Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install capstone with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper

Multi-platform, multi-architecture disassembly framework. Version 5.0.9 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-28.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install capstone

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install capstone

MacPorts ports tree · devel/capstone/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add capstone

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · capstone · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install capstone-tool

Debian stable package indexes · capstone-tool · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install capstone

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · capstone · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#capstone

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ca/capstone/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S capstone

Arch Linux sync databases · capstone · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install capstone

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · capstone · source: download.opensuse.org

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/capstone

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/capstone.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Multi-platform, multi-architecture disassembly framework

Commands and aliases

  • cstool

history

Project history and usage

Capstone is a lightweight, multi-platform, multi-architecture disassembly framework used in binary analysis, malware analysis, reverse engineering, and security tooling.

Project history

The official README says Capstone was created by Nguyen Anh Quynh and then developed and maintained by a small community. Its goal is to be an architecture-neutral disassembly engine for binary analysis and reversing in the security community.

Capstone's official site emphasizes a pure-C core, a simple API, detailed instruction decomposition, implicit register semantics, thread safety, embedding support for firmware or kernels, and native support across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, BSD, Solaris, and other Unix-like systems.

The project appeared publicly on GitHub in 2013 and was presented in technical form at Black Hat USA 2014. By 2026 the official download page listed 6.0.0-Alpha9 as the current version, while GitHub releases showed active 5.x maintenance and 6.x alpha development.

Adoption history

Capstone became widely adopted because reverse-engineering tools needed a reusable disassembler library rather than every project owning architecture-specific decode code. The official site collects testimonials from reverse engineers and tool authors calling it a standard or gold standard disassembly engine.

The official documentation documents repository installation across Homebrew, MacPorts, Debian, Ubuntu, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and Python packaging. The batch package metadata adds Alpine, Fedora, Nix, Arch, Scoop, and openSUSE, which reflects broad cross-platform packaging.

How it is used

Developers embed Capstone as a library to disassemble bytes for many CPU architectures and retrieve instruction details. The Homebrew package also provides cstool, a command-line utility for quick disassembly tasks.

Capstone is used in reverse-engineering frameworks, malware-analysis tools, debuggers, firmware analysis, exploit research, and educational tooling. Bindings listed by the official site and README cover many languages, making the C engine available beyond C and C++ applications.

Why package nerds care

Capstone is package-nerd significant because it is a foundational native library with many downstream language bindings. A system package can satisfy C/C++ consumers, Python users, command-line users, and reverse-engineering tools that dynamically link against the same engine.

It also illustrates a common packaging headache: a security-oriented C library with fast-moving architecture support, multiple major branches, Python wheels, bindings outside the main tree, and tools that expect the CLI, headers, and shared library to line up.

Timeline

  • 2013: capstone-engine/capstone repository is created on GitHub.
  • 2014: Capstone technical details are presented in Black Hat USA slides linked from the official site.
  • 2015: Official docs record Capstone availability in several Unix package repositories.
  • 2025: Capstone 6.0.0 alpha releases begin appearing in the GitHub release feed.
  • 2026-05-29: Official download page lists Capstone 6.0.0-Alpha9 as the current release.

Related projects

  • Keystone is a related assembler framework from the same authorial ecosystem, often paired conceptually with Capstone for assembly and disassembly workflows.
  • Unicorn is a related CPU emulator framework commonly used with Capstone in binary-analysis stacks.
  • Rizin and radare2 are reverse-engineering frameworks in Capstone's wider ecosystem; Rizin is also shown as a release sponsor on the official site.
  • Language bindings such as capstone-rs, Node-Capstone, LuaCapstone, Capstone.NET, and Java bindings are listed by the official download page.

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
cstoolcliglobal 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 version5.0.9
manager updated2026-05-28
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected5.0.9

https://github.com/capstone-engine/capstone

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:capstone
Version5.0.9
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/capstone
Homepagehttps://www.capstone-engine.org/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/capstone-engine/capstone
Upstream docshttps://www.capstone-engine.org/documentation.html
LicenseBSD-3-Clause
Source archivehttps://github.com/capstone-engine/capstone/archive/refs/tags/5.0.9.tar.gz
Last updated2026-05-28T18:49:05Z
Pulseupdated
Dependenciesgettext
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namecapstone
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

capstone-tool 5.0.7-1~deb13u1

lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework - command line tool

https://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo apt install capstone-tool
  • Section: libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: capstone-tool from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

libcapstone-dev 5.0.7-1~deb13u1

lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework - devel files

https://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo apt install libcapstone-dev
  • Section: libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libcapstone-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

libcapstone5 5.0.7-1~deb13u1

lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework - library

https://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo apt install libcapstone5
  • Section: libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libcapstone5 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

python3-capstone 5.0.7-1~deb13u1

lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework - Python bindings

https://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo apt install python3-capstone
  • Section: python
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: python3-capstone from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

capstone

nix profile install nixpkgs#capstone
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ca/capstone/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

capstone-tool 4.0.2-5.1build1

lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework - command line tool

https://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo apt install capstone-tool
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: capstone-tool from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libcapstone-dev 4.0.2-5.1build1

lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework - devel files

https://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo apt install libcapstone-dev
  • Section: universe/libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libcapstone-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libcapstone4 4.0.2-5.1build1

lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework - library

https://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo apt install libcapstone4
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libcapstone4 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

python3-capstone 4.0.2-5.1build1

lightweight multi-architecture disassembly framework - Python bindings

https://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo apt install python3-capstone
  • Section: universe/python
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: python3-capstone from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

capstone 5.0.9-r0

The Ultimate Disassembler

https://www.capstone-engine.org

sudo apk add capstone
  • License: BSD-3-Clause-Clear
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: capstone from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

capstone-dev 5.0.9-r0

The Ultimate Disassembler (development files)

https://www.capstone-engine.org

sudo apk add capstone-dev
  • License: BSD-3-Clause-Clear
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: capstone-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

capstone-static 5.0.9-r0

The Ultimate Disassembler (static library)

https://www.capstone-engine.org

sudo apk add capstone-static
  • License: BSD-3-Clause-Clear
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: capstone-static from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

cstool 5.0.9-r0

cstool for capstone disassembler

https://www.capstone-engine.org

sudo apk add cstool
  • License: BSD-3-Clause-Clear
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: cstool from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

py3-capstone 5.0.9-r0

The Ultimate Disassembler (for python3)

https://www.capstone-engine.org

sudo apk add py3-capstone
  • License: BSD-3-Clause-Clear
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: py3-capstone from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

py3-capstone-pyc 5.0.9-r0

Precompiled Python bytecode for py3-capstone

https://www.capstone-engine.org

sudo apk add py3-capstone-pyc
  • License: BSD-3-Clause-Clear
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: py3-capstone-pyc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

capstone 5.0.6-5.fc45

A lightweight multi-platform, multi-architecture disassembly framework

http://www.capstone-engine.org/

sudo dnf install capstone
  • License: BSD-3-Clause AND BSD-4-Clause AND APSL-2.0 AND NCSA AND MIT
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: i686
  • Source Package: capstone
  • 2 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Capstone
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: capstone from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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  • swift-sectionShares av.db curated category or tags: binary-analysis, cli, developer-tools, reverse-engineering.
  • udis86Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, disassembly, library, reverse-engineering.

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.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment