Now let's talk about stage versus non stage payloads.
And before we do that we must talk about a payload so a payload is what we're going to run as an exploit.
And when we run that exploit it's called a payload.
We use different types of payloads depending on what it is.
So you might see a Windows type payload or a Linux type payload or easy see on the screen maternal critter
type payload.
There's Python there's all different types there's like five hundred and something that we saw in meadows
boy alone.
And these payloads are what we use to send to a victim and attempt to get a shell on the machine.
Now it's going to make more sense as we go.
It's OK if you're still a little bit confused on all of this.
There are two main types of payloads that we need to pay attention to.
There is what we call non stage and what we call stage now a non stage payload sends that explained
shell code all at once where a stage payload sends it in stages the non stage payload is larger in size
and it doesn't always work where the stage payload can actually be less stable.
So each has its con and we have an example of it and this is really what I want to point out is we have
this non stage payload and we have a stage payload and you see the one difference between the two.
All it is is a forward slash.
So when we see these in we're using something like Meadows spoilt and we have to pick out a payload
if we see something like maternal fritter underscore reverse underscore TCB.
This identifies that this is a non stage payload.
We can ignore the windows here but here we receive return critter forward slash reverse underscore TCB.
This means we have a stage payload.
What's happening it's saying hey Stage 1 Stage 2 what's happening here.
It's saying hey let's end this all at once.
So this is going to become very important very quick as we will attempt to exploit here very soon.
And it's not going to work.
And then we're going to change the payload and it's going to work beautifully.
So understand that with the really the takeaway is if you have a payload that does not work maybe try
the other other type of that payload if you see something like reverse TTP which is a reverse shell
by the way over a TTP connection.
If you say hey I'm going to send this stage reverse TTP it's not working.
All right let me try to send a non staged reverse TCB OK.
That's not working but I'm sure my exploits.
So maybe I send a bind shall instead of reverse shell here and I'll send a binds shell stage in the
non stage and we just keep trying until we find a payload that works not every payload is the right
payload and we have to find the one that works for us.
So the takeaways remember the forward slash remember the slight differences between non stage and stage.
And remember if your payload fails but you think it's the right exploit maybe change your payload.
So we'll see that here very shortly as we start to get into exploitation in the next few videos.