[Article]-Book Review: Gray Hat Python

[don]

Thanks again to Ryan for some great insights into a book many have been asking about on the site. Keep up the good work.

Permanent link: [Article]-Review: Gray Hat Python

Review by Ryan Linn, CISSP, MCSE, GPEN

“Gray Hat Python” by Justin Seitz, one of the latest releases from publisher, No Starch Press, focuses on using the Python programming language for reverse engineering.  This book is subtitled “Python Programming for Hackers and Reverse Engineers” which is fitting as Justin is a member of Immunity Security, makers of the Canvas penetration testing platform and the Immunity Debugger.  The foreword by Dave Aitel, Immunity's CEO, is an excellent introduction to why the content of this book is important.  It focuses on the short time span that is required from discovery of a bug to exploit, and the necessity for flexible, fast, and collaborative vulnerability discovery and exploit development.  Dave does an excellent job in setting the tone for why the information in the book is relevant and what the drive is for these types of tools in the industry.

Add your thoughts on Ryan's review or on the book itself.

Don

[Andrew Waite]

Thanks for the review Ryan,

I'd been waiting to see if it lived up to billing. Looks like I'll be adding this to my ever growing pile of things to study.

(p.s. Don, couldn't find a link to the book via the EH-Net Amazon store...)

[BillV]

Really nice write-up and review, Ryan. Certainly appreciate the feedback on this book.

[don]

You're too fast Andrew. It's now there on the EH-Net Amazon Book Store.

Thanks for keeping me on my toes,
Don

[Andrew Waite]

Sorry, didn't mean to nag . Slow day in very warm office means enough time to catch up on articles so I'm running quicker than usual

[don]

Can u digg it? 

http://digg.com/programming/Book_Review_Gray_Hat_Python

Don

[n3r]

Hi !
do you think i can start learning Python with this book or i should go for another one ?

[don]

Have you done any programming at all? If so, then go for it, as this is a book geared more towards reverse engineering and less on general python programming.

If it's the basics you want try:

Hello World
http://www.ethicalhacker.net/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,54/topic,3978.0/

And then try Coding for Pen Testers by EH-Net's own Ryan Linn with Jason Andress:
http://www.syngress.com/hacking-and-penetration-testing/Coding-for-Penetration-Testers/

Welcome to EH-Net and hope this helps,
Don

[rance]

Hi !
do you think i can start learning Python with this book or i should go for another one ?

Having briefly thumbed through this book, I'd certainly say it's not a book for learning the language.  I'd say at least a "moderate" level of python would be needed to work successfully though it, as it doesn't hold your hand through learning the basics of the language.  It won't hurt you by just jumping in, but you may become frustrated with lack of understanding of some of the advanced functions, and it may have the unintended side effect of thinking python sucks (the primary reason I detest perl... i never really learned the language, but had to maintain code written by others, and without a proper understanding, i just eventually said "man, this crap sucks... give me something that makes sense!")  I'd recommend the good `ol O'Reilly "Learning Python" book if you're just starting with the language.

2 cents, mileage may vary, etc.

[rance]

And then try Coding for Pen Testers by EH-Net's own Ryan Linn with Jason Andress:
http://www.syngress.com/hacking-and-penetration-testing/Coding-for-Penetration-Testers/

Oh wow, that's cool... didn't know a member here was involved in that!  I almost know someone famous!    (Got my copy on pre-order...)

[chrisj]

Oh wow, that's cool... didn't know a member here was involved in that!  I almost know someone famous!    (Got my copy on pre-order...)

Both authors are members here.

[jason]

The first print copies will be available at DerbyCon this weekend and both Ryan and I will be there as well 

[n3r]

Have you done any programming at all? If so, then go for it, as this is a book geared more towards reverse engineering and less on general python programming.

If it's the basics you want try:

Hello World
http://www.ethicalhacker.net/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,54/topic,3978.0/

And then try Coding for Pen Testers by EH-Net's own Ryan Linn with Jason Andress:
http://www.syngress.com/hacking-and-penetration-testing/Coding-for-Penetration-Testers/

Welcome to EH-Net and hope this helps,
Don

Thanks for your answer ! I only know C language and would like to learn Python.

[alucian]

Nice. I have Coding for Pen Testers in my list.

I saw that the book covers a lot of languages. Is it more a theoretical book or it is practical, full of examples?

Also, I am not familiar with some of the languages in the book. Is this a problem?

Congratulations for the book.

[jason]

The first half of the book is intro for several languages with practical examples. The second half is all application of the first half. The intro pieces are all quick and dirty introductions to the various languages and I think should be enough to get most folks going on them.