thc-ipv6

Please note: thc-ipv6 is a collection of individual tools, not a single executable command. Each tool has its own specific syntax and options. Below are common invocation patterns for typical tools within the suite:

alive6 -i interface [target_ipv6]
attack6 -i interface -s source_ipv6 -t target_ipv6 [options]
flood_router6 -i interface [options]
fake_router6 -i interface [options]

-i interface
    Specifies the network interface to use, e.g., eth0 or wlan0.

-s source_ipv6
    Defines the source IPv6 address for the packets being sent.

-d destination_ipv6
    Sets the destination IPv6 address for the packets.

-t target_ipv6
    Specifies the target IPv6 address or network segment for the operation.

-l port
    Indicates a listen port for tools requiring one, or a target port for scanning.

-n count
    Specifies the number of packets to send or iterations to perform.

-r
    Requests a random source or destination address/MAC in some tools.

-v
    Enables verbose output, providing more detailed information about the tool's execution.

-h
    Displays the help message and available options for a specific tool.

thc-ipv6 is a comprehensive suite of tools developed by The Hacker's Choice (THC) for analyzing, attacking, and securing IPv6 networks. Unlike a single command, it comprises over 40 individual utilities designed to test various aspects of IPv6 protocol implementations and network configurations. These tools cover a wide range of attack vectors, including Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) manipulation, Router Advertisement (RA) spoofing, fragmentation attacks, ICMPv6 floods, denial-of-service, and reconnaissance. Network administrators and security professionals commonly use thc-ipv6 for penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and educational purposes to understand the complexities and potential weaknesses in IPv6 deployments. Its modular nature allows users to combine different tools for sophisticated attack scenarios or to precisely target specific vulnerabilities.

Ethical Use: thc-ipv6 tools are powerful and can cause network disruption, crashes, or denial of service. They must only be used on networks where explicit permission has been granted by the owner. Unauthorized use is illegal and unethical.
Network Impact: Some tools, particularly those involving flooding or spoofing, can significantly impact network performance, stability, and connectivity, potentially leading to outages.
Privileges: Most thc-ipv6 tools require root or superuser privileges to operate, as they interact directly with network interfaces and raw sockets.

The thc-ipv6 suite includes tools for various purposes, broadly categorized as:
Reconnaissance: Tools like alive6 to discover active IPv6 hosts.
Attacks: Tools such as attack6, flood_router6, deny6 for various DoS and protocol manipulation attacks.
Spoofing: fake_router6, parasite6 for Man-in-the-Middle and fake router scenarios.
Scanning: v6scan for port scanning.
Utilities: Tools like thcping6, trace6 for basic network diagnostics.

thc-ipv6 is typically available in the package repositories of popular Linux distributions (e.g., Debian/Ubuntu: apt install thc-ipv6, Fedora: dnf install thc-ipv6). Users can also compile it from source code, usually found on GitHub or dedicated security tool repositories.

The thc-ipv6 suite was developed by The Hacker's Choice (THC), a prominent international hacker group known for its open-source security tools and research. The development of these tools began in response to the growing deployment of IPv6 and the need for dedicated tools to assess its security implications. THC recognized that existing IPv4-centric tools were inadequate for effectively testing IPv6 networks, which operate with different protocols and attack vectors. The suite has been continuously updated to address new vulnerabilities and provide comprehensive testing capabilities, establishing itself as a de facto standard for IPv6 penetration testing and security auditing.

nmap(1), scapy(1), ettercap(8), ping6(8), netcat(1)