Netcat 1.10
is an updated release of Netcat, 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
- Hex dump of transmitted and received data
- Optional ability to let another program service established connections
- Optional telnet-options responder
A very short list of potential uses:
- Script backends
- Scanning ports and inventorying services, automated probes
- Backup handlers
- File transfers
- Server testing, simulation, debugging, and hijacking
- Firewall testing
- Proxy gatewaying
- Network performance testing
- Address spoofing tests
- Protecting X servers
- 1001 other uses you'll likely come up with
Changes between the 1.00 release and this release are fairly minimal:
- Better portability -- updated generic.h and Makefile [thanx folks!]
- Indication of local-end interface address on inbound connections
- That's *Dave* Borman's telnet, not Paul Borman...
- Better indication of DNS errors
- Total byte counts printed if -v -v is used
- A bunch of front-end driver companion programs and scripts
- Better handling of stdin arguments-plus-data
- Hex-dump feature
- Telnet responder
- Program exec works inbound or outbound now
Netcat and the associated package 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/nc110.tgz
which is a gzipped tar file and not to be confused with its version 1.00
precursor, nc100.tgz. Other distribution formats can be accomodated upon
request. Please test it on your platform[s] and report any problems.
Netcat is also mirrored at the following [faster] sites:
coast.cs.purdue.edu:/pub/tools/unix/netcat/nc110.tgz
ftp.sterling.com:/mirrors/avian.org/src/hacks/nc110.tgz
zippy.telcom.arizona.edu:/pub/mirrors/avian.org/hacks/nc110.tgz
ftp.rge.com:/pub/security/coast/mirrors/avian.org/netcat/nc110.tgz
MD5 hash taken with L5:
nc110.tgz//F 358 100644 1 666/0 75267 402632f2fe01c169ff19a0ad6e9d608c
_H* 960320