1 Netcat 1.10 is an updated release of Netcat, a simple Unix utility which reads 2 and writes data across network connections using TCP or UDP protocol. It is 3 designed to be a reliable "back-end" tool that can be used directly or easily 4 driven by other programs and scripts. At the same time it is a feature-rich 5 network debugging and exploration tool, since it can create almost any kind of 6 connection you would need and has several interesting built-in capabilities. 7 8 Some of netcat's major features are: 9 10 Outbound or inbound connections, TCP or UDP, to or from any ports 11 Full DNS forward/reverse checking, with appropriate warnings 12 Ability to use any local source port 13 Ability to use any locally-configured network source address 14 Built-in port-scanning capabilities, with randomizer 15 Built-in loose source-routing capability 16 Can read command line arguments from standard input 17 Slow-send mode, one line every N seconds 18 Hex dump of transmitted and received data 19 Optional ability to let another program service established connections 20 Optional telnet-options responder 21 22 A very short list of potential uses: 23 24 Script backends 25 Scanning ports and inventorying services, automated probes 26 Backup handlers 27 File transfers 28 Server testing, simulation, debugging, and hijacking 29 Firewall testing 30 Proxy gatewaying 31 Network performance testing 32 Address spoofing tests 33 Protecting X servers 34 1001 other uses you'll likely come up with 35 36 Changes between the 1.00 release and this release: 37 38 Better portability -- updated generic.h and Makefile [thanx folks!] 39 Indication of local-end interface address on inbound connections 40 That's *Dave* Borman's telnet, not Paul Borman... 41 Better indication of DNS errors 42 Total byte counts printed if -v -v is used 43 A bunch of front-end driver companion programs and scripts 44 Better handling of stdin arguments-plus-data 45 Hex-dump feature 46 Telnet responder 47 Program exec works inbound or outbound now 48 49 Netcat and the associated package is a product of Avian Research, and is freely 50 available in full source form with no restrictions save an obligation to give 51 credit where due. Get it via anonymous FTP at avian.org:/src/hacks/nc110.tgz 52 which is a gzipped tar file and not to be confused with its version 1.00 53 precursor, nc100.tgz. Other distribution formats can be accomodated upon 54 request. Netcat is also mirrored at the following [faster] sites: 55 56 zippy.telcom.arizona.edu:/pub/mirrors/avian.org/hacks/nc110.tgz 57 ftp.sterling.com:/mirrors/avian.org/src/hacks/nc110.tgz 58 coast.cs.purdue.edu:/pub/tools/unix/netcat/nc110.tgz 59 ftp.rge.com:/pub/security/coast/mirrors/avian.org/netcat/nc110.tgz 60 61 _H* 960320 62
