Passive Reconnaissance Tools
Introduction
Welcome to the Passive Reconnaissance Tools resource center. This curated list provides a comprehensive guide to tools that help cybersecurity professionals gather information about targets without directly interacting with them. These tools are essential for both offensive and defensive operations, allowing professionals to understand a target’s digital footprint, detect potential vulnerabilities, and plan their next steps.
Domain and IP Analysis
- whois - The First Clue for domain ownership details.
- dig - Investigating DNS Records.
- host - A Quick Glance at Domain Details.
- nslookup - DNS Lookup Utility.
- DNSdumpster - DNS Recon & Research.
- SecurityTrails - Comprehensive Domain Information and Subdomain Enumeration.
- Shodan - Search Engine for Internet-Connected Devices.
- VirusTotal - Analyzing Files and URLs for Malware and Security Threats.
- Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence - Accessing Threat Intelligence from Microsoft
Deep OSINT and Data Gathering
- Recon-ng - A Full-featured Web Reconnaissance Framework.
- Maltego - Visual Link Analysis Tool.
- theHarvester - Gathering Emails, Subdomains, Hosts, and Employee Names.
- Google Dorks - Leveraging Google Search Operators for Enhanced Search.
- Bing Dorks - Utilizing Bing Search for Advanced Querying (similar to Google Dorks).
Potential Vulnerabilities and Threats
- Have I Been Pwned - Checking Email Addresses and Usernames Against Breached Data.
Defender.
Monitoring and Alerts
- Google Alerts - Setting Up Alerts for Mention of Specific Keywords or Phrases.
- TweetDeck - Monitoring Twitter for Keywords, Hashtags, and Mentions.
Web Technology Detection and Analysis
- BuiltWith - Discovering Web Technologies.
- urlscan.io - Web Page Analysis and Visualization.
- Netcraft Site Report - Web Server Technologies and Hosting History.
- Censys - Another Internet Search Engine.
Contribute to the Passive Reconnaissance Tools List!
If you know of any other essential passive reconnaissance tools or have feedback on the current list, we’d love to hear from you. Please share your suggestions below or directly contribute by editing the Wiki!
How to Contribute?
Check out our full resource masterlist