A collection of hacking tools
Hacking Tools
Welcome to the Hacking Tools knowledge library. This collection documents essential tools used throughout the penetration testing lifecycle, organized by phase: Reconnaissance, Scanning, Gaining Access, Privilege Escalation, Maintaining Access, and Reporting.
Whether you’re new to ethical hacking or refining your toolkit, you’ll find detailed guides for industry-standard platforms like Metasploit and Nessus, as well as specialized utilities for reconnaissance, exploitation, post-exploitation, and vulnerability management.
Getting Started
Start with the Ethical Hacking — Tools Index for a structured map of all tools organized by penetration testing phase.
Tools by Category
Reconnaissance & OSINT
Passive information gathering techniques and tools to map your target before active engagement:
- WHOIS — Domain and IP registration lookups
- Google Dorking — Advanced search operators for exposed data
- Maltego — Visual link analysis and relationship mapping
Scanning & Vulnerability Assessment
Active discovery and vulnerability identification:
- Nmap — Network discovery and port scanning
- Nessus — Commercial vulnerability scanner
- OpenVAS — Open-source vulnerability assessment
- Burp Suite — Web application security testing
Gaining Access & Exploitation
Tools for credential attacks and vulnerability exploitation:
- Hydra — Password cracking and brute-force attacks
- SQLmap — SQL injection detection and exploitation
- Metasploit — Penetration testing framework
Post-Exploitation & Privilege Escalation
Tools for maintaining access and escalating privileges:
- Meterpreter — Advanced in-memory payload
- LinPEAS — Linux privilege escalation enumeration
- WinPEAS — Windows privilege escalation enumeration
- Netcat — Networking utility for shells and file transfer
Reporting & Collaboration
Frameworks for managing findings and generating professional reports: