cryptcat
netcat with twofish encryption
TLDR
Listen on a port with encryption
$ cryptcat -k password -l -p 1234
Connect to a port with encryption$ cryptcat -k password host 1234
Connect with timeout$ cryptcat -k password -w 10 host 1234
Port scan a host$ cryptcat -v -z host 1-1024
Proxy data between local and remote$ cryptcat -k password -l -p 8080 | cryptcat -k password host 80
Transfer a file$ cryptcat -k password -l -p 1234 < file.txt
SYNOPSIS
cryptcat [options] [hostname] [port]
DESCRIPTION
cryptcat is netcat with twofish encryption capabilities. It provides the same functionality as netcat but with encrypted data transmission for secure communication over untrusted networks.
PARAMETERS
-k PASSWORD
Specify encryption password-l
Listen mode (act as server)-p PORT
Specify local port number-w SECONDS
Timeout for connects and final net reads-z
Zero-I/O mode (scanning)-v
Verbose mode-n
Numeric-only IP addresses, no DNS-u
UDP mode instead of TCP
CAVEATS
Both ends must use the same password for encryption. If no password is specified with -k, cryptcat uses the hardcoded default password "metallica", making the connection effectively unencrypted. This tool is intended for authorized security testing and legitimate encrypted communication.
HISTORY
cryptcat was developed as a secure version of netcat, adding twofish encryption to prevent eavesdropping on network communications.
