Here's a categorized list of popular hacking tools and cybersecurity expert tools used for
penetration testing, ethical hacking, network analysis, and digital forensics. These tools are
intended for ethical use only—unauthorized use is illegal.
Password Cracking
Tool Description
John the Ripper Cracks passwords using dictionary and brute-force attacks.
Hashcat Advanced password recovery tool using GPU acceleration.
Hydra Performs fast brute-force attacks on remote login services.
Medusa Parallel login brute-forcer (similar to Hydra).
Cain & Abel (Windows) Recovers passwords by sniffing, cracking hashes, etc.
Network Scanning & Reconnaissance
Tool Description
Nmap Network discovery and security auditing tool.
Masscan Fast port scanner (like Nmap, but faster).
Netcat (nc) Reads/writes data across networks, used for backdoors and debugging.
Wireshark Network protocol analyzer/sniffer.
tcpdump Command-line packet analyzer.
OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence)
Tool Description
theHarvester Gathers emails, subdomains, hosts from public sources.
Maltego Graphical link analysis tool for OSINT and forensics.
Shodan Search engine for Internet-connected devices.
Recon-ng Full-featured web reconnaissance framework.
Exploitation Tools
Tool Description
Metasploit Framework Penetration testing platform for exploit development.
BeEF Exploits vulnerabilities in web browsers.
Tool Description
SQLMap Automated SQL injection tool.
Commix Automates command injection attacks.
Empire PowerShell post-exploitation agent.
Wireless Hacking
Tool Description
Aircrack-ng Cracks WEP/WPA-PSK keys on WiFi networks.
Reaver WPS brute-force attack tool.
WiFi-Pumpkin Rogue WiFi access point framework.
Kismet Wireless network detector/sniffer/intrusion detection.
Web Application Testing
Tool Description
Burp Suite Intercepts and modifies HTTP/S traffic (web pentesting).
OWASP ZAP Open-source web application security scanner.
Nikto Scans web servers for dangerous files and vulnerabilities.
Dirb / Dirbuster Brute-force tools for discovering hidden web directories.
Vulnerability Scanners
Tool Description
Nessus Comprehensive vulnerability scanner.
OpenVAS Free vulnerability scanner (Greenbone).
Qualys Cloud-based vulnerability management.
Post-Exploitation & Persistence
Tool Description
Mimikatz Extracts plaintext passwords, hashes, PINs from memory (Windows).
PowerSploit PowerShell scripts for exploitation and post-exploitation.
Pupy Cross-platform remote administration and post-exploitation tool.
Digital Forensics & Malware Analysis
Tool Description
Autopsy Forensic browser for hard drive investigation.
Volatility Memory forensics framework.
Cuckoo Sandbox Automated malware analysis system.
FTK Imager Forensic imaging and data preview.
Operating Systems for Hacking & Pentesting
OS Description
Kali Linux Penetration testing OS with hundreds of tools pre-installed.
Parrot OS Security-focused OS for pentesters, with anonymity and development tools.
BackBox Ubuntu-based distro for security assessments and analysis.
Tails OS Privacy-focused live OS used by journalists and researchers.
Advanced Tools (Red Team / Blue Team)
Tool Purpose
Cobalt Strike Red team operations and post-exploitation.
Sliver Open-source adversary emulation/red team platform.
ELK Stack Log analysis (used by Blue Teams).
Sigma / YARA Threat detection rule languages.
Would you like:
• A downloadable list or cheat sheet (PDF/Markdown)?
• Setup instructions or usage guides for any tool?
• Best tools for a specific goal (e.g. WiFi hacking, web apps, OSINT)?
Let me know!
