macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install authoscopelocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install authoscope with Homebrew, Nix, pacman
Scriptable network authentication cracker. Version 0.8.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#authoscopenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/au/authoscope/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S authoscopeArch Linux sync databases · authoscope · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
Scriptable network authentication cracker
Project links
Commands and aliases
- authoscope
- badtouch
history
Project history and usage
authoscope is a Rust security CLI for scriptable network authentication testing. Its niche is custom-service credential testing: rather than hardcoding protocols like older cracking tools, it embeds Lua scripts that define a `verify(user, password)` function while the runtime handles concurrency, progress, and reporting.
Project history
The upstream repository was created in March 2018. The README explicitly positions authoscope against established tools such as Ncrack, Hydra, and Medusa, arguing that custom web applications still force testers to write one-off scripts.
The project originally shipped a `badtouch` binary; release notes for v0.8.0 in May 2021 renamed the tool to `authoscope` while keeping the old binary temporarily. Version 0.8.1 in March 2022 updated dependencies for OpenSSL 3 build compatibility.
Adoption history
Official installation docs mention Arch Linux packaging and Homebrew on macOS, with source installation through Rust/Cargo. The Homebrew formula packages 0.8.1 from the official GitHub tag, and the input package-manager facts also list Nix and pacman packaging.
The project has a smaller, security-specialist footprint rather than broad mainstream adoption. Its value comes from being packaged as a ready-made CLI for authorized testing workflows that otherwise devolve into bespoke Python scripts.
How it is used
authoscope supports dictionary attacks, credential confirmation, username enumeration, and one-shot script debugging. Scripts are written in Lua and can use helper functions for HTTP sessions, HTML selection, sockets, LDAP, MySQL, hashing, HMAC, encoding, sleeps, and external command execution.
The documented config file is `~/.config/authoscope.toml`, used for defaults such as a global user agent and file-descriptor limits. Credentials are normally supplied as user/password lists, combo files, or command arguments rather than being stored in a fixed credentials file.
Why package nerds care
authoscope is package-nerd interesting because it is a security tool with a language-runtime split: Rust for the engine, Lua for target-specific probes, and OS packages for delivery.
It also shows how naming history leaks into packaging. The old `badtouch` binary remains visible in the Homebrew input executables, while the current project name and docs are authoscope.
Timeline
- 2018: Public GitHub repository created.
- 2018: ReadTheDocs build metadata and repository metadata place the initial public documentation era in 2018.
- 2021: v0.8.0 renamed `badtouch` to `authoscope`.
- 2022: v0.8.1 updated dependencies for OpenSSL 3 build compatibility.
Related projects
- The README compares authoscope with Ncrack, Hydra, and Medusa. Its scripting model overlaps conceptually with one-off Python requests scripts, but provides a packaged concurrent runtime.
Sources
- https://api.github.com/repos/kpcyrd/authoscope
- https://authoscope.readthedocs.io/en/latest/config.html
- https://authoscope.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage.html
- https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/authoscope.json
- https://github.com/kpcyrd/authoscope#readme
- https://github.com/kpcyrd/authoscope/releases
- source_facts.package-manager
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:network
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.config/authoscope.toml
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
authoscope | cli | global executable | |
badtouch | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.8.1
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv0.8.1
https://github.com/kpcyrd/authoscope
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:authoscope |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.8.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/authoscope |
| Homepage | https://github.com/kpcyrd/authoscope |
| Repository | https://github.com/kpcyrd/authoscope |
| Upstream docs | https://authoscope.readthedocs.io/en/latest |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/kpcyrd/authoscope/archive/refs/tags/v0.8.1.tar.gz |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf, rust |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | authoscope |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Nix95%
authoscope
nix profile install nixpkgs#authoscope- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Authoscope
pacman95%
authoscope 0.8.1-3
Scriptable network authentication cracker
https://github.com/kpcyrd/authoscope
sudo pacman -S authoscope- License: GPL3
- Architecture: x86_64
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Authoscope
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment