Hacking tools have become indispensable for cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, and penetration testers. These tools help in identifying vulnerabilities, performing penetration tests, and securing networks and systems.
Here’s a comprehensive list of the top 66 hacking tools, complete with brief descriptions for each to help you understand their purpose and usage.
1. Nmap
Nmap (Network Mapper) is one of the most popular open-source tools used for network discovery and security auditing. It helps in identifying live hosts, open ports, running services, and their versions on a network.
- Top 40 Nmap Commands for Network Scanning and Security Analysis
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- Nmap: A Comprehensive Network Scanning Tool
2. Maltego
Maltego is an intelligence and forensics application that provides detailed data mining and information gathering. It is widely used for OSINT and creating relationship graphs between people, groups, domains, and infrastructure.
3. Recon-ng
Recon-ng is a web reconnaissance framework written in Python. It offers a powerful environment for gathering open-source intelligence (OSINT) in a modular fashion, similar to Metasploit.
4. Shodan
Shodan is a search engine that lets users find specific types of computers connected to the internet. It’s used to discover exposed servers, routers, IoT devices, and other vulnerable infrastructure.
5. theHarvester
theHarvester is a simple but powerful OSINT tool designed to gather emails, domain names, IPs, and subdomains using various public data sources. It’s particularly useful in the early stages of a penetration test.
6. WHOIS
WHOIS is a query and response protocol that provides information about domain ownership, registrars, and administrative contacts. It’s often used for reconnaissance and information gathering.
7. HTTrack
HTTrack is a website copier tool that downloads entire websites for offline viewing. Hackers use it to analyze website structures and content.
8. Google Dorks
Google Dorks uses advanced search operators in Google to find sensitive information indexed by search engines. It’s an effective passive reconnaissance technique.
- [Google Dorks] Tips for Effective Search with “Google” Search Engine
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9. OSINT Framework
OSINT Framework is a collection of tools and resources for performing open-source intelligence operations. It’s organized into a web interface that links to tools for gathering information from public sources.
10. FOCA
FOCA is a tool used to find metadata and hidden information in documents. It can extract information from files such as PDFs and Word documents to aid in reconnaissance.
11. Nessus
Nessus is a proprietary vulnerability scanner developed by Tenable. It is used to identify vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues.
12. OpenVAS
OpenVAS is an open-source vulnerability scanner that is widely used in vulnerability assessment processes. It helps in identifying security issues in systems and networks.
13. Nikto
Nikto is a web server scanner that tests for dangerous files, outdated software, and other common server issues. It is commonly used in web application security assessments.
14. Acunetix
Acunetix is an automated web vulnerability scanner that checks for security issues like SQL injection, XSS, and other threats. It’s user-friendly and widely used by security professionals.
15. Burp Suite
Burp Suite is an integrated platform used for testing web application security. It offers features like a proxy server, scanner, and intruder tool.
16. Retina
Retina is a vulnerability assessment scanner that identifies known security flaws in systems. It’s often used in enterprise environments.
17. Nexpose
Nexpose, developed by Rapid7, is a vulnerability management solution that dynamically collects and analyzes data. It integrates well with Metasploit for exploitation.
18. Nipper
Nipper is a tool that audits network device configuration files for security issues. It supports firewalls, routers, and switches.
19. Angry IP Scanner
Angry IP Scanner is a fast and lightweight scanner used to identify live hosts and open ports. It’s favored for quick network scans.
20. Unicornscan
Unicornscan is a network reconnaissance and fingerprinting tool. It’s designed to be a more powerful alternative to traditional scanning methods.
21. Metasploit Framework
Metasploit is a popular penetration testing framework that provides exploits, payloads, and auxiliary tools. It’s widely used to develop and execute attacks on systems.
- Mastering Metasploit: A Comprehensive Guide To Modern Tool
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22. Core Impact
Core Impact is a commercial penetration testing tool that enables users to exploit vulnerabilities safely. It automates many common attack techniques.
23. Cobalt Strike
Cobalt Strike is an advanced threat emulation tool used to simulate cyberattacks. It provides red team operations and post-exploitation capabilities.
24. Armitage
Armitage is a graphical frontend for Metasploit that makes it easier to visualize targets and launch attacks. It’s great for beginners and teams.
25. Canvas
Canvas is a commercial penetration testing tool that offers hundreds of exploits. It’s designed for professionals who require advanced exploit frameworks.
26. SQLMap
SQLMap automates the process of detecting and exploiting SQL injection vulnerabilities. It can also perform database fingerprinting and data extraction.
- Top 20 SQLmap Commands to Exploit SQL Injection Vulnerabilities
- [SQLMAP] How To Exploit SQL Injection Vulnerability in 4 Easy Steps
- Top SQLMAP Commands For Exploitation of SQL Injection
27. Hydra
Hydra is a password cracking tool that supports many protocols including SSH, FTP, HTTP, and more. It is widely used for brute-force attacks.
28. John the Ripper
John the Ripper is a fast password cracker that supports a variety of hash types. It’s used in both penetration testing and password recovery.
29. Aircrack-ng
Aircrack-ng is a suite of tools for analyzing and cracking Wi-Fi network security. It supports WEP and WPA/WPA2 attacks.
- Top 15 Aircrack-ng Commands For Cracking Wireless Networks
- How to Perform Deauthentication Attacks Using Kali Linux
- How to Hack WPA/WPA2 WiFi Using Kali Linux (For Educational Purposes)
30. Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel is a Windows-based password recovery tool. It can sniff networks, crack passwords, and perform ARP poisoning.
