{"adoption": {"forks": 652, "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "stars": 3958}, "canonical_url": "https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/dnscat2", "card": {"archived": false, "artifact_type": "cli-tool", "description": null, "domain": ["penetration-testing", "security", "networking"], "enriched": true, "function": ["security", "networking", "cryptography"], "health_score": 20, "homepage": null, "language": "PHP", "license": "BSD-3-Clause", "license_family": "permissive", "maturity": "maintenance", "member_repos": ["iagox86/dnscat2"], "name": "iagox86/dnscat2", "platform": ["windows", "cross-platform", "cli"], "pushed_at": "2024-03-14T11:17:49+00:00", "repo": "iagox86/dnscat2", "stars": 3958, "tags": ["dns-tunneling", "command-and-control", "penetration-testing", "red-team", "c2", "linux", "macos"], "topics": [], "urls": [], "use_cases": ["establish a C2 channel through restrictive firewalls using DNS", "tunnel encrypted traffic out of networks that only allow DNS", "run a remote shell on a compromised host via DNS", "upload and download files over a DNS tunnel", "pivot into internal networks by tunneling TCP over DNS", "demonstrate DNS exfiltration risks during penetration tests"], "what_it_is": "dnscat2 is an encrypted DNS tunneling tool designed to create a command-and-control (C&C) channel over the DNS protocol. It consists of a C client for compromised machines and a Ruby server that runs on an authoritative DNS server, supporting file transfers, shells, and TCP tunneling.", "when_to_avoid": ["you just want general-purpose network tunneling to bypass a hotel or airplane network", "you need a stealthy tool for legitimate production traffic", "you are not authorized to test the target network - unauthorized use is illegal"], "when_to_choose": ["you need a covert, encrypted C2 channel where only DNS traffic is allowed", "you are performing an authorized penetration test or red team engagement", "you want a tunneling tool with minimal client dependencies that compiles almost anywhere"]}, "data_as_of": "2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00", "members": [{"path": "/products/dnscat2", "repo": "iagox86/dnscat2", "role": "main", "score": 23}], "provenance": {"archived": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "artifact_type": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "description": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "domain": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "enriched": {"inputs": [], "kind": "computed", "method": "enrichment_status"}, "function": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "health_score": {"inputs": ["days_since_push", "days_since_release", "archived"], "kind": "computed", "method": "health_v1"}, "homepage": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "language": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "license": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "license_family": {"inputs": ["license"], "kind": "computed", "method": "license_family"}, "maturity": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "member_repos": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "name": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "platform": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "pushed_at": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "repo": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "stars": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "tags": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "topics": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "urls": {"kind": "observed", "observed_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "source": "github"}, "use_cases": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "what_it_is": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "when_to_avoid": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}, "when_to_choose": {"confidence": null, "enriched_at": "2026-08-29T18:24:28.907203+00:00", "kind": "inferred", "prompt_version": 1, "sources": [{"content_hash": "02e723254276d95bc6a8f08ccd5cdcd539fd7df6d45e415aa8dc8d2258f2f50f", "fetched_at": "2026-08-28T04:08:30.527765+00:00", "kind": "readme", "missing": false, "url": "https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2"}], "taxonomy_version": 1}}, "score": {"components": {"activity": 0, "longevity": 100, "rhythm": 8}, "computed_at": "2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00", "flags": [], "formula": "round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)", "inputs": {"age_days": 4989, "days_push": 902, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}, "score": 23, "version": 2}, "staleness": {"enrichment_outdated": false, "low_confidence": false, "scrape_days": 9, "stale_scrape": false}}