MrYellowOwl
A curated collection of the most effective offensive and defensive security tools, organised by phase.
Gather intelligence before engaging a target. These tools help map attack surfaces, discover exposed assets, and collect OSINT.
Graph-based OSINT and threat intelligence platform. Visualise relationships between people, domains, IPs, and organisations.
Visit siteHarvest emails, subdomains, hosts, employee names, open ports, and banners from public sources.
Visit siteSearch engine for internet-connected devices. Find exposed servers, webcams, routers, and industrial control systems.
Visit siteFull-featured web reconnaissance framework with independent modules for OSINT data gathering.
Visit siteAutomates OSINT collection across 200+ data sources to build a complete picture of a target.
Visit siteOWASP's gold standard for attack surface mapping. Deep DNS enumeration, scraping, and certificate transparency.
Visit siteInternet-wide scanning platform with richer data than Shodan. Essential for attack surface management and exposed asset discovery.
Visit siteFast passive subdomain enumeration using search engines, VirusTotal, Netcraft, and DNSdumpster simultaneously.
Visit siteStructured web-based map of OSINT tools and resources organised by data type. The starting point for any recon engagement.
Visit siteIdentify open ports, running services, and live hosts on a network. Scanning is the foundation of any active engagement.
The gold standard for network discovery and security auditing. Detects open ports, OS versions, and running services.
Visit siteScans the entire internet in under 6 minutes. Fastest TCP port scanner available, ideal for large-scale recon.
Visit siteOpen source web server scanner that detects dangerous files, outdated software, and server misconfigurations.
Visit siteActive/passive ARP reconnaissance tool for discovering live hosts on a local network without DNS.
Visit siteSingle-packet internet scanner capable of surveying the entire IPv4 address space in under 45 minutes.
Visit siteIndustry-standard directory, DNS, and VHost brute forcer. Faster than DirBuster and a staple in every CTF and pentest.
Visit siteBlazing-fast recursive content discovery tool written in Rust. Handles large wordlists and deep directory trees effortlessly.
Visit siteNext-gen SMB/Samba enumeration tool. Extracts usernames, shares, policies, and OS info from Windows targets.
Visit siteIdentifies web technologies, CMS, frameworks, and server software. Quiet to aggressive scan modes available.
Visit siteIdentify weaknesses in systems, applications, and networks before attackers can exploit them.
Open source vulnerability scanner and manager. Part of the Greenbone Vulnerability Management suite.
Visit siteFast, template-based vulnerability scanner. Community-driven with thousands of detection templates.
Visit siteWidely used web application security scanner. Great for finding OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities during development.
Visit siteWeb application vulnerability scanner that crawls pages and injects payloads to find SQL injection, XSS, and more.
Visit siteSecurity auditing tool for Unix/Linux systems. Performs in-depth scans of system hardening and compliance.
Visit siteIndustry-leading professional vulnerability scanner by Tenable. Trusted by enterprise security teams worldwide.
Visit siteBlack box WordPress security scanner. Enumerates users, plugins, themes, and known CVEs. Essential for WordPress assessments.
Visit siteFast SSL/TLS configuration analyser. Checks for weak ciphers, expired certs, BEAST, POODLE, Heartbleed, and more.
Visit siteAll-in-one vulnerability scanner for containers, filesystems, Git repos, and cloud configs. The go-to for DevSecOps pipelines.
Visit siteLeverage discovered vulnerabilities to gain access. These tools are used in authorised penetration tests to simulate real attacks.
The world's most used penetration testing framework. Contains hundreds of exploits, payloads, and auxiliary modules.
Visit siteAutomates detection and exploitation of SQL injection vulnerabilities. Supports all major databases.
Visit siteBrowser Exploitation Framework. Focuses on web browser vulnerabilities to assess the security posture of a target.
Visit siteAutomated command injection and exploitation tool for web applications. Detects and exploits injection flaws.
Visit siteExploitation framework dedicated to embedded devices. Includes exploits for common routers and IoT devices.
Visit siteLLMNR/NBT-NS/MDNS poisoner that captures NTLMv1/v2 hashes on the local network. One of the most effective internal pentest tools.
Visit sitePython classes for crafting and parsing network protocols. Powers tools like psexec, secretsdump, and GetUserSPNs for AD attacks.
