20 Best Ethical Hacking Tools & Software for Hackers (2021)

What are Hacking Tools?

Hacking Tools are computer programs and scripts that help you find and exploit weaknesses in computer systems, web applications, servers and networks. There are a variety of such tools available in the market. Users can easily download hack tools for ethical hacking. Some of them are open source while others are commercial solution.

Following is a handpicked list of Top 20 Best Ethical Hacking Tools, with their popular features and website links to download hack tools. The list contains top hacking tools both open source(free) and commercial(paid).

Top Hacking Tools, Programs & Software Downloads

1) Netsparker

Netsparker is an easy to use web application security scanner that can automatically find SQL Injection, XSS and other vulnerabilities in your web applications and web services. It is available as on-premises and SAAS solution.

Features

• Dead accurate vulnerability detection with the unique Proof-Based Scanning Technology.
• Minimal configuration required. Scanner automatically detects URL rewrite rules, custom 404 error pages.
• REST API for seamless integration with the SDLC, bug tracking systems etc.
• Fully scalable solution. Scan 1,000 web applications in just 24 hours.

2) Acunetix

Acunetix is a fully automated ethical hacking solution that mimics a hacker to keep one step ahead of malicious intruders. The web application security scanner accurately scans HTML5, JavaScript and Single-page applications. It can audit complex, authenticated webapps and issues compliance and management reports on a wide range of web and network vulnerabilities.

Features:

• Scans for all variants of SQL Injection, XSS, and 4500+ additional vulnerabilities
• Detects over 1200 WordPress core, theme, and plugin vulnerabilities
• Fast & Scalable – crawls hundreds of thousands of pages without interruptions
• Integrates with popular WAFs and Issue Trackers to aid in the SDLC
• Available On Premises and as a Cloud solution.

3) Traceroute NG

Traceroute NG is application that enables you to analyze network path. This software can identify IP addresses, hostnames, and packet loss. It provides accurate analysis through command line interface

Features:

• It offers both TCP and ICMP network path analysis.
• This application can create a txt logfile.
• Supports both IP4 and IPV6.
• Detect path changes and give you a notification.
• Allows continuous probing of a network.

4) GFI LanGuard:

GFI LanGuard is an ethical tool that scan networks for vulnerabilities. It can acts as your 'virtual security consultant' on demand. It allows creating an asset inventory of every device.

Features:

• It helps to maintain a secure network over time is to know which changes are affecting your network and
• Patch management: Fix vulnerabilities before an attack
• Analyze network centrally
• Discover security threats early
• Reduce cost of ownership by centralizing vulnerability scanning
• Help to maintain a secure and compliant network

5) Burp Suite:

Burp Suite is a useful platform for performing Security Testing of web applications. Its various hacker tools work seamlessly together to support the entire pen testing process. It spans from initial mapping to analysis of an application's attack surface.

Features:

It is one of the best hacking tools that can detect over 3000 web application vulnerabilities.

• Scan open-source software and custom-built applications
• An easy to use Login Sequence Recorder allows the automatic scanning
• Review vulnerability data with built-in vulnerability management.
• Easily provide wide variety of technical and compliance reports
• Detects Critical Vulnerabilities with 100% Accuracy
• Automated crawl and scan
• It is one of the best hackers tools which provides advanced scanning feature for manual testers
• Cutting-edge scanning logic

Download link: https://portswigger.net/burp/communitydownload

6) Ettercap:

Ettercap is an ethical hacking tool. It supports active and passive dissection includes features for network and host analysis.

Features:

• It is one of the best hacker tools that supports active and passive dissection of many protocols
• Feature of ARP poisoning to sniff on a switched LAN between two hosts
• Characters can be injected into a server or to a client while maintaining a live connection
• Ettercap is capable of sniffing an SSH connection in full duplex
• It is one of the best hackers tools that allows sniffing of HTTP SSL secured data even when the connection is made using proxy
• Allows creation of custom plugins using Ettercap's API

Download link: https://www.ettercap-project.org/downloads.html

7) Aircrack:

Aircrack is one of the best, trustable, ethical hacking tools in the market. It cracks vulnerable wireless connections. It is powered by WEP WPA and WPA 2 encryption Keys.

