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:
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. Netcat is also mirrored at the following [faster] sites:
zippy.telcom.arizona.edu:/pub/mirrors/avian.org/hacks/nc110.tgz ftp.sterling.com:/mirrors/avian.org/src/hacks/nc110.tgz coast.cs.purdue.edu:/pub/tools/unix/netcat/nc110.tgz ftp.rge.com:/pub/security/coast/mirrors/avian.org/netcat/nc110.tgz
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