Top Free and Open-Source Threat Hunting Tools Part 2

AIEngine – A powerful intrusion detection engine that works with Python, Ruby, Java, and Lua to analyze network traffic, classify DNS domains, and detect spam. It’s a great tool for security professionals looking to create firewall signatures and perform network forensics with minimal manual input. AIEngine is an interactive tool that enhances network intrusion detection. It supports multiple programming languages and provides network forensics capabilities.

• Pros:

• • Automates network traffic analysis.
  • Supports multiple scripting languages.
  • Provides deep packet inspection.
  • Detects anomalies in real time.

• Cons:
  • Requires technical expertise to configure effectively.
  • Limited GUI support.
  • Can be resource-intensive on large networks.
  • Lacks extensive community support for troubleshooting.

APT-Hunter – Designed for analyzing Windows event logs, this tool helps detect Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) using MITRE ATT&CK mappings. It quickly filters through millions of events to highlight critical threats, making investigation much more efficient. APT-Hunter analyzes Windows event logs to detect APT activities by mapping them to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

• Pros:

• • Provides quick threat detection.
  • Reduces noise by filtering out unimportant logs.
  • Free and open-source.
  • Integrates well with SIEM solutions.

• Cons:
  • Limited to Windows systems.
  • Requires familiarity with Windows event logs.
  • Can generate false positives if misconfigured.
  • Lacks support for real-time threat prevention.

Attacker KB – A knowledge base that helps security teams assess the severity of vulnerabilities by providing exploit details and attacker insights. It helps organizations prioritize security patches based on real-world risks.AttackerKB provides vulnerability intelligence, helping security teams prioritize threats.

• Pros:
  • Offers deep insights into vulnerabilities.
  • Helps assess exploitability and impact.
  • Community-driven insights provide up-to-date threat intelligence.
  • Integrates with other security tools for better analysis.
• Cons:
  • Requires manual assessment of vulnerabilities.
  • Not a real-time detection tool.
  • Limited automated reporting capabilities.
  • Lacks direct integration with remediation workflows.

Automater – A simple yet effective tool that automates OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) searches on URLs, IP addresses, and hashes. It’s beginner-friendly, open-source, and available on GitHub. Automater is an OSINT tool that analyzes URLs, IPs, and hashes for security insights.

• Pros:
  • User-friendly and requires minimal setup.
  • Collects threat intelligence from multiple sources.
  • Open-source and customizable.
  • Supports automation with scripts for batch analysis.
• Cons:
  • Limited to known threat indicators.
  • Requires manual intervention for deep analysis.
  • May provide outdated or irrelevant data.
  • Not effective for detecting unknown threats.

BotScout – Prevents bots from spamming forms and creating fake accounts by tracking bot signatures like IPs and emails. Many universities and major corporations use it to keep their systems bot-free. BotScout detects and blocks automated bots using IP, email, and name signatures.

• Pros:
  • Helps prevent spam and fraudulent signups.
  • Provides API for integration.
  • Fast detection of known bot activity.
  • Free for basic use.
• Cons:
  • Requires continuous updates for new bot signatures.
  • Limited use beyond web forms.
  • Can result in false positives.
  • Free version has limitations on API requests.

CrowdFMS – An automated phishing detection tool that integrates with VirusTotal to scan and analyze phishing emails. It helps security teams respond to phishing threats quickly.

• Pros:
  • Automates threat intelligence gathering.
  • Provides quick alerts on phishing attempts.
  • Reduces manual workload for analysts.
  • Can be integrated with email security solutions.
• Cons:
  • Requires VirusTotal API access.
  • Limited to phishing-related threats.
  • Cannot detect zero-day phishing techniques.
  • Dependency on third-party APIs may create delays.

Cuckoo Sandbox – A highly customizable malware analysis tool that examines malicious files and websites in a virtualized environment. It supports Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android for broad compatibility. Cuckoo Sandbox provides automated malware analysis in virtualized environments.

• Pros:
  • Supports analysis of multiple file types.
  • Highly customizable and modular.
  • Produces detailed reports on malware behavior.
  • Can be integrated into larger security workflows.
• Cons:
  • Complex installation process.
  • High resource consumption.
  • Requires continuous updates for effectiveness.
  • May struggle with highly obfuscated malware.

CyberChef – Known as the “Cyber Swiss Army Knife,” this web tool helps analysts process and transform data—encoding, decoding, parsing, and more—without requiring deep technical skills. CyberChef is a versatile web-based tool for data transformation, decoding, and analysis.

• Pros:
  • Wide range of built-in functions.
  • User-friendly interface.
  • No installation required, runs in-browser.
  • Useful for both cybersecurity and general data manipulation.
• Cons:
  • Not an automated threat detection tool.
  • Requires manual operation.
  • Limited integration with other security tools.
  • Large datasets may slow performance.

DeepBlue CLI – A Windows log analysis tool that quickly detects security events like unauthorized access attempts and malware activity. It’s an efficient way to analyze logs and uncover hidden threats. DeepBlue CLI is a PowerShell tool for analyzing Windows event logs for security threats.

• Pros:
  • Great for Windows Environments: Specially designed for Windows security event analysis.
  • Lightweight & Fast: Runs efficiently on most systems without heavy resource usage.
  • No Additional Dependencies: Works directly with PowerShell, no extra installations required.
  • Effective for Blue Teaming: Helps analysts quickly detect malicious activity in logs.
• Cons:
  • Windows-Specific: Not applicable for Linux/macOS environments.
  • Limited Detection Capabilities: Focuses only on event log analysis, not full-spectrum threat detection.
  • Manual Execution Required: Lacks real-time monitoring or automation features.
  • Requires Log Parsing Knowledge: Users must understand Windows event logs for effective use.

dnstwist – This tool helps detect phishing, typosquatting, and domain impersonation attacks by generating similar domain names to spot potential threats. It’s especially useful for brand protection. dnstwist is a domain reconnaissance tool used for detecting phishing, typo-squatting, and domain impersonation.

• Pros:
  •  Detects Typo-Squatting Domains: Helps identify domains impersonating legitimate brands.
  • Supports Various Detection Methods: Includes WHOIS lookups, DNS records, and web content analysis.
  • Multi-Protocol Support: Can scan using HTTP, DNS, and SSL/TLS data.
  • Can Be Automated: Works well in CI/CD security pipelines.

• Cons:
  • High False Positives: May flag benign domains as suspicious.
  • No Built-in Alerting System: Lacks real-time alerting features.
  • Requires Additional Threat Intelligence: Needs external feeds for enriched analysis.
  • Command-Line Based: No graphical user interface, which may be a barrier for some users.

Hunt SQL – A specialized query language that allows threat hunters to efficiently extract and analyze threat intelligence data. It helps detect suspicious domains, C2 servers, and other indicators of compromise. Hunt-SQL is a SQL-based threat-hunting tool that enables security teams to query and analyze logs for malicious activity.

• Pros:
  • Efficient Querying: Uses SQL, making it easy to process large datasets efficiently.
  • Customizable Rules: Allows users to create and tailor queries to specific threat-hunting needs.
  • Scalability: Works well with large log datasets from SIEMs and other logging sources.
  • Integration-Friendly: Can integrate with various log management and SIEM solutions.
• Cons:
  • Steep Learning Curve: Requires familiarity with SQL and log structures.
  • Limited Automation: Manual query creation is required for detection rather than automated analysis.
  • Performance Dependent on Database: Query speed depends on the database engine used.
  • No Built-in Anomaly Detection: Lacks built-in ML-driven anomaly detection features.

Intercept.io Phishing API – A fast and accurate phishing detection tool that helps organizations proactively block phishing sites before they cause harm. Intercept.io’s Phishing API is designed to detect and analyze phishing URLs and domains.

• Pros:
  • Fast URL Analysis: Quickly identifies phishing threats from provided URLs.
  • Easy Integration: Can be used in various security applications via API.
  • Real-Time Threat Intelligence: Helps detect newly emerging phishing domains.
  • Supports Multiple Data Sources: Can analyze emails, URLs, and domain patterns.
• Cons:
  • Limited Scope: Focuses mainly on phishing-related threats, not broader threat-hunting use cases.
  • False Positives: May incorrectly flag legitimate domains, requiring manual validation.
  • Reliance on External Data Sources: Effectiveness depends on external intelligence feeds.
  • API Rate Limits: May have restrictions on query frequency based on implementation.

Machinae – An intelligence-gathering tool that collects security-related data from public sources, including IP addresses, domains, file hashes, and SSL fingerprints, making threat research easier. Machinae is a framework for automating information gathering from threat intelligence sources.

• Pros:
  • Aggregates Multiple Sources: Pulls data from various OSINT and threat intel feeds.
  • Highly Configurable: Users can define sources and customize queries.
  • Lightweight: Runs efficiently on most systems.
  • Supports JSON Output: Makes integration with other tools easier.
• Cons:
  • No Built-in Analysis: Only fetches data, requiring manual analysis.
  • Requires API Keys for Some Feeds: Some sources need authentication or payment.
  • No Visualization Support: Lacks dashboards or visual representations.
  • Updates Depend on External Feeds: If sources are unreliable, results may be incomplete.

