(Mar 17, 2017 04:56 PM)rayjo Wrote:  You are definitely on the right path. Personally, I started with Python, then networking and now i'm learning linux.
Just keep reading books and being motivated, you'll eventually become advanced.
Good luck brotha.

(Mar 17, 2017 10:35 PM)True Demon Wrote:  Agreed, you are definitely starting the right way. You are choosing the markedly more difficult route, but it is the right one. I began with windows exploitation and web injection vulnerabilities as a teenager and didn't actually learn about Linux or its advantages until I started my career in security. By starting in Linux you are going to be committing to a much steeper learning curve, especially when you start with C programming. I actually also recommend learning python alongside BASH scripting. Honestly, python is a much easier, readable scripting language than BASH, plus it has a lot of functionality that you won't get out of BASH.

Anyhow, I would actually recommend you read Hacking: The Art of Exploitation before you read Dennis Yurichev's Reverse Engineering for beginners. Reverse engineering has a very steep learning curve and will take you a LONG time to digest everything. Exploitation by comparison is much more straight-forward, and having learned C already, you will be able to understand the book much better. Hacking: The Art of Exploitation has a very gentle introduction to x86 Assembler, and truth be told, you don't need to be able to write code or reverse engineer assembler in order to be a good exploit developer. It certainly helps, but as I said, you will spend a long time learning reverse engineering, so in my opinion, learning exploitation before you learn reverse engineering will be a more gentle approach to it, plus it should provide you some motivation as well.

I've read Jon Erickson's book, and it's a phenomenal read. You don't have to be an expert in C programming in order to understand it, but it will help. The one caveat is that Art of Exploitation is strictly focused on Linux exploitation. If you want to learn about windows exploitation, I recommend the Corelan blog at corelan.be

Me recommended syllabus for you to follow:

Linux command line and configuration
Linux Bash scripting and python (together is better 🤝)
Learn C the Hard Way and/or C Programming for Beginners
Linux kernel
Art of Exploitation
Corelan Blog
Get better with python and learn the advanced libraries, it will be helpful, I promise
Save Reverse Engineering for last. It takes a long time to get good at. Years, in fact.

(Mar 18, 2017 01:39 AM)Red_Schuhart Wrote:  Thank you Sir. 🙂


Whoa! I didn't expect this kind of feedback. Thank you for your advice, didn't know about the blog, and your path of learning makes more sense ( I understood your advice about the Reverse Engineering for Begginers immediately, I forgot that it has 1000+ pages of highly technical text, so it makes sense to start last with it). I already started to play and learn with linux command line, so thank you Sir, your guidance was really helpful 👍