What is ExploitDB?
ExploitDB is the world's largest public archive of known exploits and vulnerable software, maintained by Offensive Security. It is used during the Exploitation and Reconnaissance phases of penetration testing to find publicly disclosed exploits for specific software versions, CVEs, and platforms. The CLI tool searchsploit provides offline access to the entire database directly from the terminal.
Only use on systems you own or have explicit written permission to test. Unauthorized use violates Pakistan's PECA 2016 and international cybercrime laws.
Installation
# Update packages sudo apt update # Install exploitdb (includes searchsploit) sudo apt install exploitdb -y # Update the local database to latest entries searchsploit -u # Verify installation searchsploit --version
Basic Usage (searchsploit)
# Search for exploits by keyword searchsploit apache 2.4 # Search by software name and version searchsploit vsftpd 2.3.4 # Search for a specific CVE searchsploit CVE-2021-41773 # Show full file paths in results searchsploit -p openssh 7.2 # Copy an exploit to your current directory searchsploit -m 47887 # Open the exploit file directly in less searchsploit -x 47887 # Search only for web application exploits searchsploit -t "wordpress" --www # Search and output results as JSON searchsploit --json apache | jq
Key Flags
-u— Update the local ExploitDB database-p— Show full path of matching exploit files-m [EDB-ID]— Copy exploit file to current directory-x [EDB-ID]— Open exploit file in the terminal viewer-t— Search only in exploit titles (not full text)--www— Show link to the online ExploitDB entry--json— Output results in JSON format--exclude— Exclude a keyword from results (e.g.--exclude="dos")
Common Use Cases
- Finding public exploits for identified software versions
- Authorized penetration testing engagements
- CTF (Capture The Flag) competitions
- Vulnerability research and security audits
Further Reading
The full database is also browsable online at exploit-db.com. Practice on legal targets like TryHackMe, HackTheBox, or hackzia.site labs. Always read the official documentation before using in a live engagement.