Abhinav Singwal

Posted on Oct 12 AI-assisted

Hacking Tools: A Complete List of Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking Tools

#cybersecurity #opensource #github #webtesting

Introduction

If you work in cybersecurity, you know how hard it is to find the right tools. They are spread across different websites, forums, and repositories. You waste time searching instead of testing.

I built a GitHub repository called Hacking-Tools to solve this problem. It is a curated list of penetration testing and ethical hacking tools, organized by category. It includes tools from Kali Linux and other notable sources.

This repository is free, open source, and licensed under MIT. It has 2.1k stars, 331 forks, and 18 watchers. Four contributors have helped build it.

In this blog post, I will walk you through every category and every tool in the repository. Whether you are a beginner or a professional pentester, this list will help you find what you need.

Repository link: https://github.com/yogsec/Hacking-Tools

Top 10 Tools of 2026

Before we go into categories, here are the top 10 tools featured in the repository for 2026.

Burp Suite – Web application and API security testing platform.
Nmap – Network scanning, discovery, and security auditing tool.
VCCGenerator – Developer-focused toolkit for generating and validating test card data and checking card number formats.
IP-Lookup.org – IP lookup tool for finding geolocation, ISP, ASN, hostname, and other IP details.
Quttera Website Security API – API for malware detection, reputation checks, and website security analysis.
Wireshark – Network protocol analyzer for capturing and analyzing traffic.
OWASP ZAP – Web application security scanner and penetration testing proxy.
Nessus – Vulnerability assessment and security scanning platform.
Impreza Host – Privacy-focused hosting provider offering anonymous VPS and dedicated servers.
BloodHound – Active Directory attack path and privilege relationship analysis tool.
Ghidra – Reverse engineering and binary analysis framework.

Information Gathering

Information gathering is the first step in any penetration test. These tools help you collect data about your target.

IP-Lookup.org – IP lookup and intelligence tool for checking IP geolocation, ISP, organization, ASN, hostname, IP reputation, VPN/proxy detection, Whois information, and network details.
Osintly – All-in-one OSINT platform combining hundreds of search modules, investigation tools, public data sources, intelligence APIs, and collaborative workspaces.
OnionLand Search – Deep-web search engine that indexes Tor onion services.
OSINT Search – Live OSINT search engine to find matching profiles, former usernames, and traces of deleted accounts.
IPLocation.net – IP geolocation lookup service for finding location, ISP, and other details.
WhiteIntel – Dark web monitoring service that helps organizations monitor exposed data and credentials.
ViewDNS.info – Comprehensive suite of domain and IP intelligence tools.
IP2Location.io – IP geolocation and IP intelligence API.
Nmap – Network scanning and mapping tool.
OSINTNova – Finds public information linked to usernames, emails, and phone numbers.
Check-Host – Network monitoring and diagnostic tool for checking host availability, ping, HTTP, TCP, and DNS.
Dato Capital – Business intelligence platform providing company information and corporate data.
Kismet – Wireless network detector, sniffer, and intrusion detection.
urlcap – HTTP capture and analysis API for inspecting requests and responses.
Maltego – OSINT and data mining tool for information analysis.
theHarvester – Tool to gather emails, subdomains, hosts, and more.
Recon-ng – Full-featured web reconnaissance framework.
SpiderFoot – Automate OSINT collection from multiple sources.
Amass – Network mapping and external asset discovery tool.
Sublist3r – Subdomain enumeration using search engines.
Assetfinder – Subdomain discovery using various sources.
crt.sh – SSL certificate transparency log search engine.
Dnsrecon – Perform DNS enumeration and zone transfers.
Fierce – DNS reconnaissance and attack tool.
WHOIS – Domain registration and ownership lookup.
CC.LA – Free WHOIS/RDAP lookup, DNS records, name server history, IP WHOIS, SSL certificate search, and network diagnostics.
EmailHarvester – Email enumeration and gathering.
Shodan – Search engine for internet-connected devices.
Netlas – Internet intelligence platform for discovering internet-connected assets.
Censys – Search engine for hosts and networks on the internet.
OSINT Framework – Collection of OSINT tools and resources.
FOCA – Metadata extraction and document analysis.
Netcraft – Website profiling and phishing detection.
BuiltWith – Website technology lookup and analysis.
StackScan – Website technology lookup and asset footprint search.

Vulnerability Analysis

These tools help you find weaknesses in systems, networks, and applications.

SmartScanner – AI-driven web vulnerability assessment tool.
OpenVAS – Open-source vulnerability scanner.
Nessus – Commercial vulnerability assessment tool.
Nikto – Web server scanner for detecting vulnerabilities.
Wapiti – Web application security scanner.
Vega – GUI-based web vulnerability scanner.
Arachni – Feature-rich web application security scanner.
SQLmap – Automated SQL injection detection and exploitation tool.
OWASP ZAP – Open-source web application security scanner.
Nmap Vulners – Nmap NSE script for CVE detection.
Retire.js – JavaScript library vulnerability scanner.
BugBoard – Bug hunter dashboard for vulnerability scanning and bug bounty workflows.
Dependency-Check – Vulnerability analysis for project dependencies.
Bandit – Security linter for Python code.
Vuls – Agentless vulnerability scanner for Linux and FreeBSD servers.
Trivy – Vulnerability scanner for containers and dependencies.
Grype – Vulnerability scanner for container images and filesystems.
Safety – Python dependency security scanner.
Lychee – Broken link checker with vulnerability detection potential.
GitLeaks – Detect hardcoded secrets and sensitive data.
ScoutSuite – Multi-cloud security auditing tool.
CloudSploit – AWS security auditing tool.

Exploitation Tools

These tools are used to exploit vulnerabilities once they are found.

Metasploit Framework – Powerful exploit development and penetration testing framework.
Armitage – GUI front-end for Metasploit to visualize attacks.
BeEF – Browser Exploitation Framework for client-side attacks.
ExploitDB – Archive of public exploits and proof-of-concept code.
SearchSploit – Offline version of ExploitDB for quick exploit searching.
sqlmap – Automated SQL injection exploitation tool.
Commix – Automated command injection vulnerability scanner.
RouterSploit – Exploits vulnerabilities in routers, IoT, and embedded devices.
SET (Social Engineering Toolkit) – Human hacking via phishing and payloads.
Empire – Post-exploitation framework for PowerShell agents.
Pupy – Cross-platform post-exploitation remote access tool.
Sliver – C2 framework for adversary simulation and red teaming.
Shellter – Dynamic shellcode injector for Windows executables.
Merlin – Post-exploitation command and control server using HTTP/2.
Covenant – C#-based post-exploitation platform.
PowerSploit – PowerShell scripts for post-exploitation.
Windows Exploit Suggester – Suggests exploits based on Windows OS versions.
PayloadsAllTheThings – Collection of payloads for exploits, fuzzing, and pentesting.
Fuzzbunch – NSA exploit framework from the Shadow Brokers leak.
CrackMapExec – Swiss army knife for post-exploitation in Windows environments.

Wireless Attacks

These tools target Wi-Fi networks and wireless protocols.

Aircrack-ng – WiFi cracking suite.
Reaver – WPS attack tool.
Fern WiFi Cracker – Wireless network auditing tool.
Wifite – Automated wireless attack tool.
Kismet – Wireless network detector and sniffer.
MDK3 – Wireless network attack tool.
PixieWPS – WPS offline attack tool.
WPA2 Wordlist Generator – Generate custom WPA2 wordlists.
Bully – WPS attack tool for brute-forcing.
Evil Twin – Create fake AP for capturing handshakes.
WiFi-Pumpkin – Man-in-the-middle framework for Wi-Fi networks.
Airgeddon – Multi-use bash script for wireless auditing.
Ghost Phisher – Wireless network attack tool for phishing.
NoCatSplash – Captive portal for Wi-Fi networks.
Wifiphisher – Phishing tool for Wi-Fi networks.
WLANPi – Wireless attack platform for pen-testers.
Cowpatty – Tool for offline WPA2 cracking.
Scapy – Python tool for packet manipulation and analysis.
NetStumbler – Wi-Fi scanner for Windows.
Wi-Fi Pineapple – Wireless attack platform by Hak5.

Forensics Tools

These tools help you investigate security incidents and analyze digital evidence.

Autopsy – Digital forensics platform for analyzing hard drives and smartphones.
Volatility – Memory forensics framework for analyzing RAM dumps.
Binwalk – Firmware analysis tool for extracting embedded files.
Sleuth Kit (TSK) – Command-line tools for disk image investigation.
ExifTool – Metadata extractor for images, videos, and documents.
TestDisk – Disk recovery tool to restore lost partitions.
PhotoRec – File recovery software for deleted files.
Foremost – File carving tool for data recovery.
Hashdeep – File hashing tool with recursive hashing and audit mode.
Bulk Extractor – Extracts email, URLs, and other artifacts from raw data.
Digital Forensics Framework (DFF) – Open-source platform for digital forensics.
Xplico – Network forensics tool to reconstruct network sessions.
NetworkMiner – Passive network packet analyzer for network forensics.
Pdf-parser – Analyze and extract content from PDF files.
RegRipper – Windows registry analysis tool.
PEView – Portable executable file viewer for malware analysis.
YARA – Malware pattern-matching tool.
HxD – Hex editor for raw disk editing and analysis.
FTK Imager – Disk imaging and evidence preview tool.
Capstone – Disassembly framework for binary analysis.

Stress Testing

These tools test how much load a system can handle.

Slowloris – HTTP DoS tool for keeping many connections open.
LOIC – Low Orbit Ion Cannon for stress testing.
HULK – HTTP flood tool that uses varied requests.
GoldenEye – Python-based HTTP denial-of-service tool.
Tsunami – Network stress testing and security evaluation.
R-U-Dead-Yet – Simple DoS testing tool.
DDoS-Sim – DDoS simulation tool.
Xerxes – Powerful DDoS attack tool for testing purposes.
Web-Hulk – Web server stress testing tool.
Synful – SYN flood tool for stress testing.
LOIC-PowerShell – PowerShell-based LOIC for DDoS testing.
T50 – Powerful stress testing tool that simulates multiple attack vectors.
RIP-Lite – Lightweight stress testing tool for HTTP and SOCKS.
Stress-ng – Tool that can stress test CPU, RAM, I/O, and more.
XDT – DDoS testing tool with multi-protocol support.
Botnet – DDoS botnet attack simulation tool.
DDOS-Exploit – Exploit kit for DDoS stress testing.
Fudp – Multi-threaded UDP flooder for stress testing.
BlackHAT – Stress testing framework for web applications.

Sniffing and Spoofing

These tools capture and manipulate network traffic.

Wireshark – Network protocol analyzer.
Ettercap – Man-in-the-middle attack tool.
BetterCAP – Flexible network attack and monitoring tool.
Tcpdump – Command-line packet analyzer.
Nessus – Vulnerability scanner with sniffing capabilities.
Scapy – Python-based interactive packet manipulation program.
MITMf – Man-in-the-middle framework for network attacks.
Fakenet-NG – Fake network traffic generation tool.
Dsniff – Collection of network monitoring tools for penetration testers.
Responder – LLMNR, NBT-NS, and MDNS poisoner for internal network attacks.
Ettercap-NG – Enhanced version of Ettercap.
Arp-Spoof – Tool to intercept network traffic by sending ARP packets.
WiFi-Pumpkin – WiFi spoofing tool.
Aircrack-ng – Suite for wireless network auditing and cracking WEP/WPA keys.
Xplico – Network forensics tool that extracts application data from pcap files.
Pry-Fi – Tool to find and exploit vulnerabilities in wireless networks.
Kismet – Wireless network detector, sniffer, and intrusion detection system.
Burp Suite – Web vulnerability scanner and network attack tool with interception features.
Snoopy – Sniffing and spoofing tool focused on DNS and HTTP traffic.
Snort – Open-source network intrusion detection and prevention system.

Password Attacks

These tools crack or recover passwords.

John the Ripper – Password cracking tool for various password hashes.
Hydra – Brute-force tool that supports a wide range of protocols.
Hashcat – Advanced password recovery using GPUs.
Medusa – Speedy, parallelized login brute-forcer.
Aircrack-ng – WiFi password cracking suite.
Wifite – Wireless network attack tool focused on WPA/WPA2.
THC-Hydra – Very fast network login cracker.
Hash-Toolkit – Tool for password hash cracking.
Brutus – Old but reliable password cracker for HTTP, FTP, and more.
Burp Suite – Popular web vulnerability scanner with password attack features.
Ophcrack – Windows password cracker using rainbow tables.
Cain and Abel – Versatile tool for cracking password hashes and sniffing networks.
L0phtCrack – Windows password auditing and recovery tool.
CrackStation – Free online service for cracking password hashes using dictionary attacks.
RainbowCrack – Tool that uses rainbow tables to crack passwords.
Patator – Multi-purpose brute-forcing tool that supports numerous protocols.
RSMangler – Hash bruteforce tool for creating password dictionaries.
CrackMapExec – Post-exploitation tool for automating credential validation.
SudoKiller – Tool for privilege escalation and password cracking in Unix-based systems.

Web Application Analysis

These tools find vulnerabilities in web applications.

Burp Suite – Web security testing toolkit.
OWASP ZAP – Open-source web application scanner.
SQLmap – Automated SQL injection tool.
Quttera Website Security API – REST API for website malware detection, blacklist and reputation checks, SSL and port analysis, and security assessment.
Wappalyzer – Identify technologies on websites.
Dirb – Web content scanner.
Gobuster – Directory and DNS brute-forcing.
Nikto – Web server vulnerability scanner.
Sublist3r – Subdomain enumeration.
Amass – Network mapping and subdomain enumeration.
Httpx – Fast HTTP probing.
FFUF – Fast web fuzzer.
WhatWeb – Identify web technologies.
Nuclei – Vulnerability scanning and templating.
XSStrike – XSS detection and exploitation.
Commix – Automated command injection.
WPScan – WordPress security scanner.
Cmsmap – CMS detection and exploitation.
Arachni – Advanced web vulnerability scanner.
Waybackurls – Fetch URLs from Wayback Machine.
Unfurl – Extract URLs and data from URLs.
Dirsearch – Fast scanner that uses brute-force to find hidden directories and files on web servers.

Reverse Engineering

These tools help you analyze binaries and understand how software works.

Ghidra – Open-source software reverse engineering framework.
Radare2 – Command-line reverse engineering toolkit.
OllyDbg – 32-bit assembler-level debugger for Windows.
IDA Pro – Industry-standard interactive disassembler.
Binary Ninja – Interactive binary analysis platform.
x64dbg – Open-source Windows debugger for x64 and x86.
Cutter – GUI for Radare2 with advanced analysis features.
Hopper – Mac and Linux disassembler with powerful analysis.
dnSpy – .NET debugger and assembly editor.
RetDec – Open-source decompiler for machine code.
angr – Python framework for binary analysis.
Frida – Dynamic instrumentation toolkit.
Binary Analysis Toolkit (BAT) – Malware analysis and binary inspection.
Rizin – Fork of Radare2 with a focus on usability.
PEiD – Detect packers, cryptors, and compilers.
DiE (Detect It Easy) – Portable executable identifier.
LIEF – Library for parsing and modifying executables.
Snowman – Native code to C++ decompiler.
APKTool – Decompile and rebuild Android APKs.
JEB Decompiler – Commercial decompiler for Android and other platforms.

Reporting Tools

These tools help you document and report your findings.

Dradis – Collaboration and reporting platform for pentesters.
Faraday – Multi-user penetration testing IDE.
MagicTree – Pentesting productivity tool for data aggregation and reporting.
Serpico – Simplifying pentest reporting using templates.
LaTeX – High-quality typesetting system often used for security reports.
reNgine – Automated reconnaissance framework with reporting.
ReconNote – Web-based notes manager for recon and reporting.
Pentracker – Pentest reporting and management tool.
Markdown – Lightweight markup language for clean report writing.
Ghostwriter – Reporting and engagement management platform.
VulnReport – Automated vulnerability reporting platform.
Katana Framework – Post-exploitation and reporting utility.
Pentest-Report-Template – Professional pentest report LaTeX template.
ProofSuite – Automated proof of concept and reporting tool.
VulnWhisperer – Vulnerability management reporting with Nessus, Qualys, and OpenVAS.
RiskSense – Risk-based vulnerability management and reporting.
Pentestly – PowerShell-based post-exploitation and reporting.
SecReport – Report generation tool for pentesters.
PwnDoc – Pentest reporting tool with customizable templates.
PenTest-Wiki – Knowledge base for pentesting and reporting references.

Social Engineering Tools

These tools test human behavior and awareness.

SET (Social-Engineer Toolkit) – Advanced framework for social engineering attacks.
King Phisher – Phishing campaign toolkit for testing and training.
Phishing Frenzy – Phishing campaign automation platform.
Gophish – Open-source phishing toolkit for awareness and testing.
Evilginx2 – Phishing toolkit using reverse proxy for capturing credentials and tokens.
HiddenEye – Modern phishing tool with advanced social engineering features.
BlackEye – Phishing tool with site cloning capabilities.
Zphisher – Advanced phishing tool with tunneling support.
SocialFish – Social engineering phishing framework.
HiddenEye Reborn – Improved version of HiddenEye for phishing and spoofing.
EvilPhish – Social engineering tool for phishing websites.
ShellPhish – Automated phishing tool supporting multiple templates.
CamPhish – Webcam phishing attack tool.
Weeman – HTTP server-based phishing framework.
QRGen – QR code phishing generator.
PyPhisher – Python-based phishing toolkit with multiple site templates.
AdvPhishing – Advanced phishing tool with login page cloning.
SocialBox – Brute-force social media hacking toolkit.
XPhisher – Advanced phishing tool with inbuilt tunneling.
CredSniper – Phishing framework with two-factor authentication bypass support.

Miscellaneous Tools

These tools do not fit into a single category but are useful for security work.

HostMeNow – Anonymous offshore hosting with cPanel, VPS, dedicated servers, and LTE proxies. Pay with 100+ cryptocurrencies. Use code SAFE for one month of free cPanel hosting.
Geonix – IPv4/IPv6/ISP and Mobile LTE proxies for security testing. Use promo code HTGR1 at checkout.
PROXY-SOLUTIONS.net – Proxy server provider with IP addresses in over 200 locations. Promo code for a 5% discount: Y1xpdOA8Xr.
OnionLand Hosting – Cryptocurrency-available Tor hidden-service hosting provider.
Impreza Host – Privacy-focused hosting provider offering anonymous VPS and dedicated servers.
Kali Linux – Advanced penetration testing and security auditing OS.
Parrot Security OS – Security-focused OS for pentesting and privacy.
BackBox – Ubuntu-based Linux distro for penetration testing.
BlackArch Linux – Arch-based OS with 2800+ hacking tools.
Pentoo – Security-focused Gentoo-based Linux.
Tails – Privacy and anonymity-focused live OS.
CAINE – Digital forensics live Linux distro.
Bugtraq – Linux distro for pentesting and malware analysis.
Whonix – Anonymous OS based on Tor.
DEFT Linux – Digital evidence and forensics toolkit.
Subgraph OS – Secure Linux distro with hardened kernel.
ArchStrike – Arch Linux repository for security tools.
Fedora Security Lab – Fedora spin for security auditing.
SamuraiWTF – Web application penetration testing environment.
Cyborg Hawk – Security distro for penetration testing.
Matriux Krypton – Debian-based security distribution.
NodeZero – Ubuntu-based penetration testing OS.
GnackTrack – Linux live distribution for penetration testing.
SELKS – Suricata-based IDS/IPS platform.
PentestBox – Penetration testing toolkit for Windows.

Conclusion

The Hacking-Tools repository is a one-stop resource for penetration testing and ethical hacking tools. It covers everything from information gathering to reporting. Whether you are just starting in cybersecurity or you are a seasoned professional, this list will save you time and help you find the right tool for the job.

The repository is free, open source, and licensed under MIT. It has 2.1k stars and 331 forks. If you find it useful, please star it on GitHub. That helps more people discover it.