5 Hidden-Gem OSINT Tools Every Penetration Tester Needs in 2024

Disclaimer: This is for educational purposes only.

When it comes to penetration testing, information is power. The right OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) tool can make all the difference between a superficial scan and a deeply insightful engagement. While most pentesters are familiar with popular tools like Shodan, Maltego, and theHarvester, there are lesser-known tools that offer unique advantages, often revealing layers of intelligence that mainstream tools miss. In 2024, pentesters are increasingly reaching for these hidden gems to gain an edge and deliver nuanced insights for their clients.

In this article, we’ll dive into five OSINT tools that may not be as popular but bring significant value in specialized scenarios. Whether it’s tracking behavior, analyzing metadata, filtering traffic, extracting local intelligence, or dissecting website connections, these tools provide capabilities that go beyond the basics. Let’s look at how each of these tools can enhance a pentester’s approach, along with real-world examples to illustrate their potential.

1. Understanding Target Behavior in Real-Time with Trape

In today’s digital world, a pentester’s job often requires observing a target’s online behavior without direct interaction. Trape provides a way to monitor a target’s real-time activity through a simple tracking link. Unlike traditional phishing, Trape is not about delivering malicious payloads but about gathering intelligence on how, where, and when users interact online.

Consider a scenario where a pentester is testing a client’s vulnerability to social engineering attacks. Instead of deploying a phishing campaign, they could use Trape to send an innocuous survey link to employees, embedding Trape’s tracking code. As employees click the link, Trape logs information about each user’s device type, IP address, geographical location, and even browsing habits. This passive approach allows the pentester to see who might be working from unsecured locations (like coffee shops) or on personal devices, both of which could introduce potential security risks.

With this kind of intelligence, pentesters can flag high-risk behaviors without tipping off employees. The data gathered by Trape could also highlight weak points in the organization’s policies — for example, if employees frequently access sensitive information on unsecured networks. By mapping these behavioral patterns, the pentester can offer specific recommendations to reduce social engineering risks, improve remote access policies, and even guide employee awareness training.

2. Uncovering Hidden Metadata with ExifTool

Often, crucial details are hiding in plain sight within the metadata of files, especially images. ExifTool has been a mainstay in forensic circles but is underused in OSINT, even though it’s extremely effective in extracting metadata from various file types. For pentesters, ExifTool can provide insights into the hidden data embedded within files — location coordinates, timestamps, camera model, and more — all of which can contribute to a clearer picture of the target’s habits and whereabouts.

Imagine a pentester researching the online profiles of employees from a target company. Many employees have uploaded photos of company events, team outings, and even their work-from-home setups on social media. By downloading these images and running them through ExifTool, the pentester might uncover embedded GPS coordinates, timestamps, and even device data. In one engagement, a pentester found that an employee had posted an image of their workspace, complete with sensitive information visible in the background, taken at a remote coffee shop. The GPS coordinates embedded in the metadata confirmed the employee’s location.

This information can reveal patterns in employee behavior, like who might be accessing company data from public spaces or how frequently they travel for work. ExifTool’s metadata extraction helps pentesters build a more comprehensive view of the organization’s exposure, providing clients with data-driven recommendations on how to mitigate risks associated with remote work, especially when sensitive data is involved.

3. Filtering Out Background Noise with GreyNoise Community

One challenge many pentesters face is distinguishing targeted attacks from the vast sea of internet noise. GreyNoise Community is a tool that classifies IP addresses, helping users filter out benign internet traffic from potentially malicious activities. This feature is invaluable during reconnaissance, as it allows pentesters to focus on genuine threats rather than generic scanning bots or crawlers.

Let’s say a pentester is hired to assess a company’s network security and notices a barrage of incoming connections from different IP addresses. Most would be tempted to investigate each IP, but with GreyNoise, the pentester can filter out the “noise” of routine scanning bots. During one engagement, a pentester discovered hundreds of incoming requests from known internet scanners, which GreyNoise quickly flagged as benign. However, one IP was flagged as belonging to a known hacker group conducting aggressive scanning in recent weeks.

With this knowledge, the pentester can shift their focus to investigating the specific, potentially malicious IP. This insight is invaluable for the client, as it indicates that their network may be on the radar of a real threat actor, allowing them to prioritize patches, bolster defenses, or strengthen their network segmentation.

4. Gathering French-Specific Intelligence with LittleBrother

When conducting OSINT on organizations or individuals in France, LittleBrother is the tool of choice. This open-source resource focuses on French databases, public directories, and localized social media platforms, making it incredibly useful when dealing with clients or targets in France. It taps into resources that more generalized OSINT tools don’t cover, uncovering information that might otherwise be missed.

Consider a pentester tasked with mapping the organizational structure of a French financial company. Using LittleBrother, they can pull detailed information from local social media platforms, French-specific public directories, and even business registrations. This data might reveal employees’ job roles, past employment history, and social connections, making it easier to identify potential social engineering targets within the organization.

For example, the pentester might identify a high-level executive who frequently attends local business events. LittleBrother could help gather details like recent event appearances, online profiles, and even some personal details that might assist in a social engineering engagement. By leveraging localized data, the pentester gains a clearer picture of the company’s network and structure, allowing them to identify possible vulnerabilities and approach their engagement with highly specific, regionally relevant intelligence.

5. Dissecting Website Connections with URLScan.io

While tools like Shodan provide a surface-level view of a target’s online presence, URLScan.io offers in-depth analysis of websites by mapping out all the internal and external requests made by a given URL. This allows pentesters to uncover third-party services, identify hidden vulnerabilities, and even trace connections to associated domains or IPs. The insight provided by URLScan.io can often reveal unexpected entry points or weak links within a company’s web infrastructure.

Imagine a pentester is tasked with evaluating a company’s main website, which is a sprawling hub of third-party integrations, media plugins, and analytics trackers. By entering the site’s URL into URLScan.io, the pentester is provided with a visual map of every connection, script, and resource the website uses. During one assessment, the pentester discovered that the website was making requests to an outdated third-party analytics service known for security vulnerabilities. Since the service hadn’t been updated, it posed a risk to the entire site.

URLScan.io doesn’t just reveal these vulnerabilities; it provides a comprehensive breakdown of how these connections are structured. For the pentester, this discovery highlights a key point of entry and allows them to demonstrate how even minor third-party integrations can compromise a larger system. With this level of detail, the client can better prioritize which parts of their website need updates, patches, or security reviews.

Why These Tools Matter in 2024

Each of these tools offers something unique to the pentester’s arsenal. Trape provides behavioral insights without invasive interaction, ExifTool dives into hidden data in metadata, GreyNoise Community helps cut through internet noise, LittleBrother offers localized intelligence for French targets, and URLScan.io breaks down the complex web of online connections. In the hands of a skilled pentester, these tools transform what would be a standard engagement into a multifaceted exploration of a target’s digital footprint.

For example, Trape’s tracking capabilities offer a deeper look into user behavior, which can be invaluable in a world where social engineering remains one of the most effective attack vectors. ExifTool reveals location and device data that traditional OSINT tools often miss, which is essential for understanding user habits, especially in remote work contexts. GreyNoise cuts through the noise of internet traffic, giving pentesters clarity in identifying true threats. LittleBrother’s regional focus fills a gap left by other tools, providing detailed information from sources specific to France. Lastly, URLScan.io’s mapping of web connections gives pentesters a bird’s-eye view of web infrastructure, uncovering vulnerabilities that can easily slip under the radar.

Wrapping Up: Integrating Niche Tools into OSINT Strategy

Incorporating these lesser-known OSINT tools into a pentester’s strategy is not just about adding more to the toolkit. It’s about using the right tools for the right scenarios and recognizing that sometimes, the most valuable insights come from less obvious sources. As cyber threats evolve and become more sophisticated, pentesters need to stay ahead by using tools that offer unique perspectives and specialized capabilities.

In 2024, the challenges in penetration testing are growing, from understanding complex social behavior to identifying subtle infrastructure weaknesses. Trape, ExifTool, GreyNoise, LittleBrother, and URLScan.io each provide a piece of the puzzle, transforming the way pentesters conduct reconnaissance and empowering them to deliver a more robust and insightful analysis for their clients. For any pentester looking to stay competitive, these tools are not just nice-to-haves — they’re essentials in crafting a comprehensive and cutting-edge OSINT approach.

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