hping3

Hping3 is a versatile network utility that allows users to craft and send customized ICMP, UDP, and TCP packets to a target system and analyze the responses, much like the traditional ping tool works with ICMP replies. Beyond simple connectivity checks, hping3 supports packet fragmentation, arbitrary payload sizes, and content customization, making it suitable for advanced network testing and experimentation. It can also facilitate file transfers over supported protocols. Security professionals commonly use hping3 to evaluate firewall rules, perform spoofed or stealthy port scans, measure network performance using different transport protocols, conduct path MTU discovery, and execute traceroute-like operations over various protocols. Furthermore, it is useful for fingerprinting remote operating systems, auditing TCP/IP stack behavior, and identifying potential vulnerabilities in networked systems. Hping3 is highly scriptable through the Tcl programming language, enabling automated testing and complex network simulations.

Installing hping3 on Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

After installation, you can verify the correct installation and view the command guide by running the hping3 -h command.