Linux Commands for Hackers:Essential Commands Cheat Sheet

Table of Contents

If you’re learning ethical hacking, Linux is your battlefield. Most CTF labs, real-world targets, and cybersecurity tools are Linux-based — and the command line is your weapon. This guide is for beginners coming from Windows or GUI-heavy environments who want to become comfortable with the Linux shell. Below, you’ll find 25+ practical commands, explained clearly, followed by a print-ready cheatsheet.

Why Hackers Need the Terminal

Most hacking tools (Nmap, Netcat, Metasploit) run on Linux.
You often get access to targets via shell or SSH, not GUI.
Privilege escalation, file enumeration, and tool installation are faster through the terminal.
In real-world systems, the GUI is often disabled or unavailable.

Essential Linux Commands for Hackers

1. `pwd` — Print Working Directory

pwd

Shows your current location in the filesystem.

2. `cd` — Change Directory

cd /etc
cd ..     # One level up
cd ~      # Home directory
cd -      # Previous directory

3. `ls` — List Files and Directories

ls
ls -l     # Long listing
ls -a     # Show hidden files

4. `cat` — Show File Contents

cat file.txt

Use to read simple files like credentials or configs.

5. `less` — View Long Files

less bigfile.txt

Scroll up/down with arrow keys or space.

6. `head` / `tail` — View Start or End of Files

head /etc/passwd
tail /var/log/auth.log

7. `touch` — Create New File

touch notes.txt

8. `mkdir` — Make Directory

mkdir loot
mkdir -p recon/web/fuzz

9. `cp` — Copy Files and Folders

cp file.txt backup.txt
cp -r dir1 dir2

10. `mv` — Move or Rename

mv old.txt new.txt
mv file.txt /tmp/

11. `rm` — Remove Files or Directories

rm file.txt
rm -rf folder/

12. `find` — Locate Files

find / -name "*.conf" 2>/dev/null
find / -perm -4000 -type f 2>/dev/null # Find SUID binaries

13. `grep` — Search Inside Files

grep "admin" *.txt
grep -rin "password" /etc

14. `nano` / `vi` — Edit Text Files

nano config.txt
vi script.sh

15. `chmod` — Change Permissions

chmod +x exploit.sh
chmod 644 secrets.txt

16. `chown` — Change Ownership

chown user:group file.txt

17. `ps` — View Processes

ps aux
ps -ef | grep apache

18. `top` / `htop` — Monitor System Usage

top
htop # If installed

19. `df` — Check Disk Space

df -h

20. `du` — Check Folder Size

du -sh *

21. `wget` / `curl` — Download Files

wget http://example.com/file.sh
curl -O http://example.com/file.sh

22. `sudo` — Run as Root

sudo command

Check accessible commands:

sudo -l

23. `id` — Show Current User and Groups

id

24. `whoami` — Show Logged-In User

whoami

25. `netstat` / `ss` — Check Open Ports

netstat -tuln
ss -tuln

26. `hostname` / `uname` — System Info

hostname
uname -a

27. `tar` / `zip` — Archive or Extract

tar -czvf archive.tar.gz folder/
tar -xzvf archive.tar.gz
zip -r out.zip folder/
unzip out.zip

28. `useradd` / `passwd` — Add Users

sudo useradd hacker
sudo passwd hacker

29. `usermod` — Add User to Group

sudo usermod -aG sudo hacker

30. `history` — Show Past Commands

history

Download Printable Linux Commands Cheatsheet

Download the cheatsheet (PNG)

