CrossLinked: An Effective OSINT Tool for Pentesters

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) plays a crucial role in gathering valuable information about potential targets. For pentesters, having access to accurate and relevant data is essential for identifying vulnerabilities and crafting effective attack strategies.

What is CrossLinked?

CrossLinked is an impressive OSINT tool that empowers pentesters with the ability to extract valuable data from LinkedIn. By leveraging search engine scraping techniques, it allows users to gather accurate employee names associated with a specific organization.

The tool eliminates the dependency on traditional methods of LinkedIn data retrieval, offering a more flexible and efficient approach for penetration testers.

Using CrossLinked

To get started with CrossLinked, simply navigate to the official GitHub repository at https://github.com/m8sec/CrossLinked. The tool is open source and freely available for use. Once you’ve obtained the tool, follow the instructions provided in the repository’s documentation to set it up on your system.

Features and Benefits:

1. Search Engine Scraping: CrossLinked utilizes search engine scraping to fetch data from LinkedIn, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information without direct API access or LinkedIn credentials.
2. Organization-Based Enumeration: By focusing on a specific organization, CrossLinked enables pentesters to target their reconnaissance efforts and gather relevant employee names efficiently.
3. No API Keys or Credentials Required: Unlike traditional methods that often require API keys or LinkedIn credentials, CrossLinked eliminates these dependencies, streamlining the data collection process.
4. Flexible and Customizable: CrossLinked offers flexibility and customization options to tailor the search parameters according to specific requirements, providing pentesters with enhanced control over the OSINT gathering process.

Considerations and Best Practices

• Respect Legal and Ethical Boundaries: It is crucial to utilize CrossLinked within legal and ethical boundaries. Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations to avoid any unauthorized access or misuse of information.
• Responsible Disclosure: When utilizing CrossLinked or any OSINT tool, always practice responsible disclosure. Handle the information obtained with care and prioritize the privacy and security of individuals and organizations.

Resources

• CrossLinked project on Github (View project)