35 Must-Have Open-Source Security Tools for Red Teams & SOCs

Discovering the right security tools can make all the difference in safeguarding your organization’s digital assets. This collection highlights 35 essential open-source solutions that empower red teams, SOC analysts, and security professionals to strengthen defenses across various domains, from cloud security to threat hunting and vulnerability management.

Autorize stands out as a powerful Burp Suite extension that automates authorization testing, helping teams identify improper access controls efficiently. For DNS security, BadDNS provides robust auditing capabilities to detect potential subdomain takeovers before attackers exploit them.

When it comes to deception technology, Beelzebub offers a low-code honeypot framework that mimics high-interaction environments, leveraging AI to detect and analyze emerging threats. Active Directory security gets a boost with BloodyAD, a specialized framework for uncovering privilege escalation risks through LDAP interactions.

Bluetooth security often gets overlooked, but BlueToolkit changes that by testing Classic Bluetooth devices for known vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, Cerbos simplifies access control in cloud-native applications, ensuring granular authorization without complexity.

For web application security, Commix automates command injection testing, while Dalfox excels at uncovering XSS vulnerabilities with speed and precision. Dependency management becomes easier with Dependency-Check, scanning projects for vulnerable third-party components.

Chrome extension forensics gets a dedicated tool with ExtensionHound, linking suspicious DNS queries to specific extensions. Fiddleitm enhances mitmproxy by identifying malicious web traffic patterns, and Finders Keypers helps track AWS KMS key usage across environments.

Cloud security teams benefit from Fix Inventory, which scans over 300 cloud services for compliance gaps. OSINT investigations gain traction with GoSearch, uncovering digital footprints tied to usernames across platforms. Hanko reimagines authentication with passwordless solutions, while Hawk Eye scans repositories for exposed secrets and PII.

Hetty emerges as a capable HTTP toolkit for security research, offering an alternative to commercial tools. For security feed aggregation, IntelMQ streamlines data collection and processing using message queuing protocols. Linux environments gain deeper visibility with Kunai, a threat hunting tool for precise event monitoring.

AI security takes center stage with LlamaFirewall, a modular framework defending against LLM-specific risks like prompt injection. Malwoverview accelerates initial malware triage, while MDEAutomator simplifies endpoint management in Microsoft Defender environments.

Infrastructure misconfigurations don’t stand a chance against Misconfig Mapper, which scans widely used services for security gaps. NetBird revolutionizes private networking with zero-config P2P capabilities, and OpenNHP implements cryptographic zero trust for server protection.

Large-scale security scanning becomes manageable with Orbit, a Nuclei-based automation platform. OWASP Nettacker delivers comprehensive network reconnaissance, and PRevent scrutinizes pull requests for malicious code. Reporting gets streamlined with SysReptor, while Tirreno monitors digital platforms for fraudulent activity.

Supply chain security improves with Vet, detecting both vulnerabilities and malicious packages. Villain enhances reverse shell management, and Vuls provides agentless vulnerability scanning for diverse environments. Finally, Woodpecker automates red teaming for AI, Kubernetes, and APIs, while YES3 Scanner ensures S3 buckets stay secure against public access risks.

Staying ahead in cybersecurity means leveraging the right tools, these open-source options provide robust, cost-effective ways to harden defenses across every attack surface.

(Source: HELPNETSECURITY)