Visit siteFull-featured WinRM shell for pentesting. Supports file upload/download, script loading, and pass-the-hash authentication.
Visit siteSwiss army knife for Active Directory environments. Tests credentials, executes commands, and enumerates shares across the network.
Visit siteRecover plaintext passwords from captured hashes or brute force authentication services. Essential for credential testing.
World's fastest GPU-based password recovery tool. Supports 300+ hash types including MD5, SHA, bcrypt, and WPA.
Visit siteClassic open source password cracker. Supports auto-detection of hash type and multiple attack modes.
Visit siteFast and flexible network login cracker supporting SSH, FTP, HTTP, SMB, and 50+ other protocols.
Visit siteParallel network login auditor. Designed for speed with modular support for many services.
Visit siteCustom wordlist generator. Spiders a target website and builds a tailored wordlist from its content.
Visit site802.11 WEP and WPA/WPA2 cracking suite. Captures handshakes, performs deauth attacks, and cracks WiFi passwords.
Visit siteHash cracker that uses precomputed rainbow tables for near-instant cracking of unsalted MD5, SHA1, and NTLM hashes.
Visit siteMulti-purpose brute forcer built to avoid false positives. Supports SSH, FTP, HTTP, LDAP, SMB, and more with fine control.
Visit siteThe ultimate collection of wordlists for fuzzing, brute forcing, and payload testing. Used in virtually every pentest.
Visit siteIntercept, analyse, and manipulate web traffic. These tools are the backbone of every web application penetration test and bug bounty hunt.
The definitive web application security testing platform. Proxy, scanner, intruder, repeater — used by every professional web pentester.
Visit siteFuzz Faster U Fool. Lightning-fast web fuzzer for directories, parameters, headers, and virtual hosts. A CTF and bug bounty essential.
Visit siteWeb application fuzzer that replaces any field in HTTP requests. Flexible payload support for auth bypass, SQLi, and parameter tampering.
Visit siteHTTP parameter discovery suite. Finds hidden GET/POST/JSON parameters that may expose unintended functionality.
Visit siteFast and powerful XSS scanner and parameter analyser. Detects reflected, stored, and DOM-based XSS with low false-positive rates.
Visit siteAdvanced XSS detection suite with a built-in fuzzer, DOM crawler, and intelligent payload generation engine.
Visit siteModern web security testing proxy built for speed. Clean UI, built-in scripting, and collaborative workflows — a strong Burp alternative.
Visit siteFast web crawler for gathering URLs, endpoints, and JS files from web applications. Pipes cleanly into other tools.
Visit siteMines parameters from web archives without interacting with the target. Great for passive recon before active testing.
Visit siteCapture, filter, and dissect network packets to uncover credentials, plaintext data, and suspicious behaviour in real time.
The most widely used network protocol analyser. Captures live traffic or reads pcap files with deep protocol dissection.
Visit siteLightweight command-line packet analyser. The go-to for quick captures on servers where a GUI isn't available.
Visit siteSwiss army knife for network attacks. Handles ARP spoofing, MITM, credential sniffing, and WiFi/BLE attacks in one tool.
Visit siteComprehensive MITM attack suite supporting ARP poisoning, passive sniffing, and active injection on switched networks.
Visit sitePowerful network analysis framework that converts packet data into structured logs. Used heavily in threat hunting and SOC workflows.
Visit sitePassive network forensics tool that reassembles files, images, and credentials from pcap files without active scanning.
Visit sitePython-based packet manipulation library. Craft, send, sniff, and dissect custom packets for protocol testing and network attacks.
Visit siteWireshark's command-line counterpart. Ideal for scripted captures, pcap analysis, and piping into other tools.
Visit siteLarge-scale full packet capture and search system. Indexes and stores network traffic for long-term analysis and incident response.
Visit siteAnalyse malware, disassemble binaries, recover deleted files, and extract artefacts from memory dumps. Core skills for CTF and incident response.
NSA-developed reverse engineering suite. Disassembles and decompiles binaries across architectures with a powerful scripting engine.
Visit siteGNU debugger enhanced with pwndbg for exploit development. Essential for binary exploitation and CTF pwn challenges.
Visit siteAdvanced open source reverse engineering framework. Disassembly, debugging, patching, and scripting in one powerful CLI tool.
Visit siteIndustry-standard memory forensics framework. Extracts processes, network connections, registry hives, and malware from RAM dumps.
Visit siteDigital forensics platform with a GUI for analysing disk images, recovering deleted files, and building timelines of activity.
Visit siteFirmware analysis and extraction tool. Identifies and carves embedded files, filesystems, and compressed archives from binary blobs.
Visit siteExtracts printable strings from binaries. The first thing to run on any unknown file in a CTF challenge.
Visit siteIdentifies packers, compilers, and protectors in executables. Tells you what you're dealing with before you start reversing.
Visit sitePE file explorer and editor for Windows binaries. Inspect headers, import tables, resources, and patch executables directly.
Visit siteEncode, decode, crack ciphers, and solve CTF challenges. These tools cover everything from classical crypto to modern hash analysis and steganography.
The "Cyber Swiss Army Knife" by GCHQ. Encodes, decodes, analyses, and transforms data with 300+ operations — open in every CTF.
Visit siteCTF framework and exploit development library for Python. Simplifies binary exploitation, ROP chaining, and remote interaction.
Visit siteFinds ROP, JOP, and SYS gadgets in binaries for return-oriented programming exploits. Essential for CTF pwn challenges.
Visit siteMathematics software for cryptography challenges. Solves RSA, elliptic curve, and lattice-based crypto problems that appear in CTFs.
Visit siteAttacks weak RSA implementations automatically. Tries dozens of known RSA attacks: small e, common factor, Wiener, and more.
Visit siteIdentifies cryptographic hash types from their format. Paste an unknown hash and instantly know what algorithm produced it.
Visit siteSteganography tool that hides and extracts data inside JPEG, BMP, WAV, and AU files. Common in CTF stego challenges.
Visit siteImage steganography analyser. Cycles through bit planes and colour filters to reveal hidden data in images.
Visit siteAutomatically decrypts and decodes unknown ciphertext using AI. Handles 50+ encodings and ciphers without knowing the algorithm.
Visit siteActions taken after gaining initial access — lateral movement, privilege escalation, persistence, and data exfiltration.
Extract plaintext passwords, hashes, and Kerberos tickets from Windows memory. A staple in Windows post-exploitation.
Visit siteMaps Active Directory attack paths using graph theory. Reveals hidden privilege escalation routes.
Visit sitePowerShell and Python post-exploitation agent. Provides C2 functionality with a wide range of modules.
Visit siteFast TCP/UDP tunnel over HTTP. Used for pivoting through firewalls and tunnelling traffic in restricted environments.
Visit siteLinux privilege escalation awesome script. Automatically checks hundreds of common local privilege escalation vectors.
Visit siteWindows privilege escalation checker. Enumerates misconfigured services, weak permissions, unquoted paths, and stored credentials.
Visit sitePowerShell-based AD recon tool. Enumerates domain trusts, GPOs, ACLs, and user relationships. Pairs perfectly with BloodHound.
Visit siteAdvanced reverse and bind shell framework. Auto-upgrades shells, handles persistence, and provides a full local TTY.
Visit site.NET-based collaborative C2 framework. Web UI, multi-operator support, and stealthy Grunt implants for red team operations.
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Social Engineering
9 toolsThe human element is the weakest link. These tools simulate phishing campaigns, credential harvesting, and social manipulation attacks.
The Social-Engineer Toolkit by TrustedSec. The standard for phishing, credential harvesting, and payload delivery simulations.
Visit siteOpen source phishing framework. Build, launch, and track phishing campaigns with detailed click-through and credential capture reporting.
Visit siteMITM attack framework for phishing credentials and session tokens. Bypasses 2FA by proxying real login pages transparently.
Visit siteFeature-rich phishing campaign toolkit with a web dashboard, email templates, and real-time visitor tracking.
Visit siteEnterprise social engineering awareness platform. Runs simulated phishing, vishing, and smishing campaigns with detailed analytics.
Visit sitePhishing framework that uses real login pages captured from live sites. Supports 2FA token capture and session hijacking.
Visit siteAutomated phishing tool with 30+ built-in templates for popular services. Beginner-friendly for learning phishing mechanics in a lab.
Visit siteFlexible HTTP reverse proxy for 2FA bypass phishing. Works transparently between the victim and the real website.
Visit siteQuick phishing page generator and credential logger. Useful for controlled security awareness tests in lab environments.
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