install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install ngrep

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install ngrep

MacPorts ports tree · net/ngrep/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add ngrep

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

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install ngrep

Debian stable package indexes · ngrep · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install ngrep

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#ngrep

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S ngrep

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install ngrep

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

overview

Package summary

Network grep

Project links

Commands and aliases

ngrep

history

Project history and usage

ngrep is "network grep": a pcap-based command-line packet analyzer that applies regular-expression or hexadecimal matching to packet payloads while also accepting BPF filters like tcpdump. It is built for quick inspection of plaintext traffic and saved capture files.

Project history

ngrep was written by Jordan Ritter and dates back to the early 2000s; a freshmeat announcement for ngrep 1.39.1 appeared on April 23, 2001. The tool's identity has stayed stable: bring GNU grep-style matching to the network layer.

The project lived for years as a classic Unix network utility and later moved active issue and patch handling to GitHub. Its README still frames ngrep as a PCAP tool that understands IPv4/IPv6, TCP, UDP, ICMP, IGMP, raw packets, several link-layer interface types, and BPF filter logic.

Adoption history

ngrep became a small but widely packaged troubleshooting utility because it sits between tcpdump and a full packet analyzer. It was included de facto in many popular distributions over decades, and the maintainer explicitly asks distribution package maintainers to forward bugs and patches so upstream can track downstream fixes.

Its adoption is bounded by encryption. ngrep is excellent for DNS, old HTTP, SMTP, SIP, IMAP, test traffic, malware beacons in plaintext, and pcap triage; it is less useful when payloads are TLS-encrypted unless the useful signal is in headers, metadata, or local decrypted test traffic.

How it is used

A typical workflow is `sudo ngrep -d any -W byline 'Host:|User-Agent:' tcp port 80`, or using an empty match expression with a BPF filter to print payloads for a protocol. It can read and write pcap dump files, making it useful for quick command-line passes before opening Wireshark.

Package nerds install it because it is the fast, memorable answer to "show me packets containing this string". It is especially handy on servers where a GUI analyzer is unavailable and tcpdump output is too raw for the immediate question.

Why package nerds care

ngrep is a survivor from the era when small C network tools solved one sharp problem well. It matters less as a dependency and more as an operator tool: a tiny package that can save a debugging session when traffic is still human-readable.

Timeline

2001-04-23: ngrep 1.39.1 was announced on freshmeat.
2008: SourceForge tickets show Jordan Ritter still handling upstream bug fixes.
2026-02-08: the GitHub repository listed v1.49.0 as a release with PCRE2, Docker/Podman name-resolution, and Windows build updates.

Related projects

tcpdump
libpcap
Wireshark
snoop
GNU grep

Sources

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.
Installs with 2 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

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`ngrep`	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 version1.49.0

manager updated2026-06-25

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.49.0

https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:ngrep
Version	1.49.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ngrep
Homepage	https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep
Repository	https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep
Upstream docs	https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep#readme
License	ngrep
Source archive	https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep/archive/refs/tags/v1.49.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-25T13:37:57+02:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	libpcap, pcre2
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	ngrep
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	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%

ngrep 1.47+ds1-6

grep for network traffic

https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep

sudo apt install ngrep

Section: net
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: ngrep from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

ngrep

nix profile install nixpkgs#ngrep

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ng/ngrep/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

ngrep 1.47+ds1-5build2

grep for network traffic

https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep

sudo apt install ngrep

Section: universe/net
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: ngrep from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

apk95%

ngrep 1.49.0-r0

A grep-like utility that allows you to search for network packets on an interface

https://ngrep.sourceforge.net/

sudo apk add ngrep

License: custom
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: ngrep
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ngrep from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

ngrep-dbg 1.49.0-r0

A grep-like utility that allows you to search for network packets on an interface (debug symbols)

https://ngrep.sourceforge.net/

sudo apk add ngrep-dbg

License: custom
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: ngrep
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ngrep-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

ngrep-doc 1.49.0-r0

A grep-like utility that allows you to search for network packets on an interface (documentation)

https://ngrep.sourceforge.net/

sudo apk add ngrep-doc

License: custom
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: ngrep
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ngrep-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

ngrep 1.47^20241209gitb2e3ba3-4.fc44

Network layer grep tool

https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep

sudo dnf install ngrep

License: ngrep
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: ngrep
6 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ngrep from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

pacman95%

ngrep 1.49.0-1

A grep-like utility that allows you to search for network packets on an interface.

https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep/

sudo pacman -S ngrep

License: custom
Architecture: x86_64
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: ngrep from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

zypper95%

ngrep 1.49.0-1.3

Network grep

https://github.com/jpr5/ngrep

sudo zypper install ngrep

License: BSD-4-Clause
Category: Productivity/Networking/Diagnostic
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: ngrep
3 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: ngrep from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

ngrep

sudo port install ngrep

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ngrep

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: net/ngrep/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

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

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.

combined/ngrep.yml

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

Install ngrep with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: blue

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources