# Install fcrackzip with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, pacman Zip password cracker. Version 1.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:fcrackzip ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install fcrackzip ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install fcrackzip ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: security/fcrackzip/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install fcrackzip ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: fcrackzip from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#fcrackzip ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fc/fcrackzip/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S fcrackzip ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: fcrackzip from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:fcrackzip - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.0 - **Source summary:** Zip password cracker - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - fcrackzip (cli) - fcrackzipinfo (cli) - fcrackzip (alias) - fcrackzipinfo (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://oldhome.schmorp.de/marc/fcrackzip.html - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage fcrackzip is an older free software ZIP password recovery tool focused on brute-force and dictionary attacks against encrypted ZIP files. ### Project history Marc Lehmann's project page says fcrackzip was written because the ZIP crackers he found were slow, limited, lacked brute-force behavior he needed, or did not provide source. The author explicitly framed it as a portable, free, fast ZIP password cracker rather than only a speed contest. The bundled NEWS text on the official page traces the project from 0.0.1 through 1.0. Version 0.0.5 is dated August 1998, version 0.3 is dated January 2004, and version 1.0 is dated August 2008. ### Adoption history The official page offered source tarballs, a Windows binary built under Cygwin, and a mailing list for discussion, support, and development. The supplied package-manager metadata shows it later became a small but durable package in Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and similar repositories. ### How it is used The manpage reproduced on the official site describes scanning encrypted ZIP files and trying to guess the password. Its main modes are brute force with selectable character sets and lengths, dictionary mode from a password file, optional unzip validation to reduce false positives, and benchmarking or validation modes. It is primarily a recovery and audit utility for legacy ZIP encryption, not a general archive manager. Common package-manager use is direct CLI invocation such as brute-forcing a known-length password or testing a wordlist against a ZIP archive. ### Why package nerds care fcrackzip is package-nerd-relevant because it is one of the long-lived small security tools that persists in Unix package collections long after upstream development slows. Its official history captures the late-1990s free-software motivation: portable C source, performance close to assembler tools, and user-modifiable cracking modes. ### Timeline - 1998: 0.0.5 NEWS entry dated August 12. - 2004: Version 0.3 released with compatibility fixes and build-system updates. - 2008: Version 1.0 released with crash fixes and autoconf/automake updates. ### Related projects - The official page compares fcrackzip with fzc, zipcrack, and other ZIP crackers, emphasizing source availability and portability as differentiators. - The tool also includes a cpmask method for brute-forcing CP-masked images, a feature the author described as unusual among comparable crackers. ### Sources - - ## Security Notes escape, surveillance, or offensive capability signal. - **Geiger risk:** red / medium - escape, surveillance, or offensive capability signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** fcrackzip - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - fcrackzip - 1.0-12: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: fcrackzip from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | password cracker for zip archives | http://oldhome.schmorp.de/marc/fcrackzip.html - Nix - fcrackzip: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fc/fcrackzip/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - fcrackzip - 1.0-11: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: fcrackzip from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | password cracker for zip archives | http://oldhome.schmorp.de/marc/fcrackzip.html - pacman - fcrackzip - 1.0-6: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: fcrackzip from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Zip file password cracker | http://oldhome.schmorp.de/marc/fcrackzip.html - MacPorts - fcrackzip: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: security/fcrackzip/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Archive and compression packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/archive-compression-tools/) - Matched archive or compression metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [truecrack](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/truecrack/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: brute-force, cli, password-recovery, security. - [hashcat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hashcat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-recovery, security. - [pdfcrack](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pdfcrack/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-recovery, security. - [pdfrip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pdfrip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-recovery, security. - [wirouter_keyrec](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/wirouter-keyrec/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-recovery, security. - [ophcrack](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ophcrack/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-recovery, security. - [bkcrack](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bkcrack/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security, zip. - [pixiewps](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pixiewps/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: brute-force, cli, security. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/fcrackzip.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/fcrackzip.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph