# Metasploit Framework

Metasploit Framework

Repository: https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/metasploit-framework
Homepage: https://www.metasploit.com/
Language: Ruby
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: hacktoberfest
Last push: 2026-08-26T23:53:12+00:00
Link (homepage): https://www.metasploit.com/
Link (site_page): https://docs.metasploit.com/
Link (site_page): https://docs.metasploit.com/docs/using-metasploit/getting-started/nightly-installers.html
Link (site_page): https://docs.metasploit.com/docs/development/get-started/contributing-to-metasploit.html

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5482, "days_push": 7, "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 38886, forks 14951 (observed 2026-08-28T04:12:07.702654+00:00)

## What it is
Metasploit Framework is the world's most widely used open-source penetration testing framework, providing a large collection of exploit, payload, auxiliary, and post-exploitation modules driven through the msfconsole interface. It is maintained by Rapid7 and the open-source community and is pre-installed on Kali Linux.

## Use cases
- verify vulnerabilities in my network with real exploits
- run a penetration test against a target system
- write and test custom exploit modules
- generate payloads and handle post-exploitation with Meterpreter
- perform privilege escalation testing on a compromised host
- manage security assessments and security awareness training

## When to choose
- you need a mature, community-maintained exploit framework with thousands of modules
- you want an industry-standard tool for authorized penetration testing and red teaming
- you are an exploit developer who wants a structured module API and active contributor community
- you use Kali Linux or want nightly installers for Linux, macOS, or Windows

## When to avoid
- you need a passive vulnerability scanner rather than an exploitation framework
- you want a GUI-first commercial product with reporting (consider Metasploit Pro or other tools)
- you lack authorization to test the target systems - this tool is for legitimate security work only

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: active
- function: penetration-testing, security, cli, developer-tools
- domain: security, penetration-testing, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, ruby, cross-platform
- tags: exploitation, exploit-framework, meterpreter, payloads, vulnerability-verification, msfconsole, red-team, offensive-security, command-line, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- rapid7/metasploit-framework (main) score 77
- rapid7/metasploit-payloads (plugin) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:12:07.702654+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 2026-08-29T16:24:49.010490+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework (fetched 2026-08-28T04:12:07.702654+00:00, sha 0b7e645ac5d4)
  - homepage: https://www.metasploit.com/ (fetched 2026-08-29T07:46:53.738606+00:00, sha 6b8cd4f498af)
  - site_page: https://docs.metasploit.com/ (fetched 2026-08-29T07:46:53.747497+00:00, sha 195bb9b5c4d0)
  - site_page: https://docs.metasploit.com/docs/using-metasploit/getting-started/nightly-installers.html (fetched 2026-08-29T07:46:53.749499+00:00, sha 61da18bbe2b7)
  - site_page: https://docs.metasploit.com/docs/development/get-started/contributing-to-metasploit.html (fetched 2026-08-29T07:46:53.751091+00:00, sha b6317876f823)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.