About diegocr/netcat
NetCat for Windows is a port of the classic Unix networking utility, originally written by hobbit and ported to NT by Weld Pond. This version, maintained by Diego Casorran, is compiled without the GAPING_SECURITY_HOLE option (-e switch) to avoid false positives in anti-virus programs. It includes fixes for extraneous characters that can appear during telnet sessions. The tool provides outbound or inbound TCP and UDP connections to any ports, full DNS resolution, port scanning with randomizer, hex dump of data, slow-send mode, and telnet-options responder. It is compiled with GCC 4.8.1 and tested on Windows 7 (HP) 32-bit, and includes a ready-to-use nc.exe binary.
Key Features
Outbound or inbound TCP and UDP connections to or from any ports
Full DNS forward/reverse checking with warnings
Ability to use any local source port
Ability to use any locally-configured network source address
Built-in port-scanning capabilities with randomizer
Can read command line arguments from standard input
Slow-send mode (one line every N seconds)
Hex dump of transmitted and received data
Ability to let another program service established connections
Telnet-options responder
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Compiled without the GAPING_SECURITY_HOLE option, reducing false positives from antivirus software
- Fixes extraneous character issues seen in some telnet sessions on Windows
- Includes a pre-compiled nc.exe binary for immediate use
- Open source and freely available
- Supports both TCP and UDP, inbound and outbound connections
Cons
- Limited to Windows platform
- Does not include the -e option for executing programs on connection (by design)
- Pre-compiled binary built with GCC 4.8.1, tested only on Windows 7 32-bit
- Some features may be outdated compared to modern netcat implementations (e.g., Ncat)
Best For
Network troubleshooting and testingPort scanning and service discoveryWeb server header inspection (e.g., pull down a web page to see full HTTP headers)Security assessment without triggering antivirus alerts (due to missing -e flag)Replacing buggy telnet sessions on WindowsFile transfers using raw TCP/UDP connections
FAQ
Why was the -e option removed from this version?
The -e option (GAPING_SECURITY_HOLE) was removed because it can trigger false positives in anti-virus programs. This version is designed to be more portable and less likely to be flagged as malicious.
What is the difference between this Netcat and the original?
This version is compiled without the -e switch to avoid antivirus issues, and includes fixes for extraneous characters during telnet sessions. It is based on the Windows port by Rodney Beede and uses GCC 4.8.1.
Is there a 64-bit binary available?
The pre-compiled binary (nc.exe) is 32-bit and tested on Windows 7 32-bit. The source code can be recompiled for other architectures.