Glossary
Meterpreter
Metasploit's advanced, in-memory payload offering an interactive command set beyond a raw shell; a staged payload that requires a Metasploit handler.
Meterpreter is Metasploit's feature-rich payload. Instead of a raw
command shell it provides an interactive in-memory session with file
transfer, pivoting, and process control. It is typically a
staged payload: a small stager connects back
and downloads the rest, so it requires Metasploit's multi/handler configured
with the matching payload — a plain netcat listener will
not catch it. See msfvenom reverse shells
and staged vs stageless.