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There is no single, official “PowerView for Linux.” The name usually refers to PowerView.py, a Python alternative to the original PowerView.ps1, or to PywerView, a separate Python rewrite aimed at GNU/Linux. In authorized Active Directory assessments, these tools query directory data such as users, groups, computers, and policies; the results are limited by the account’s permissions and network access.
Is there a Linux version of PowerView?
PowerView originally refers to a PowerShell script, PowerView.ps1. On Linux, the name is used for related but distinct Python projects, not one official Linux port. PowerView.py describes itself as an alternative to the original script and aims to provide an interactive session without repeatedly authenticating to LDAP. PywerView describes itself as a separate Python rewrite for GNU/Linux.
Neither project should be treated as an official continuation of the original unless its maintainers explicitly establish that relationship. Their names and overlapping goals do not guarantee identical commands, coverage, or behavior.
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In an authorized assessment, domain enumeration means asking directory and network services for information that the assessor’s account can access. A typical workflow is to authenticate to the environment, make scoped queries, and interpret the returned objects in context. PowerView.py emphasizes LDAP and related Active Directory operations; tools such as NetExec cover overlapping discovery through SMB workflows.
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- Confirm scope and authorization. Identify the approved domain, hosts, accounts, and permitted query types. Some tools include functions that change directory objects or perform relay-related actions; these are not ordinary read-only discovery.
- Establish an authorized connection. Use credentials and network paths approved for the assessment. Results depend on authentication, reachable services, and the permissions granted to the account.
- Query the objects relevant to the assessment. Start with directory objects such as users, groups, computers, and organizational units, then expand to policies, trusts, or service-account information when those questions are in scope.
- Validate and interpret results. A returned object or relationship is evidence of what the query exposed, not proof that all objects or relationships have been collected. Missing results can reflect permissions, query scope, service reachability, or tool limitations.
Enumeration does not inherently reveal everything in a domain. Output should be understood as a view available to a particular account through particular services, not a complete inventory guaranteed by the tool.
What can PowerView.py enumerate?
The PowerView.py module index documents LDAP queries and functions for a broad range of directory information. The project also lists operations beyond read-only enumeration, so a feature list should not be mistaken for a safe default checklist.
| Area | Documented examples |
|---|---|
| Core directory objects | Domain users, computers, groups and group members, organizational units, and domain controllers |
| Directory details | DNS records and zones, object access-control lists (ACLs), and object owners |
| Policy and relationships | Group Policy Objects (GPOs) and domain trusts |
| Other Active Directory data | Active Directory Certificate Services (ADCS), service-account, and computer-enumeration functions |
The project documentation also gives examples of querying users with selected properties, filters, counts, and output formatting. Those examples show query patterns; they do not establish what a particular account will be able to retrieve in a particular domain.
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For the full module list and project examples, see the PowerView.py documentation. The project’s PyPI page documents installation routes including pip, pipx, uv, Nix, and a manual clone-and-install path. It notes that libkrb5-dev is a dependency for GSSAPI support; this is package documentation, not a guarantee that a given installation or authentication setup will work.
PowerView.py vs PywerView: what is the difference?
Both are Python projects associated with Linux-based Active Directory reconnaissance, but their own descriptions and documented capabilities differ. The available project descriptions do not support a complete feature-by-feature parity comparison.
| Project | How it describes itself | Documented emphasis | Compatibility or scope notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PowerView.py | An alternative to the original PowerView.ps1 | LDAP queries and a wider set of AD-related operations; its documentation includes user queries, filters, properties, counts, and formatting | Most original modules are described as available, but some flags differ. The project says some Kerberos functions do not yet work well. Exact command compatibility with PowerView.ps1 is not established. |
| PywerView | A separate Python rewrite and GNU/Linux enumeration tool for penetration-testing assignments | Its project page describes enumeration of users, computers, domain and local groups, and group members; it is based on ldap3 and Impacket | The project description does not establish parity with every original PowerView function or a complete current comparison with PowerView.py. |
Sources: PowerView.py project page and PywerView project page. Choose based on the specific queries and authentication requirements documented by the project, rather than assuming that one is a drop-in replacement for PowerView.ps1.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do related tools fit into a Linux assessment?
NetExec: SMB-oriented discovery
NetExec documents SMB workflows for discovering hosts, testing null or guest sessions, listing shares, and querying domain users, groups, and password policy. This overlaps with some reconnaissance goals, but NetExec is a related workflow tool—not PowerView under another name. Its documentation assumes a Kali host on an internal network and describes procedures, not guaranteed results in every environment. See the NetExec documentation.
SharpHound: collection for graph analysis
The cited SharpHound reference describes the C# collector documented for deprecated BloodHound Legacy version 4.3. That page says the collector uses Windows APIs and LDAP and gathers data for graph analysis. Because the reference is explicitly for Legacy, it does not establish current BloodHound Community Edition collection support or instructions. See the SharpHound Legacy documentation for that historical scope.
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Samba client tools
Samba tools can be part of Linux administration and network workflows, but the Samba documentation is not evidence that Samba is a PowerView replacement. Samba notes that its hosted man pages come from the latest development version and may differ from earlier releases; it directs readers to the Samba Wiki for current documentation.
Quick Recap
How should you read enumeration results?
- Check the query’s scope. A query for one object class or selected properties cannot be treated as a complete directory inventory.
- Account for permissions and reachability. The account’s access and the services reachable from the Linux host shape what can be queried.
- Separate discovery from modification. Some listed project functions can alter AD objects or invoke relay-related behavior. Treat those as distinct, explicitly authorized actions rather than routine enumeration.
- Verify project-specific behavior. PowerView.py documents changed flags and limitations in some Kerberos functions; do not assume PowerShell syntax or behavior carries over exactly.
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