Maltego CE – A visual link analysis tool used for security investigations. It helps forensic analysts and researchers uncover relationships between domains, IPs, social media accounts, and more. Maltego CE (Community Edition) is an open-source intelligence (OSINT) and link analysis tool.

• Pros:
  • Powerful Graph-Based Analysis: Helps visualize relationships between entities.
  • Integrates with Many Data Sources: Supports OSINT, WHOIS, and social media intelligence.
  • Useful for Investigations: Great for tracking threat actors, phishing campaigns, and more.
  • Expandable with Transforms: Can add custom transforms to enrich data.
• Cons:
  • Limited Features in Free Version: CE version has restrictions compared to the paid version. Steep Learning Curve: Requires time to understand graph-based investigations.
  • Requires Manual Correlation: Not fully automated; users must analyze results.
  • Performance Issues with Large Graphs: Processing large datasets can slow down the tool.

Phishing Catcher – Uses TLS certificate transparency logs to detect new phishing domains in real time. It’s easy to set up and quickly flags suspicious sites. Phishing Catcher identifies phishing domains in real time using Certificate Transparency logs.

• Pros:
  • Real-Time Phishing Domain Detection: Monitors SSL/TLS certificate transparency logs.
  • Works Without APIs: No need for external services to function.
  • Good for Proactive Defense: Can detect new phishing campaigns early.
  • Lightweight & Simple to Use: Minimal setup required.
• Cons:
  • No Domain Content Analysis: Doesn’t inspect the actual webpage content.
  • Requires Manual Review: May flag false positives that need verification.
  • Limited to SSL-Based Phishing: Doesn’t detect phishing domains without certificates.
  • No Alerting Mechanism: Needs additional integration for notifications.

Sandbox Scryer – Uses sandbox malware analysis results to map threats to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, making it easier to understand attack patterns and respond to threats. Sandbox Scryer is a tool that aggregates sandbox results for threat intelligence analysis.

• Pros:
  • Aggregates Multiple Sandbox Reports: Pulls from various sandbox environments.
  • Good for Malware Analysis: Helps in tracking malware behavior.
  • Supports Automated Processing: Can be scripted for continuous analysis.
  • Provides Context for Threats: Enriches sandbox reports with intelligence.
• Cons:
  • Relies on External Sandboxes: Requires external malware analysis services.
  • Not a Standalone Threat-Hunting Tool: Works best alongside other tools.
  • May Have Delays: Fetching reports from multiple sources can take time.
  • Requires API Keys for Some Services: Some integrations need authentication.

Sysmon – A Windows system monitoring tool that logs system activity in detail, helping security teams track abnormal behavior and detect malware activity. Sysmon (System Monitor) is a Windows system monitoring tool that provides detailed event logging.

• Pros:
  • Detailed Process Monitoring: Logs process creation, network connections, and more.
  • Great for Incident Response: Helps with forensic investigations.
  • Customizable Logging Rules: Users can fine-tune log collection.
  • Integrates with SIEMs: Works well with Splunk, ELK, etc.
• Cons:
  • No Built-in Threat Detection: Only collects data; needs additional analysis.
  • Can Generate Large Logs: Requires proper filtering to avoid excessive data.
  • Windows-Only: Doesn’t support Linux/macOS.

YARA – A widely used tool for malware identification that allows security teams to create custom rules to detect and classify malware. It’s a favorite among cybersecurity professionals. YARA is a pattern-matching tool for malware detection and classification.

• Pros:
  • Flexible Rule-Based Detection: Customizable rules for various threats.
  • Effective for Malware Analysis: Helps identify malware families.
  • Lightweight and Efficient: Low system overhead.
  • Works Across Platforms: Supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.
• Cons:
  • Signature-Based: Ineffective against unknown malware without updated rules.
  • Manual Rule Writing Required: Needs expertise to create effective rules.
  • No Real-Time Scanning: Works best as a forensic tool rather than proactive defense.
  • Requires Frequent Updates: Rules must be maintained and updated regularly.

YETI – A centralized threat intelligence platform that organizes attack techniques and indicators of compromise (IoCs). It integrates with TAXII for seamless threat data sharing. YETI (Your Everyday Threat Intelligence) is a tool for organizing and analyzing threat intelligence.

• Pros:
  • Centralizes Threat Intelligence: Organizes indicators of compromise (IOCs).
  • Collaborative: Supports team-based intelligence sharing.
  • Extensible: Can integrate with other threat-hunting tools.
  • Good for TTP Tracking: Helps map adversary techniques.
• Cons:
  • No Automated Detection: Requires manual input and analysis.
  • Can Be Complex to Set Up: Needs initial configuration for optimal use.
  • Heavy Data Management: Large datasets require proper indexing.
  • Limited Visualization Features: Doesn’t provide strong graphical reporting.