31. Netcat
Netcat is a powerful networking tool used for reading and writing data across networks. It’s often called the “Swiss army knife” of networking.
32. Meterpreter
Meterpreter is a Metasploit payload that provides an interactive shell and post-exploitation tools. It runs in memory and helps evade detection.
33. Empire
Empire is a PowerShell and Python post-exploitation agent. It supports stealthy command and control operations.
34. BeEF
BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework) targets web browsers for client-side attacks. It helps assess browser vulnerabilities and exploit them.
35. Mimikatz
Mimikatz is a powerful tool that extracts plaintext passwords, hashes, and Kerberos tickets from memory. It’s widely used in Windows post-exploitation.
36. PowerShell Empire
PowerShell Empire is a post-exploitation framework for Windows environments. It allows fileless attacks using PowerShell scripting.
37. Snort
Snort is a real-time intrusion detection and prevention system. It analyzes network traffic and can detect suspicious activity.
38. Wireshark
Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer that captures and inspects packets in real-time. It’s a fundamental tool for network troubleshooting.
39. Tcpdump
tcpdump is a command-line packet analyzer. It’s lightweight and widely used for low-level network diagnostics.
40. Ettercap
Ettercap is a comprehensive suite for man-in-the-middle attacks on LANs. It supports active and passive sniffing and packet manipulation.
41. Sysinternals Suite
Sysinternals Suite is a collection of Windows utilities for system monitoring and troubleshooting. Tools like Process Explorer and Autoruns are popular among analysts.
42. Steghide
Steghide is a command-line steganography utility for hiding files in images or audio. It offers encryption and compression features.
43. CCleaner
CCleaner is a utility for cleaning potentially unwanted files and invalid registry entries. It’s also used for erasing digital traces.
44. SET (Social Engineering Toolkit)
SET is a framework designed to perform advanced social engineering attacks. It includes features for phishing, website cloning, and payload delivery, making it essential for testing human-based vulnerabilities.
45. Wifiphisher
Wifiphisher is a rogue access point framework used to launch automated phishing attacks against Wi-Fi users. It’s especially useful for capturing WPA/WPA2 credentials without brute force.
46. King Phisher
King Phisher is a phishing campaign toolkit that allows users to craft and send emails with custom templates. It also provides web server functionality to host fake login pages and collect credentials.
47. Ghost Phisher
Ghost Phisher is a GUI-based suite that offers spoofing tools like DHCP, DNS, and fake AP generation. It is used to perform man-in-the-middle attacks on wireless networks.
48. Kismet
Kismet is a wireless network detector, sniffer, and intrusion detection system. It’s used to capture Wi-Fi packets and detect hidden networks.
49. Fern Wifi Cracker
Fern is a GUI tool that automates Wi-Fi cracking. It supports WEP/WPA cracking and network session hijacking.
50. Wifite
Wifite is an automated wireless auditing tool for Linux. It uses other tools like aircrack-ng to simplify and streamline attacks on wireless networks.
51. PixieWPS
PixieWPS is a tool used in conjunction with Reaver to exploit vulnerabilities in the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) protocol. It performs offline attacks to recover the WPA/WPA2 key.
52. Linset
Linset is a social engineering tool that captures WPA/WPA2 credentials via a fake login portal. It disconnects users from their real network and tricks them into connecting to a rogue AP.
53. Cowpatty
Cowpatty is a WPA-PSK brute-force cracking tool that uses dictionary attacks. It’s a command-line tool used to crack Wi-Fi passwords based on captured handshakes.
54. Airgeddon
Airgeddon is a multi-use bash script for auditing wireless networks. It supports MITM attacks, deauthentication, handshake capture, and Evil Twin attacks.
55. OWASP ZAP
OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) is an open-source web application security scanner. It helps find vulnerabilities like XSS, SQLi, and more during web app penetration testing.
56. Skipfish
Skipfish is a web application security scanner that generates a sitemap and tests for vulnerabilities. It’s fast and designed for large-scale assessments.
57. w3af
w3af is a web application attack and audit framework. It helps in identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications.
58. XSSer
XSSer is an automated framework to detect, exploit, and report XSS vulnerabilities. It supports various encoding techniques and bypass methods.
59. Hashcat
Hashcat is one of the fastest password recovery tools available. It supports CPU and GPU-based cracking and various hashing algorithms.
60. Medusa
Medusa is a speedy, parallel, and modular login brute-forcer. It supports many protocols and is ideal for large-scale dictionary attacks.
61. Ophcrack
Ophcrack is a Windows password cracker based on rainbow tables. It can recover passwords using pre-computed hashes and is especially useful for local account password recovery.
62. L0phtCrack
L0phtCrack is a password auditing and recovery tool for Windows. It’s useful for evaluating password strength and recovering lost credentials.
63. RainbowCrack
RainbowCrack uses rainbow tables to recover hashed passwords. It trades memory for speed, making password cracking faster for known hash types.
64. QualysGuard
QualysGuard is a cloud-based vulnerability management tool. It provides continuous monitoring, compliance management, and web application scanning.
65. Lynis
Lynis is an auditing tool for Unix-based systems. It checks security configurations, compliance, and system hardening.
66. GFI LanGuard
GFI LanGuard is a network security scanner and patch management tool. It identifies vulnerabilities and missing patches in systems.
These 66 hacking tools cover everything from information gathering and vulnerability scanning to exploitation and post-exploitation. While some tools have overlapping capabilities, each has its strengths and use cases.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, understanding and mastering these tools is crucial in the world of ethical hacking and cybersecurity.
