pwncat

pwncat is a bind and reverse shell handler that functions as an enhanced netcat replacement with extended capabilities for penetration testing. It supports both TCP and UDP protocols, local and remote port forwarding, and includes features for firewall and intrusion detection system evasion. The tool can automatically deploy itself on target systems and establish multiple unbreakable reverse shells, while also offering port scanning with version detection and Python scripting capabilities through its Pwncat Scripting Engine.

Developed by cytopia, pwncat is released under the MIT license. The tool is available for installation across multiple Linux distributions including Kali Linux, Arch Linux, Fedora, and CentOS, as well as macOS through Homebrew. It serves as a drop-in replacement or complement to traditional netcat, ncat, and socat tools for users performing security testing and shell operations.