Everything related to the world of hackers is extremely interesting for any programmer, but it is also important to know if you work in the tech field. For example, knowing the hackers’ language is key in profiles that work in cybersecurity.
Hacking involves breaking the protocol and security of a network. For this reason, to be a hacker you must perfectly master a programming language and know how to code like an expert.
Is Python the language of hackers? C++? Java? You might be surprised by the answer about which programming languages hackers use, or maybe you already have an idea on the subject and want to dig deeper.
The important thing to understand, first of all, is that there are three forms of hacking, and each will have an ideal programming language: web hacking, exploit writing, and reverse engineering.
So, let’s see what are the main programming languages.
Article Breakdown
Python
Python can be considered the best programming language for hackers, especially for coding exploits. According to Panda Security, “an exploit is a computer program, a piece of software or a script that takes advantage of a bug or vulnerability to cause unintended or unexpected behavior in software, hardware or any electronic device”.
Thanks to its ease of use, Python allows you to write code in record time. Plus, it can perform virtually anything from checking the integrity of corporate systems to automating most hacking programs.
Python “runs without compiling,” making it an indispensable programming language for hacking web servers. Another feature that makes hacking with Python easier is the availability of ready-to-use modules.
javascript
What programming language do hackers use to hack the web? Probably the most used is JavaScript. Actually, understanding JavaScript is what allows hackers to discover vulnerabilities in a website.
Furthermore, JavaScript is also used to spread and reproduce malware and viruses quickly.
For its part, Node.js allows JavaScript to be supported by back-end development. So, a hacker can use this language to spy on words, execute malicious code, and track browsing history, among others.
PHP
As you know, mastering a server is key when hacking a website. Therefore, PHP is positioned as a highly chosen programming language for hackers, since it is aimed at dynamic servers.
With PHP, a hacker can write an application that tampers with a web server and makes the target server susceptible to attack.
SQL
If we talk about hacking databases, it is important to mention SQL. This is a language for hackers (and in general) to work with data sets and relationships between them. “Relational database programs, such as Microsoft Office Access, use SQL to work with data. Unlike many computer languages, SQL is not difficult to read and understand, even for an inexperienced user”, as Microsoft explains.
Many hackers access SQL databases to get hold of the information and sell it, for example, in forums, or demand a ransom for it. The procedure in the latter case is to block the files until payment for the information is obtained.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is also used by hackers today. Although it is not considered a programming language itself (but rather a markup language, as its name indicates), any hacker must master HTML in order to have a successful hacking operation.
C++
This is perhaps the best programming language to break into commercial applications. Since most commercial software has a proprietary license and requires paid activation, hackers will have to reverse engineer it to avoid it.
The C++ language provides the low-level access needed to override activation methods. A hacker who is fluent in C++ will be able to crack commercial software and create his own hacking applications.
Reverse engineering is a somewhat confusing process that consists of analyzing the binary code of a program to trace the original source code. This involves converting code written in a high-level language to a low-level one without changing or modifying the original software. For this, it is necessary to know C++ and the hacker language that we will talk about next.
JAVA
This is another language used by hackers related to reverse engineering. But also, it is what is used mostly in mobile applications, so it is necessary to have knowledge of this language if you want to carry out any act of computer hacking.
Ruby
The last hacker language on this list is Ruby, widely used to hack corporate systems. Although it is a highly complex object-oriented language, it is very useful for hackers today.
Other Important Hacking Skills
In addition to programming skills, a good hacker must also have the following skills:
- Know how to use the Internet and search engines effectively to gather information.
- Start using a Linux based operating system if you are a beginner or a hacking linux system if you are already a regular Linux user.
- Know and use with the greatest possible skill the basic Linux commands that every user should know.
- Practice makes a master. A good hacker must work hard and contribute positively to the hacker community. You can contribute by developing open source programs, answering questions on hacking forums, etc.