🖧 Netcat
Ayush Meshram
“Cybersecurity Student | Posting Labs & CTFs Until I Start My Career in Cybersecurity”
🖧 Netcat – The Swiss Army Knife of Networking
Netcat (often called nc) is a powerful command-line tool used for reading from and writing to network connections using TCP or UDP. Think of it as a networking “multi-tool” — capable of testing, debugging, and even creating simple servers or chat applications.
🔍 What is Netcat?
Netcat is often nicknamed the "TCP/IP Swiss Army Knife" because it can:
Open TCP/UDP connections.
Listen for incoming connections.
Transfer files over a network.
Debug network services.
It’s lightweight, pre-installed on many systems, and perfect for quick network troubleshooting.
⚡ Common Use Cases
1. Check if a Port is Open
Checks if port 80 on a host is open.
2. Create a Simple Chat
On one machine (listener):
On another machine (connect to it):
3. Transfer a File
On the receiving machine:
On the sending machine:
4. Banner Grabbing (Service Info)
Then type:
This reveals information about the web server.
🔐 Security Warning
Netcat is extremely powerful — attackers can misuse it for backdoors or data exfiltration. Always use it responsibly in secure, authorized environments.