Major update drops for popular Pwntools penetration showbag

The third version of the Pwntools exploit showbag has been released, sporting new Android p0wnage functions and a host of additional modules.

The Python development library is the brainchild of the Gallopsled CTF team, which wrote the toolset to help fellow security types build faster exploits for penetration testing and capture the flag competitions.

Pwntools is popular with hordes of hackers who enjoy the benefit of simplified exploit development.

Gallopsled announced the major update, the first in 18 months, which folds in some 1,305 commits since the last version, including bonus hacking features from the forked Binjitsu exploit toolbox project.

"Pwntools is a Python library/framework developing exploits for capture the flag competitions, like DEFCON CTF, picoCTF, and wargames like pwnable.kr," the Pwntools developers said.

"Pwntools makes the exploit developer's life easier by providing a suite of easy and quick tools that do exactly what an exploit developer would want them to -- without the hassle of writing template code or dealing with various minor gotchas."

While the hacking suite is deployed on Ubuntu, users of other OSes can play with a PwnTools demonstration in their browsers.

Team-less would-be hackers wishing to test Pwntools in a capture the flag team can join the OpenToAllCTFteam, which allows all members to participate in its hacking events.

The Pwntools developers are planning on support for Python 3, but say that upgrade will take time.

PwnTools joins popular hacking tools Metasploit and the Browser Exploitation Framework (BEeF) Project. ®