Ross ROSS = Recommend OSS · open-source software intelligence for agents

hardentools/hardentools

Hardentools simply reduces the attack surface on Microsoft Windows computers by disabling low-hanging fruit risky features. observed · 2026-08-28

github.com/hardentools/hardentools · Go · GPL-3.0 (copyleft) observed · 2026-08-28

Health v2 · maintenance only

40/100

  • Activity 36
  • Release rhythm 10
  • Longevity 100
How is this computed?

round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10) — computed 2026-09-02. Adoption (stars, forks) is never an input.

  • gap_med: n/a
  • age_days: 3521
  • days_rel: 389
  • days_push: 388
  • n_releases_24m: 1

Full methodology

Adoption not part of the score

3105 stars · 258 forks observed · 2026-08-28

What it is AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, 2026-08-29, confidence not recorded

Hardentools is a Windows utility that reduces the attack surface by disabling risky features in Windows 10/11, Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, and Adobe PDF Reader. It is aimed at at-risk individuals who want extra security at the cost of some usability, and is not an antivirus or a corporate hardening solution.

Use cases

  • disable risky Windows features to reduce attack surface
  • harden a Windows PC for an at-risk user
  • turn off Office macros and PDF JavaScript
  • quickly harden a personal Windows laptop
  • revert Windows hardening changes when needed

When to choose

  • you are an individual user (e.g., journalist, activist) who wants an extra layer of security on Windows
  • you want a simple one-click tool to disable commonly abused features
  • you accept losing some functionality like Excel macros or the command line

When to avoid

  • you need an antivirus or malware protection
  • you are hardening corporate/enterprise environments
  • you rely on features it disables, such as Office macros or PowerShell

Facets

application · maturity active

security configuration-management security windows privacy windows hardening attack-surface-reduction at-risk-users system-configuration desktop

1 source

Member repositories

RepositoryRoleHealth v2
hardentools/hardentoolsmain40

For agents

markdown · JSON · MCP: product_card(name="hardentools/hardentools")

Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00 · Report a problem