Linux Command-Line Cheatsheet for Hackers

==============================================================
Linux Cheatsheet for Hackers - Neerajlovecyber.com
==============================================================
====================[ SYSTEM & USER INFO ]====================
whoami               → Show current user
id                   → Display UID, GID, groups
hostname             → Show system hostname
uname -a             → Kernel and system details
uptime               → System load and uptime
======================[ NAVIGATION ]==========================
pwd                  → Show current directory
cd /path             → Change directory
cd ..                → Go up one level
cd -                 → Previous directory
ls -alh              → List files (detailed, incl. hidden)
====================[ FILE MANAGEMENT ]=======================
touch file           → Create empty file
cp src dst           → Copy file or folder
mv old new           → Rename or move file/folder
rm file              → Delete file
rm -rf folder        → Force remove directory
mkdir name           → Create new directory
mkdir -p a/b/c       → Create nested directories
====================[ FILE CONTENT VIEWING ]==================
cat file             → Show entire file
less file            → Scroll through file
head file            → Show first 10 lines
tail file            → Show last 10 lines
tail -f logfile      → Live log monitoring
====================[ SEARCHING & FINDING ]===================
grep "text" file     → Search in file
grep -r "str" dir    → Recursive grep
find / -name "file"  → Find file by name
find / -perm -4000   → Find SUID binaries (Privilege Esc)
locate keyword       → Fast file location (if installed)
======================[ PERMISSIONS ]=========================
ls -l                → Show file permissions
chmod +x file        → Make executable
chmod 755 file       → rwxr-xr-x
chown user:group f   → Change file owner
chmod -R 755 dir     → Recursively set permissions
======================[ NETWORKING ]==========================
ip a                 → Show IP addresses
ping host            → Check connectivity
ss -tuln             → Show listening ports
netstat -tulnp       → Show all network connections
wget URL             → Download via HTTP
curl -O URL          → Download via curl
===================[ PROCESS MANAGEMENT ]=====================
ps aux               → List all running processes
top                  → Live system monitor
htop                 → Advanced process monitor (if installed)
kill PID             → Kill a process
killall name         → Kill process by name
===================[ ARCHIVING & COMPRESSION ]================
tar -czvf a.tar.gz f → Compress folder to .tar.gz
tar -xzvf file.tar.gz→ Extract tar.gz file
zip -r out.zip dir   → Create zip file
unzip file.zip       → Extract zip file
====================[ PACKAGE MANAGEMENT ]====================
apt update           → Update package index (Debian/Ubuntu)
apt install pkg      → Install a package
apt remove pkg       → Remove a package
dnf install pkg      → Install on Fedora/RHEL
dnf remove pkg       → Remove from Fedora/RHEL
====================[ PRIVILEGE ESCALATION ]==================
sudo command         → Run as root
sudo -l              → Show allowed sudo commands
find / -perm -4000   → Find SUID binaries
cat /etc/passwd      → View user accounts
cat /etc/shadow      → Encrypted passwords (root access needed)
======================[ MISC & UTILITIES ]=====================
history              → Show recent commands
clear                → Clear the terminal
echo $VAR            → Print variable
export VAR=value     → Set environment variable
alias ll='ls -alh'   → Define command alias

Final Thoughts

These Linux commands are foundational for hackers and cybersecurity learners. You’ll use them to:

Navigate and explore compromised systems
Investigate misconfigurations
Upload payloads
View logs and credentials
Escalate privileges
Manage tools and scripts Practice regularly in platforms like TryHackMe, HackTheBox, or your own Kali/Parrot VM.

Why Hackers Need the Terminal

Essential Linux Commands for Hackers

1. pwd — Print Working Directory

2. cd — Change Directory

3. ls — List Files and Directories

4. cat — Show File Contents

5. less — View Long Files

6. head / tail — View Start or End of Files

7. touch — Create New File

8. mkdir — Make Directory

9. cp — Copy Files and Folders

10. mv — Move or Rename

11. rm — Remove Files or Directories

12. find — Locate Files

13. grep — Search Inside Files

14. nano / vi — Edit Text Files

15. chmod — Change Permissions

16. chown — Change Ownership

17. ps — View Processes

18. top / htop — Monitor System Usage

19. df — Check Disk Space

20. du — Check Folder Size

21. wget / curl — Download Files

22. sudo — Run as Root

23. id — Show Current User and Groups

24. whoami — Show Logged-In User

25. netstat / ss — Check Open Ports

26. hostname / uname — System Info

27. tar / zip — Archive or Extract

28. useradd / passwd — Add Users

29. usermod — Add User to Group

30. history — Show Past Commands