# mdsecactivebreach/CACTUSTORCH

CACTUSTORCH: Payload Generation for Adversary Simulations

Repository: https://github.com/mdsecactivebreach/CACTUSTORCH
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/cactustorch
Language: Visual Basic
License Family: other
Last push: 2018-07-03T06:47:36+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 32/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3347, "days_push": 2983, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1017, forks 220 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:14.628320+00:00)

## What it is
CACTUSTORCH is a payload generation tool that produces JavaScript, VBScript, and VBA shellcode launchers for adversary simulations. It spawns a 32-bit host binary (e.g. rundll32.exe) and injects raw shellcode into it, with Cobalt Strike integration via an aggressor script.

## Use cases
- generate vbscript shellcode launcher for red team engagement
- inject shellcode into rundll32 for adversary simulation
- create word macro payload that runs shellcode
- host cactustorch payload from cobalt strike
- emulate attacker payload delivery in penetration test

## When to choose
- you need script-based (js/vbs/vba) shellcode execution on Windows for authorized red team exercises
- you use Cobalt Strike or Metasploit and want a quick payload hosting workflow

## When to avoid
- you need a maintained tool with active development or a license
- your target environment blocks script execution or you need modern evasion techniques

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: maintenance
- function: security, penetration-testing
- domain: security, penetration-testing
- platform: windows
- tags: shellcode, payload-generation, adversary-simulation, red-team, vbscript, javascript, dotnettojscript, cobalt-strike

## Member repositories
- mdsecactivebreach/CACTUSTORCH (main) score 32

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:14.628320+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T07:11:13.895970+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/mdsecactivebreach/CACTUSTORCH (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:14.628320+00:00, sha 2fb6f7d86819)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.