# Install ncrack with Homebrew, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman Network authentication cracking tool. Version 0.7 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:ncrack ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install ncrack ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install ncrack ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: ncrack from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install ncrack ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ncrack from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#ncrack ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/nc/ncrack/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S ncrack ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: ncrack from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:ncrack - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.7 - **Source summary:** Network authentication cracking tool - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LicenseRef-Homebrew-cannot-represent - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:05:35-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - ncrack (cli) - ncrack (alias) ## Dependencies - openssl@3 ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.7 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/nmap/ncrack - Upstream latest detected: 0.7 (current) ## Project history and usage Ncrack is the Nmap project's standalone network-authentication cracking tool. It was built for high-speed, parallel credential testing across many network services, with Nmap-like command-line syntax, timing controls, runtime interaction, and a modular protocol architecture. ### Project history The official Ncrack page says it began as a Google Summer of Code project in 2009. The man page describes it as a Summer 2009 project and beta-quality software, while a September 10, 2010 nmap-dev announcement calls Ncrack 0.3ALPHA a post-SoC release and highlights new SMB and RDP modules. ### Adoption history Ncrack's adoption came from the Nmap ecosystem and password-auditing niche: security professionals used it to test large networks for weak or default passwords. The official page later added a deprecation notice saying Ncrack is useful for some purposes but not fully developed or maintained, and that Nmap's focus shifted to brute-force scripts in NSE. ### How it is used Package users run ncrack against authorized targets with service-qualified host specs, username and password lists, timing templates, and per-service options. It can consume Nmap target output formats, report discovered credentials, and test modules such as SSH, RDP, FTP, Telnet, HTTP(S), SMB, VNC, databases, and other network protocols. ### Why package nerds care Ncrack is significant less because it became the dominant password-auditing tool and more because it shows how the Nmap community tried to split credential testing into a specialized engine. The later deprecation notice is part of the package story: keeping it available helps reproduce old workflows, but users should notice that active Nmap credential work moved elsewhere. ### Timeline - Summer 2009: Ncrack starts as a Google Summer of Code project. - September 10, 2010: Ncrack 0.3ALPHA announced with SMB and RDP modules. - 2019: Official page identifies 0.7 as the latest release and says main focus shifted to Nmap NSE brute-force scripts. ### Related projects - Nmap, Nmap Scripting Engine, Nsock, password auditing tools, Hydra-like credential testing workflows ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** ncrack - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - ncrack - 0.7+debian-6: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: ncrack from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | High-speed network authentication cracking tool | https://nmap.org/ncrack/ - Nix - ncrack: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/nc/ncrack/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - ncrack - 0.7+debian-5ubuntu1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: ncrack from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | High-speed network authentication cracking tool | https://nmap.org/ncrack/ - dnf - ncrack - 0.7-18.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ncrack from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A high-speed network auth cracking tool | http://nmap.org/ncrack/ - pacman - ncrack - 0.7-3: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: ncrack from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | High-speed network authentication cracking tool | https://nmap.org/ncrack/ ## 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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Security and crypto packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/security-crypto-tools/) - Matched security, identity, cryptography, password, signing, or certificate metadata. - [openssl@3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openssl-3/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [hydra](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hydra/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-auditing, security. - [john](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/john/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-auditing, security. - [sshtrix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sshtrix/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-auditing, security. - [authoscope](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/authoscope/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security. - [crunch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/crunch/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-auditing, security. - [cyrus-sasl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cyrus-sasl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security. - [google-authenticator-libpam](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/google-authenticator-libpam/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security. - [krb5](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/krb5/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security. - [hcxtools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hcxtools/) - Security-sensitive metadata or terminology overlaps. Shared terms: auditing, cli, openssl, openssl-3, password. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/ncrack.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/ncrack.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