Install ssllabs-scan with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• ssllabs-scan

Project history

SSL Labs describes its APIs as exposing the SSL/TLS server testing functionality programmatically so site operators can perform scheduled and bulk assessment. The same official page says SSL Labs maintains ssllabs-scan as an open-source command-line scanning tool that doubles as the reference API client.

The README presents the tool as a command-line client for the SSL Labs APIs, designed for automated and bulk testing. Current usage is centered on the API v4 client and registration helper, with an email address required for API v4 use.

Adoption history

Adoption is tied to SSL Labs itself: the command gives administrators and security teams a packaged way to call the same assessment backend they already know from the web service. The official APIs page also lists product integrations and third-party libraries in several languages, showing that ssllabs-scan sits inside a wider API ecosystem rather than being only a standalone scanner.

The supplied package metadata shows Homebrew packaging for the CLI, making it especially convenient for macOS-based security engineers and CI users who want the official reference client available through a standard package manager.

How it is used

Typical usage is to run ssllabs-scan against one hostname or a host file, optionally requesting cached or live results, JSON output, flat JSON, or grade-only output. API v4 usage requires registration and passing the registered organization email.

Because it calls a hosted API, ssllabs-scan is different from local TLS scanners: it is useful when the desired signal is the SSL Labs external assessment model rather than exactly what a local OpenSSL build can negotiate.

Why package nerds care

Package nerds care about ssllabs-scan because it packages a public SaaS security assessment as a repeatable CLI. That makes it fit naturally into shell scripts, cron jobs, release checks, and fleet audits.

It also illustrates a common packaging pattern for security tools: a small official client around a remote service, where the important compatibility surface is the API version and output format rather than local cryptographic library behavior.

Timeline

• 2014: The SSL Labs APIs feed identifies the changelog namespace from 2014, matching the era when SSL Labs API automation became a public integration surface.
• 2015: The SSL Labs APIs page lists integrations such as Metasploit and libraries in multiple languages around the API ecosystem.
• 2026: The official SSL Labs page continues to describe ssllabs-scan as the open-source command-line reference API client.

Related projects

• Related official surfaces include the SSL Labs APIs, the SSL Labs web assessment service, and SSL Labs API documentation.
• The SSL Labs API page lists integrations and libraries such as Metasploit modules and language bindings, but states that third-party tools are not part of SSL Labs.

Sources

• https://github.com/ssllabs/ssllabs-scan#readme
• https://www.ssllabs.com/projects/ssllabs-apis
• input source_facts.package-manager