Features:

• More cards/drivers supported
• Support all types of OS and platforms
• New WEP attack: PTW
• Support for WEP dictionary attack
• Support for Fragmentation attack
• Improved tracking speed

Download link: https://www.aircrack-ng.org/downloads.html

8) Angry IP Scanner:

Angry IP Scanner is open-source and cross-platform ethical hacking tool. It scans IP addresses and ports.

Features:

• This network hacking tool scans local networks as well as the Internet
• Free and open-source hack tool
• Random or file in any format
• Exports results into many formats
• Extensible with many data fetchers
• Provides command-line interface
• This hacking software works on Windows, Mac, and Linux
• No need for Installation

Download link: http://angryip.org/download/#windows

9) Savvius:

It is one of the best hacking tools for ethical hacking. It performance issues and reduces security risk with the deep visibility provided by Omnipeek. It can diagnose network issues faster and better with Savvius packet intelligence.

Features:

• Powerful, easy-to-use network forensics software
• Savvius automates the capture of the network data required to quickly investigate security alerts
• Software and integrated appliance solutions
• Packet intelligence combines deep analysis
• This network hacking tool provides rapid resolution of network and security issues
• Easy to use Intuitive workflow
• Expert and responsive technical support
• Onsite deployment for appliances
• Commitment to our customers and our products

Download link: https://www.savvius.com/distributed_network_analysis_suite_trial

10) QualysGuard:

Qualys guard helps businesses streamline their security and compliance solutions. It also builds security into their digital transformation initiatives. It is one of the best hacker tools that checks the performance vulnerability of the online cloud systems.

Features:

• It is one of the best online hacking tools which is trusted globally
• No hardware to buy or manage
• It is a scalable, end-to-end solution for all aspects of IT security
• Vulnerability data securely stored and processed on an n-tiered architecture of load-balanced servers
• It sensor provides continuous visibility
• Data analyzed in real time
• It can respond to threats in a real-time

Download link: https://www.qualys.com/community-edition/#/freescan

11) WebInspect:

WebInspect is automated dynamic application security testing that allows performing ethical hacking techniques. It is one of the best hacking tools which provides comprehensive dynamic analysis of complex web applications and services.

Features:

• Allows to test dynamic behavior of running web applications to identify security vulnerabilities
• Keep in control of your scan by getting relevant information and statistics at a glance
• Centralized Program Management
• Advanced technologies, such as simultaneous crawl professional-level testing to novice security testers
• Easily inform management on vulnerability trending, compliance management, and risk oversight

Download link: https://www.microfocus.com/en-us/products/webinspect-dynamic-analysis-dast/how-it-works

12) Hashcat:

Hashcat is one of the best robust password cracking and ethical hacker tools. It can help users to recover lost passwords, audit password security, or just find out what data is stored in a hash.

Features:

• Open-Source platform
• Multi-Platform Support
• This hacking software allows utilizing multiple devices in the same system
• Utilizing mixed device types in the same system
• It supports distributed cracking networks
• Supports interactive pause/resume
• Supports sessions and restore
• Built-in benchmarking system
• Integrated thermal watchdog
• Supports automatic performance tuning

Download link: https://hashcat.net/hashcat/

13) L0phtCrack:

L0phtCrack 6 is useful password audit and recovery tool. It identifies and assesses password vulnerability over local machines and networks.

Features:

• Multicore & multi-GPU support helps to optimize hardware
• Easy to customize
• Simple Password Loading
• Schedule sophisticated tasks for automated enterprise-wide password
• Fix weak passwords issues by forcing password resets or locking accounts
• It allows multiple auditing OSes

Download link: https://www.l0phtcrack.com/

14) Rainbow Crack:

RainbowCrack RainbowCrack is a password cracking and ethical hacking tool widely used for hacking devices. It cracks hashes with rainbow tables. It uses time-memory tradeoff algorithm for this purpose.

Features:

• Full time-memory trade-off tool suites, including rainbow table generation
• It Support rainbow table of any hash algorithm
• Support rainbow table of any charset
• Support rainbow table in raw file format (.rt) and compact file format
• Computation on multi-core processor support
• GPU acceleration with multiple GPUs
• Runs on Windows OS and Linux
• Unified rainbow table file format on every supported OS
• Command line user interface
• Graphics user interface

Download link: http://project-rainbowcrack.com/index.htm

15) IKECrack:

IKECrack is an open source authentication crack tool. This ethical hacking tool is designed to brute-force or dictionary attack. It is one of the best hacker tools that allows performing cryptography tasks.

Features:

• IKECrack is a tool that allows performing Cryptography tasks
• Initiating client sends encryption options proposal, DH public key, random number, and an ID in an unencrypted packet to the gateway/responder.
• It is one of the best hacking programs freely available for both personal and commercial use. Therefore, it is perfect choice for user who wants an option for Cryptography programs

Download link: http://ikecrack.sourceforge.net/

16) IronWASP:

IronWASP is an open source hacking software. It is web application vulnerability testing. It is designed to be customizable so that users can create their custom security scanners using it.

Features:

• GUI based and very easy to use
• It has powerful and effective scanning engine
• Supports for recording Login sequence
• Reporting in both HTML and RTF formats
• It is one of the best hacking programs that checks for over 25 types of web vulnerabilities
• False Positives and Negatives detection support
• It supports Python and Ruby
• Extensible using plug-ins or modules in Python, Ruby, C# or VB.NET

Download link: https://sboxr.com/download.html

17) Medusa

Medusa is one of the best online brute-force, speedy, parallel password crackers ethical hacking tool. This hacking toolkit is also widely used for ethical hacking.

Features:

• It is designed in such a way that it is speedy, massively parallel, modular, login brute-forcer
• The main aim of this hacking software is to support as many services which allow remote authentication
• It is one of the best online hacking tools that allows to perform Thread-based parallel testing and Brute-force testing
• Flexible user input. It can be specified in a variety of ways
• All the service module exists as an independent .mod file.
• No modifications are needed to the core application to extend the supported list of services for brute-forcing

Download link: http://foofus.net/goons/jmk/medusa/medusa.html

18) NetStumbler

NetStumbler is a hacking software used to detect wireless networks on the Windows platform.

Features:

• Verifying network configurations
• Finding locations with poor coverage in a WLAN
• Detecting causes of wireless interference
• Detecting unauthorized ("rogue") access points
• Aiming directional antennas for long-haul WLAN links

Download link: http://www.stumbler.net/

19) SQLMap

SQLMap automates the process of detecting and exploiting SQL Injection weaknesses. It is open source and cross platform. It supports the following database engines.

• MySQL
• Oracle
• Postgre SQL
• MS SQL Server
• MS Access
• IBM DB2
• SQLite
• Firebird
• Sybase and SAP MaxDB

It supports the following SQL Injection Techniques;

• Boolean-based blind
• Time-based blind
• Error-based
• UNION query
• Stacked queries and out-of-band.

Download link: http://sqlmap.org/

20) Cain & Abel

Cain & Abel is a Microsoft Operating System passwords recovery tool. It is used to -

• Recover MS Access passwords
• Uncover password field
• Sniffing networks
• Cracking encrypted passwords using dictionary attacks, brute-force, and cryptanalysis attacks.

Download link: https://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Decrypting-Decoding/Cain-and-Abel.shtml

21) Nessus

Nessus can be used to perform;

• Remote vulnerability scanner
• Password dictionary attacks
• Denial of service attacks.

It is closed source, cross platform and free for personal use.

Download link: https://www.tenable.com/products/nessus/nessus-professional

22) Zenmap

Zenmap is the official Nmap Security Scanner software. It is a multi-platform free and open source application. It is easy to use for beginners but also offers advanced features for experienced users.

Features:

• Interactive and graphical results viewing
• It summarizes details about a single host or a complete scan in a convenient display.
• It can even draw a topology map of discovered networks.
• It can show the differences between two scans.
• It allows administrators to track new hosts or services appearing on their networks. Or track existing services that go down

Download link: https://nmap.org/download.html

FAQ

❓ What are Hacking Tools?

💻 Is it Legal to use Hacking Tools?