[2320] in bugtraq
New tool available: Netcat
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (*Hobbit*)
Sun Oct 29 00:37:36 1995
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 13:40:21 -0400
Reply-To: Bugtraq List <BUGTRAQ@CRIMELAB.COM>
From: *Hobbit* <hobbit@avian.org>
X-To: bugtraq@CRIMELAB.COM
To: Multiple recipients of list BUGTRAQ <BUGTRAQ@CRIMELAB.COM>
[Potentially interesting to this group since it helps facilitate bug testing,
port scanning, address spoofing, buffer overflowing, or what have you.]
Netcat 1.0 is the initial release of a simple Unix utility which reads and
writes data across network connections, using TCP or UDP protocol. It is
designed to be a reliable "back-end" tool that can be used directly or easily
driven by other programs and scripts. At the same time it is a feature-rich
network debugging and exploration tool, since it can create almost any kind of
connection you would need and has several interesting built-in capabilities.
Some of netcat's major features are:
Outbound or inbound connections, TCP or UDP, to or from any ports
Full DNS forward/reverse checking, with appropriate warnings
Ability to use any local source port
Ability to use any locally-configured network source address
Built-in port-scanning capabilities, with randomizer
Built-in loose source-routing capability
Can read command line arguments from standard input
Slow-send mode, one line every N seconds
Optional ability to let another program service inbound connections
A very short list of potential uses:
Script backends
Scanning ports and inventorying services
Backup handlers
File transfers
Server testing and simulation
Firewall testing
Proxy gatewaying
Network performance testing
Address spoofing tests
Protecting X servers
1001 other uses you'll likely come up with
Netcat is a product of Avian Research, and is freely available in full source
form with no restrictions save an obligation to give credit where due. Get
it via anonymous FTP at avian.org:/src/hacks/nc100.tgz which is a gzipped
tar file. Other distribution formats can be accomodated upon request.
It is also mirrored at the following [faster] sites:
zippy.telcom.arizona.edu:/pub/mirrors/avian.org/hacks/nc100.tgz
ftp.sterling.com:/mirrors/avian.org/src/hacks/nc100.tgz
_H* 951010
