Certified Professional Penetration Tester (eCPPT) Review & Study Notes
What Is eCPPT?
The eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester (eCPPT), offered through INE Security, is a 100% hands‑on, practical certification specifically designed for real-world penetration testing skills. It is globally recognized across all seven continents
eCPPT Study Notes
Prepare with confidence for the eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester (eCPPT) exam using this comprehensive and practical study companion.
Whether you’re working through TryHackMe labs or building your own practice environment, this book walks you through every major skill required to pass the eCPPT exam. It blends foundational theory with hands-on execution, covering information gathering, web app pentesting, buffer overflows, privilege escalation, pivoting, and even exploit development.
With practical tool usage (Metasploit, Burp, sqlmap, BloodHound, Empire, and more), updated strategies for enumeration and post-exploitation, and a structured exam methodology section, this book is ideal for learners aiming to master real-world offensive security techniques and pass the exam with confidence.
Table of Contents
- About eCPPT
- 24-Hour Penetration Testing Assessment Plan
- Core Domains
- Preparation Sections
- Enumeration & Vulnerability Scanning
- Exploit Searching & Compilation
- Bind and Reverse Shells with Netcat
- Metasploit & Empire Usage
- PowerShell Techniques
- Vulnerability Exploitation
- XSS Attacks
- SQL Injection (SQLi)
- Shellcode and Buffer Overflow
- Linux & Windows Exploitation
- Privilege Escalation Techniques
- Pivoting (Proxychains, Chisel, Socat)
- Linux & AD Post-Exploitation
- Kerberos Attacks (AS-REP, Pass-the-Ticket, Golden Ticket)
- Malware Types & Evasion
- Exploit Development & Debugging
- Cryptography & Secure Communications
- Sample Lab Setups
- Reporting and Documentation Tips
Page count: 396
Format: PDF
Disclaimer: Unofficial Study Material
This study guide is an unofficial, independently written resource created solely for educational purposes. It is based on personal exam experience and publicly available information. This product is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by TCM, or any of their partners. It does not contain any copyrighted material, proprietary courseware, or confidential exam content.All trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners.
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For official training material, please visit the certification body’s website.
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Who Should Take eCPPT?
While open to anyone, it’s primarily geared toward professionals with 2+ years of experience in offensive security, including systems administrators, DevOps, security engineers, pentesters, and security analysts
eCPPT Prerequisites
The eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester (eCPPT) certification has no formal prerequisites, but INE and the cybersecurity community strongly recommend a solid technical foundation before attempting the exam.
Recommended Prerequisites (Unofficial but Critical)
1. Foundational Knowledge
You should be comfortable with:
- Networking concepts (TCP/IP, subnets, ports, protocols)
- Linux and Windows CLI basics
- Common protocols like HTTP, SMB, DNS, FTP, SSH
- Client-server architecture and how applications communicate
2. Offensive Security Skills
Before attempting the exam, you should have experience with:
| Area | Skills Expected |
|---|---|
| Reconnaissance | DNS enum, Nmap scanning, service discovery |
| Web App Hacking | SQLi, XSS, authentication bypass, brute-force |
| Privilege Escalation | Windows/Linux privesc techniques, misconfigurations |
| Active Directory Attacks | AS-REP Roasting, Kerberoasting, pass-the-hash, lateral movement |
| Buffer Overflow | Basic exploit dev, stack-based overflow (x86) |
| Post-Exploitation | Credential harvesting, persistence, data exfiltration |
| Report Writing | Professional pentest report with impact, PoC, remediation |
3. Hands-on Lab Experience
Strongly recommended to complete:
- INE’s Penetration Testing Professional (PTP) course (bundled with eCPPTv2)
- Hack The Box (especially Active Directory and real-world machines)
- TryHackMe (Offensive Pentesting, Windows Pentesting paths)
- VulnHub machines for exploitation and BOF
4. Realistic Candidate Profile
According to INE:
eCPPT is best suited for learners with at least 2 years of hands-on experience in offensive security, system administration, or security engineering.
