macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install chkrootkitlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install chkrootkitMacPorts ports tree · sysutils/chkrootkit/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install chkrootkit with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts
Rootkit detector. Version 0.59 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install chkrootkitDebian stable package indexes · chkrootkit · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install chkrootkitFedora Rawhide package metadata · chkrootkit · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
overview
Package summary
Rootkit detector
Project links
Commands and aliases
- check_wtmpx
- chkdirs
- chklastlog
- chkproc
- chkrootkit
- chkutmp
- chkwtmp
- ifpromisc
- strings-static
history
Project history and usage
chkrootkit is a long-running Unix rootkit detector that locally checks for signs of modified system binaries, log tampering, promiscuous interfaces, and kernel-module trojans.
Project history
The official README for version 0.59 credits Nelson Murilo as main author and Klaus Steding-Jessen as co-author. It describes chkrootkit as a shell-script front end plus C helpers including ifpromisc, chklastlog, chkwtmp, chkproc, chkdirs, check_wtmpx, chkutmp, and a strings replacement.
Adoption history
The README lists testing across Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Solaris, HP-UX, Tru64, BSDI, and Mac OS X, which explains why it became common in Unix security packaging. The input package facts show it in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora/DNF, and MacPorts.
How it is used
chkrootkit is intended to be run as root, either as ./chkrootkit for all tests or with named tests such as ps, ls, and sniffer. Options include quiet mode, expert mode, an alternate root directory, and an alternate command path for checking mounted disks or avoiding possibly compromised system binaries.
Why package nerds care
For package nerds, chkrootkit is a classic security-admin utility: small, scriptable, portable, and old enough to appear in many Unix package collections. It also shows why some security tools remain tarball-first rather than source-control-first in package metadata.
Timeline
- 2000s: README documents support for Linux 2.0 through 2.6, early BSD releases, Solaris, HP-UX, Tru64, BSDI, and Mac OS X.
- 2026: Official README identifies version 0.59.
- 2026: Homebrew packages chkrootkit 0.59 from the official chkrootkit.org FTP tarball.
Related projects
- The README credits DFN-CERT tools chklastlog and chkwtmp and small portions of ifconfig by Fred N. van Kempen. It is often compared with other host compromise scanners, but its official documentation focuses on its bundled tests.
Sources
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.
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
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
check_wtmpx | cli | global executable | |
chkdirs | cli | global executable | |
chklastlog | cli | global executable | |
chkproc | cli | global executable | |
chkrootkit | cli | global executable | |
chkutmp | cli | global executable | |
chkwtmp | cli | global executable | |
ifpromisc | cli | global executable | |
strings-static | 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 version0.59
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.chkrootkit.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:chkrootkit |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.59 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/chkrootkit |
| Homepage | https://www.chkrootkit.org/ |
| Upstream docs | https://www.chkrootkit.org/ |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | ftp://ftp.chkrootkit.org/pub/seg/pac/chkrootkit-0.59.tar.gz |
| 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 | chkrootkit |
| 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.
Debian apt95%
chkrootkit 0.58b-5+b7
rootkit detector
sudo apt install chkrootkit- Section: misc
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: chkrootkit
- 3 dependencies
- 9 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Chkrootkit
Ubuntu apt95%
chkrootkit 0.58b-1
rootkit detector
sudo apt install chkrootkit- Section: universe/misc
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- 11 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Chkrootkit
dnf95%
chkrootkit 0.58-3b.fc44
Tool to locally check for signs of a rootkit
sudo dnf install chkrootkit- License: BSD-2-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: chkrootkit
- 6 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Chkrootkit
MacPorts95%
chkrootkit
sudo port install chkrootkit- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Chkrootkit
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 package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment