Top 15 Ethical Hacking Tools to Use in 2024

Ethical Hacking Tools and Software are essential resources that assist security professionals in identifying vulnerabilities within systems and networks before malicious actors can exploit them. Some of the most famous ethical hacking tools on the market are essential for securing systems and networks. These include penetration testing tools, wireless network tools, and other specialized tools for detecting system insecurities. Cybersecurity professionals, such as penetration testers, vulnerability assessors, and security consultants, rely on these tools to identify and fix vulnerabilities.

Large companies, government agencies, and small businesses also use these tools to protect sensitive data. Crucial examples of these tools include network scanners, vulnerability scanners, password crackers, packet sniffers, penetration testing frameworks, and Kali Linux. These Ethical hacking tools and techniques streamline tasks such as information gathering and vulnerability scanning, thereby enhancing efficiency in security assessments. Through hands-on learning experiences, these tools help security professionals practice ethical hacking techniques and develop their cybersecurity skills effectively.  Our Cyber Security Skill Test is the perfect way to evaluate your knowledge! This test allows you to gauge your understanding of core cybersecurity concepts through a series of objective questions. 

Before we delve into the best Ethical Hacking Tools, we will begin the blog with core essential topics, including what Ethical Hacking is, what Ethical Hacking Tools and Software are, and the importance of Hacking Tools.

What is Ethical hacking?

Ethical hacking is a crucial component of cybersecurity, serving as a proactive approach to identify and address vulnerabilities within systems and networks before malicious actors can exploit them. Ethical hackers, also known as white hat hackers, utilize various tools and techniques to simulate attacks and assess the security posture of organizations.

Ethical hackers play a vital role in strengthening cybersecurity defenses by mimicking malicious hackers' actions with clients' authorization. Their primary goal is to find weaknesses in systems and applications, enabling organizations to patch vulnerabilities and enhance their overall security posture. Ethical hacking tools and methodologies contribute to creating practical testing tools, aid in vulnerability identification, improve incident response capabilities and enhance secure development practices within organizations.

Why Hacking Tools and Software are crucial?

Hacking tools and software are crucial for cybersecurity professionals to test and fortify digital defenses. They provide insights into vulnerabilities, allowing organizations to patch weaknesses and prevent cyber-attacks. Additionally, they aid in ethical hacking practices, helping to identify and address potential threats before malicious actors exploit them.

 Top 20 Ethical Hacking Tools to Use in 2025

1. Aircrack-ng

Aircrack-ng is a suite of tools for assessing Wi-Fi network security. It focuses on monitoring, attacking, and cracking WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption keys.

Key Features:

Packet capture and injection

WEP and WPA-PSK cracking

Supports multiple wireless cards

Command-line based for automation

Use Cases:

Wi-Fi penetration testing

Network security audits

Recovering lost Wi-Fi passwords (ethical use)

2. John the Ripper

John the Ripper is a fast and flexible password-cracking tool that supports multiple encryption algorithms. It is widely used for auditing password strength.

Key Features:

Brute-force and dictionary attacks

Supports UNIX, Windows, and database passwords

Customizable cracking modes

Open-source with community enhancements

Use Cases:

Password recovery (ethical hacking)

Security audits

Testing password policies

3. Invicti (formerly Netsparker)

Invicti is a web application security scanner that automates vulnerability detection, including SQL injection, XSS, and misconfigurations.

Key Features:

DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing)

Proof-based scanning for accurate results

Integration with CI/CD pipelines

Compliance reporting (OWASP, PCI DSS)

Use Cases:

Web application security testing

Vulnerability management

DevSecOps integration

4. Cain & Abel

Cain & Abel is a Windows-based password recovery and network security tool that can crack passwords, sniff network traffic, and analyze encrypted protocols.

Key Features:

ARP poisoning for MITM attacks

Password cracking (LM/NTLM hashes, VoIP, etc.)

Network sniffing

Supports rainbow table attacks

Use Cases:

Password auditing

Network security testing

Ethical hacking demonstrations

5. Fortify WebInspect

Fortify WebInspect by Micro Focus is an automated dynamic application security testing (DAST) tool for identifying vulnerabilities in web applications.

Key Features:

Advanced crawling and scanning

Real-time vulnerability assessment

Compliance reporting (OWASP Top 10, CWE)

Integration with DevSecOps workflows

Use Cases:

Enterprise web security testing

Compliance audits

Secure SDLC implementation

6. Zenmap

Zenmap is a free and open-source GUI for Nmap, available on various operating systems like Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and BSD. It complements Nmap by providing an interactive and graphical interface for easier use, displaying results visually, comparing scans, enabling repeatability, and simplifying network topology mapping. Zenmap enhances Nmap's usability, especially for beginners or those with limited experience in Linux shell environments.

About Zenmap

When Umit was modified and integrated into Nmap in 2007, it was renamed Zenmap.

The primary author of Umit was Adriano Monteiro Marques.

Pricing: Free and open-source

7. Angry IP Scanner

Angry IP Scanner is a free and open-source tool for discovering devices on your network. It scans ranges of IP addresses, revealing which devices are active and gathering information like their operating system. This helps network administrators and users map their networks quickly.

About Angry IP Scanner

The program is written and maintained by Anton Keks

The last version to run under Java 8 is 3.7.6.

Pricing: Free

8. Advanced IP Scanner

Advanced IP Scanner is a free, fast, and powerful network scanner tool developed by Famatech. It allows users to scan local networks and remotely access computers to gather information about connected devices, including their IP addresses, MAC addresses, and network services. With its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, Advanced IP Scanner is widely used by network administrators and IT professionals for network management, troubleshooting, and security auditing tasks.

About Advanced IP Scanner

Developed by Famatech.

Advanced IP Scanner is integrated with Radmin.

Pricing: Free to use.

9. Fping

Fping is a fast and efficient tool for network administrators on Linux systems. It's similar to the familiar ping command but built for pinging multiple targets simultaneously. Fping supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, allowing users to test connectivity to hosts on networks using either IP protocol version. Here's a quick breakdown:

About Fping 

Roland Schemers published the first version of it in 1992

Announcing version 3

Faster pinging

Multiple target support

Lightweight and efficient

Pricing: Free to use.

10. Unicornscan

Unicornscan is a sophisticated and powerful stateless port scanner designed for information gathering and correlation in cybersecurity. It operates as a user-land distributed TCP/IP stack, providing researchers with a superior interface to introduce stimuli and measure responses from TCP/IP-enabled devices or networks. Some key features of Unicornscan include asynchronous stateless TCP scanning with various TCP flags, asynchronous TCP banner grabbing, and active/passive remote OS, application, and component identification through response analysis.

About Unicornscan

It supports TCP, UDP, ICMP, and SCTP

version: 0.4.7

Pricing: Free to use.

11. Netcat

Netcat, also known as NC, is a versatile utility tool that uses TCP and UDP connections to read and write data across network connections. It serves various purposes in cybersecurity, including connecting to specific ports on target hosts, transferring files across networks, creating backdoors for remote access, and executing programs or scripts between clients and servers. Netcat can be used for tasks like chatting between users, saving output to files, and facilitating file transfers across different devices.

About Netcat

It uses both TCP and UDP for communication.

Integrated with Nmap

It has statically compiled Windows binary version of Ncat 5.59BETA1

Pricing: Free to use.

12. NetScanTools

NetScanTools is a comprehensive set of network tools. It includes over 50 powerful tools in an easy-to-use interface, catering to Network Administrators, Engineers, Technicians, and Training Instructors. NetScanTools offers an installed version, NetScanTools Pro, and a portable USB version for professionals on the go. NetScanTools Basic Edition, a freeware version, also provides essential network tools like DNS Tools, Pto manage and troubleshoot network connectivity effectivelying, Traceroute, and Whois. NetScanTools is a valuable resource for network professionals who want to effectively manage and troubleshoot network connectivity.

About NetScanTools

NetScanTools are 32 bit programs that run equally well on 32 or 64 bit Windows 11 or 10.

Pricing: Paid

13. Nessus

Nessus is a proprietary vulnerability scanner developed by Tenable, Inc. to identify security vulnerabilities in devices, applications, operating systems, and network resources. Created as a free remote security scanner in 1998, Nessus transitioned to a proprietary license with the release of Nessus 3 in 2005. It conducts over 1200 computer checks to detect vulnerabilities that malicious hackers could exploit. Nessus is known for its extensive plugin database, Predictive Prioritization feature for categorizing vulnerabilities by severity, and the ability to generate customizable reports in various formats.

Pricing: Paid

14. OpenVAS

OpenVAS, developed and driven forward by Greenbone since 2006, is a comprehensive vulnerability scanner that provides both unauthenticated and authenticated testing capabilities. It supports various high-level and low-level internet and industrial protocols, performance tuning for large-scale scans, and a powerful internal programming language for implementing different vulnerability tests. OpenVAS obtains vulnerability tests from a feed with a long history and daily updates, making it a valuable tool for cybersecurity professionals to assess and enhance the security of systems and networks effectively.

