Choosing attack modules

Attacks Specification: Modules

Wapiti allows you to specify which attack modules to launch during a scan. You can choose specific modules, use common ones, or even list all available modules. This page explains how to select and configure the attack modules.

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-m / --module: Specify Attack Modules

The -m option enables you to define which attack modules should be used during the scan. The modules should be listed by name, separated by commas.

• Default behavior: If the -m option is not set, Wapiti will use the most common attack modules.

• Common modules: You can explicitly choose common modules by using the common keyword.

• Combining modules: If you want to use both common modules and specific ones (e.g., XXE), you can combine them, for example:

  -m common,xxe
  

• All modules: You can run all available attack modules using the all keyword (note: this is not recommended due to performance and potential redundancy).

• Filter by HTTP method: You can also limit attacks to specific HTTP methods like GET or POST. For instance:

  -m "xss:get,exec:post"
  

  This example runs the XSS module only for GET requests and the exec module for POST requests.

• Running scans without attacks: If you want to perform a scan without running any attacks, simply provide an empty value:

  -m ""
  

Usage:

wapiti -u http://example.com -m common,xxe

This example runs a scan using common attack modules along with the XXE module.

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--list-modules: List Available Modules

If you’re unsure which modules are available or what they do, you can use the --list-modules option to print a list of all attack modules along with a short description. The output will also indicate which modules are part of the "common" set of modules. After printing the list, Wapiti will exit without running a scan.

Usage:

wapiti --list-modules

This command will display the available modules and highlight which are considered part of the common modules, helping you decide which ones to include in your scan.