Glossary

Plain-language definitions of SEO terms used across the blog.

Bind Shell: A shell session in which the target host listens on a port and the attacker connects inbound — the inverse of a reverse shell, and usually blocked by firewalls and NAT.
LHOST: The listening host — the IP address or hostname the target connects back to in a reverse shell payload.
Listener: The program the tester runs to receive an incoming reverse shell connection, commonly netcat, ncat, or socat.
LPORT: The listening port — the TCP port the target connects back to in a reverse shell payload.
Payload: The command or code run on the target that opens the reverse shell — e.g. a bash, python, php, or PowerShell one-liner.
Reverse Shell Generator: A tool that produces ready-to-use reverse shell payloads for a chosen shell and platform, pre-filled with LHOST/LPORT and paired with the matching listener.
Reverse Shell: A shell session in which the target host connects outbound to an attacker-controlled listener, rather than the attacker connecting in — the standard post-exploitation primitive in authorized testing.
TTY (Pseudo-Terminal): A terminal interface; upgrading a raw reverse shell to a full TTY restores job control, tab completion, and interactive programs like sudo and vi.
/dev/tcp: A bash built-in pseudo-device path that opens a TCP connection — the basis of the classic bash reverse shell, and absent from /bin/sh (dash).
LFI (Local File Inclusion): A web vulnerability where an application includes attacker-influenced local file paths; can escalate to code execution and a reverse shell.
Meterpreter: Metasploit's advanced, in-memory payload offering an interactive command set beyond a raw shell; a staged payload that requires a Metasploit handler.
Ncat: The modern netcat replacement shipped with Nmap, adding TLS (--ssl) and a kept --exec flag — useful for encrypted reverse shells.
Netcat (nc): The general-purpose TCP/UDP utility commonly used as the listener that catches a reverse shell, and sometimes as the payload itself.
Socat: A multipurpose relay that can allocate a pseudo-terminal and use TLS, giving a fully interactive reverse shell without a manual TTY upgrade.
Staged Payload: A payload split into a small stager that connects back and downloads the larger second stage; requires a handler rather than a plain listener.
Webshell: A script left on a web server that runs commands sent over HTTP and returns the output — a persistent foothold that needs no outbound connection.