Not Recommended For:
- Absolute beginners in cybersecurity
- Those without any experience writing pentest reports
- Candidates unfamiliar with Active Directory environments
eCPPT Course Material & Labs
Total Duration: Approximately 107 hours, including 97 hours of video content
Content Structure:
- 10 courses
- 172 video lessons
- 124 quizzes
- 67 hands-on labs
Topic Breakdown by Time Allocation:
- Resource Development & Initial Access – ~22 hours
- Web Application Attacks – ~14 hours
- Network Security – ~17 hours
- Exploit Development – ~7 hours
- Post-Exploitation Techniques – ~18 hours
- Red Teaming Fundamentals – ~19 hours
eCPPT Exam Structure
The exam evaluates candidates across six practical domains, each weighted by importance (total = 100%):
- Information Gathering & Reconnaissance (10%) – scanning, enumeration
- Initial Access (15%) – username enumeration, password spraying and brute‑force
- Web Application Penetration Testing (15%) – SQLi, XSS, login brute force, outdated component exploits, data exfiltration
- Exploitation & Post‑Exploitation (25%) – privilege escalation, dumping hashes, persistence techniques
- Exploit Development (5%) – memory corruption (buffer overflow) and modifying exploit code
- Active Directory Penetration Testing (30%) – AD enumeration, AS‑REP Roasting, pass‑the‑hash/ticket lateral moves, domain admin compromise
eCPPT Exam Format & Logistics
- Duration: 7 days for the exam; additional 7 days to prepare and submit a professional penetration test report.
- Access: Exam begins as soon as you start, no scheduling wait.
- Voucher Validity: Voucher expires 180 days after purchase; includes one free retake.
- Results: Auto‑graded; results delivered within hours.
- Certification Validity: eCPPT is valid for three years from the award date
eCPPT Exam Preparation Tips
- Build solid Active Directory skills: enumeration, lateral movement, AS‑REP roasting, etc.
- Practice extensive enumeration and brute‑forcing: filename/password lists in suggested order.
- Use real labs; Hack The Box, GOAD, or INE labs, but take detailed notes.
- Prepare for buffer overflow exploit development in an x86 environment.
- Focus on report writing and screenshot documentation, quality and completeness matter.
- Familiarize yourself with the exam environment limitations: no internet, unstable GUIs.
eCPPT Certification Review & Recognition
Highly practical ; simulates real-world pentesting environments.
Strong focus on Active Directory, exploitation, web app hacking, and post‑exploitation.
Relevant for red‑team and pentesting career growth.
Opportunity to choose self‑study via voucher-only purchase (no course required)
Summary
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Exam Type | Fully hands‑on pentesting + professional report |
| Duration | 7 days exam + 7 days for report submission |
| Domain Weighting | AD (30%), Exploitation (25%), Web (15%), etc. |
| Prerequisites | ~2+ years offensive security experience typical |
| Platform Constraints | No internet on Kali, limited tool availability |
| Course vs Self‑Study | Course may be superficial—self‑study and extra labs help |
| Reported Pain Points | GUI lag, crash issues, tool availability, open‑ended questions |
eCPPT vs eJPT
eJPT is your launchpad ; it’s about learning the ropes and seeing if you enjoy hacking.
eCPPT is a simulated real-world pentest ; it tests your methodology, patience, and professionalism.
| Feature | eJPT (Junior) | eCPPT (Professional) |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester | eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester |
| Level | Entry-level | Intermediate to Advanced |
| Target Audience | Beginners in cybersecurity | Professionals with 1–3 years of offensive security experience |
| Exam Format | Hands-on lab + multiple-choice questions | Fully hands-on pentest + professional report |
| Exam Time | ~48 hours | 7 days (plus 7 more for reporting) |
| Content Focus | Basic pentesting concepts, recon, enumeration, simple web/app attacks | Full-spectrum pentesting: AD, web, exploitation, privilege escalation, post-exploitation |
| Exam Difficulty | Beginner-friendly, guided | Real-world, open-ended, self-directed |
| Prerequisites | None required | Strong understanding of networks, AD, exploit dev, web app testing |
| Tools/Skills Required | Basic Linux, Nmap, Burp Suite, simple enum tools | Advanced toolsets (Impacket, BloodHound, Mimikatz, BOF, Metasploit, etc.) |
| Time Commitment to Study | ~20–40 hours | ~100+ hours (or more, depending on background) |
| Cost | ~$200 USD | ~$399–$499 USD (depends on bundle or voucher) |
| Ideal For | Students, career changers, entry-level analysts | Pentesters, red teamers, SOC analysts, offensive security professionals |
Which One Should You Choose?
| If You Are… | Choose… |
|---|---|
| Just starting out in cybersecurity | 🟢 eJPT |
| Want to explore pentesting safely | 🟢 eJPT |
| Already familiar with Linux, networking, and pentesting tools | 🟢 eCPPT |
| Seeking a real-world, report-based exam to boost a red team/pentest career | 🟢 eCPPT |
