the DOM of the browser, making it a viable option for creating Internet worms.
• It can be used not only on the server-side but also on the client-side to imitate attacks.
• The go-to language for developing adware hacking programs is JavaScript, which has steadily increased in recent times.
• Because JavaScript can create desktop cross-platform applications, it could be used by hackers for attacks such as buffer overflow and stack overflow.

14. Scheme 

One of the two mainstream LISP dialects that are still commonly used in the industry is Scheme. It's one of the best hacking languages for old LISP software programming. The scheme is a programming language for general purposes that support different paradigms of hacking programming, including functional programming and imperative programming. So if you're in a rush and want to curate a nice and tidy hacking program to take advantage of your next objective, the Scheme will support your endeavour seriously.

Why Scheme is Popular-

• Scheme gives a heavy focus on functional programming and recursive algorithms, making it an apt option for developing programs for high-tech hacking.
• The language is very expandable, although it has a tiny heart.
• Scheme provides delayed evaluation, which means that with it you can build asynchronous applications fairly quickly.
• The Scheme's hygenic macro feature enables developers to expand the language without interfering with its native syntax quickly.

15. HTML

Without mentioning HTML, no list of the best hacking programming languages is complete. It stands for the language of HyperText Markup and glues together the entire internet. You won't even be able to see this article without Javascript. So, you should be able to guess its necessity already. Also, learning HTML is not that difficult either. So, we recommend you spend some time learning your HTML fundamentals properly. When you step forward and start curating more sophisticated hacking systems, it will prove to be an important investment.

Why HTML is Popular-

• HTML is a web language.
• A full understanding of HTML is necessary if web apps are to be compromised.
• In creating hybrid mobile and desktop applications, HTML is also used, so HTML is a must if you want to verify the credibility of such apps.

A competent ethical hacker can see the past and consider the broader picture of languages or hacking programs. Because various types of attacks suit different types of programming for hacking, curating a perfect strategy is a must. However, the overview of the best hacking programming languages will address all kinds of attacks and adapt well to various approaches. It is recommended to consider one at a time and use the best language for hacking coding suited to that specific attack.

Want to hack a new way of learning? Join the world of micro learning with Koolstories. Delivering bite-sized content to upskill the learners!