Pricing: Free

15. Acunetix

Acunetix streamlines web application security tasks, such as vulnerability research, confirmation, and remediation guidance, allowing users to automate these processes and save time. The tool is known for its ability to provide a 360-degree view of an organization's security, making it a valuable asset for enhancing cybersecurity measures and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

About Acunetix

In 2005, Acunetix was created

2016, cloud security was introduced

2018, part of Invicti security

Pricing: Paid

16. Qualys Cloud Platform

Qualys Cloud Platform is an all-in-one solution for managing your organization's security posture. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to continuously assess vulnerabilities, ensure compliance, and respond to threats across your IT infrastructure. Here's a quick rundown:

1. Cloud-based

2.  Vulnerability management:

3. Compliance management

4. Threat detection and response

Pricing: Paid

17. Nexpose

Nexpose is an on-premises vulnerability management software developed by Rapid7, designed to monitor exposures in real time and adapt to new threats with fresh data. It provides real-time coverage of an entire network, offers meaningful risk scores to prioritize vulnerabilities, and equips IT teams with the necessary information to address issues promptly and efficiently. Nexpose's capabilities include monitoring exposures in real-time, adapting to new threats, and providing actionable intelligence to discover, locate, and prioritize vulnerabilities effectively. Additionally, it offers advanced features, such as Remediation Workflow and the Insight Agent, for enhanced vulnerability management.

Pricing: Paid

18. SAINT Security Suite

SAINT Security Suite is a comprehensive cybersecurity solution beyond mere vulnerability assessment to provide a fully integrated shield against security threats. It offers robust vulnerability assessment, granular reporting with over 150 options, proactive incident response mechanisms, and seamless third-party integrations. SAINT Security Suite is highly rated by customers, with a 4.6/5 rating on G2, affirming its reliability and efficiency in bolstering cybersecurity postures. This suite includes features like social engineering testing, penetration testing, asset management, advanced analytics, incident response, and powerful reporting capabilities to address various cybersecurity needs effectively.

Pricing: Paid

19. Nikto

Nikto is an open-source web server scanner that performs comprehensive tests against web servers for multiple items, including over 6700 potentially dangerous files or programs on web servers, version-specific problems on servers, and other security-related issues. It is designed to identify vulnerabilities, such as outdated server software, misconfigurations, and known security risks on web servers. Penetration testers and security professionals often use Nikto to assess the security posture of web servers and identify potential weaknesses that attackers could exploit. Here's a breakdown of Nikto's key features:

1. Vulnerability scanning

2. Extensive checks

3. Fast and efficient

4. Multiple output formats

Pricing: Free

20. Nmap

Nmap, short for "Network Mapper," is a free and open-source network scanning tool used to discover hosts and services on a computer network. It is widely utilized by network administrators and security professionals to assess network security, identify vulnerabilities, and conduct security audits.

About Nmap

Nmap 7.90 has been released with Npcap 1.00

Nmap 6 is an updated release.

Pricing: free and open-sourcepricing: free and open source

What are the best ethical hacking tools for beginners?

Wireshark

Wireshark is a widely used network protocol analyser that captures and inspects network traffic in real-time. It helps in troubleshooting, analysis, and forensic investigations.

Key Features:

Deep packet inspection

Supports hundreds of protocols

Live capture and offline analysis

Cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS)

Use Cases:

Network troubleshooting

Malware traffic analysis

Security forensics

Metasploit

Metasploit is a powerful penetration testing framework that enables security professionals to test vulnerabilities, develop exploits, and execute targeted attacks. It provides a vast collection of exploits, payloads, and auxiliary modules for security assessments.

Key Features:

Open-source and commercial (Pro) versions available

Supports exploit development and vulnerability validation

Integration with other security tools like Nmap and Nessus

Meterpreter payload for advanced post-exploitation

Use Cases:

Penetration testing

Vulnerability assessment

Security awareness training

Here are the reasons why Ethical hackers rely on hacking tools:

Identification of Vulnerabilities

Penetration Testing

Security Assessment

Mitigation Strategies

Enhanced Defense

In conclusion, the top 15 ethical hacking tools for 2025 offer a diverse range of capabilities to security professionals and ethical hackers. From network scanning and vulnerability assessment to penetration testing and traffic analysis, these tools play a crucial role in identifying and mitigating security risks. By leveraging these tools effectively, cybersecurity experts can strengthen defenses, protect digital assets, and stay ahead of evolving cyber threats in the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity.