Metasploit Framework : Hack the Planet

Metasploit took the security world by storm when it was released in 2004. No other new tool even broke into the top 15 of this list, yet Metasploit comes in at #5, ahead of many well-loved tools that have been developed for more than a decade. It is an advanced open-source platform for developing, testing, and using exploit code. The extensible model through which payloads, encoders, no-op generators, and exploits can be integrated has made it possible to use the Metasploit Framework as an outlet for cutting-edge exploitation research. It ships with hundreds of exploits, as you can see in their online exploit building demo. This makes writing your own exploits easier, and it certainly beats scouring the darkest corners of the Internet for illicit shellcode of dubious quality. Similar professional exploitation tools, such as Core Impact and Canvas already existed for wealthy users on all sides of the ethical spectrum. Metasploit simply brought this capability to the masses.

Metasploit provides useful information and tools for penetration testers, security researchers, and IDS signature developers. This project was created to provide information on exploit techniques and to create a functional knowledgebase for exploit developers and security professionals. The tools and information on this site are provided for legal security research and testing purposes only. Metasploit is an open source project managed by Rapid7.

The Metasploit Project is an open-source computer security project which provides information about security vulnerabilities and aids in penetration testing and IDS signature development. Its most well-known sub-project is the Metasploit Framework, a tool for developing and executing exploit code against a remote target machine. Other important sub-projects include the Opcode Database, shellcode archive, and security research.

The Metasploit Project is also well known for anti-forensic and evasion tools, some of which are built into the Metasploit Framework.

Metasploit was created in 2003 as a portable network game using the Perl scripting language. Later, the Metasploit Framework was then completely rewritten in the Ruby programming language. It is most notable for releasing some of the most technically sophisticated exploits to public security vulnerabilities. In addition, it is a powerful tool for third party security researchers to investigate potential vulnerabilities. On October 21st, 2009 the Metasploit Project announced that it had been acquired by Rapid7, a security company that provides unified vulnerability management solutions.

Like comparable commercial products such as Immunity's CANVAS or Core Security Technologies' Core Impact, Metasploit can be used to test the vulnerability of computer systems in order to protect them, and it can be used to break into remote systems. Like many information security tools, Metasploit can be used for both legitimate and unauthorized activities.

Metasploit's emerging position as the de facto vulnerability development framework has led in recent times to the release of software vulnerability advisories often accompanied by a third party Metasploit exploit module that highlights the exploitability, risk, and remediation of that particular bug. Metasploit 3.0 (Ruby language) is also beginning to include fuzzing tools, to discover software vulnerabilities in the first instance, rather than merely writing exploits for currently public bugs. This new avenue has been seen with the integration of the lorcon wireless (802.11) toolset into Metasploit 3.0 in November, 2006.

Metasploit Official Website: http://www.metasploit.com/ 
Metasploit download page:http://www.metasploit.com/framework/download/