You exploit a system. The vulnerability is triggered. Now what? You need a way to interact with the compromised system and execute commands. That’s what a shell or payload does.

Think of it like breaking into a house. The exploit is breaking through the door. The shell is the way you move around inside.

There are two main types of shells:

A bind shell is where the compromised system listens on a port and waits for you to connect to it.

A reverse shell is where the compromised system connects back to your machine.

Part of the free Intro to Cyber course by Cover6 Solutions.