ADTool review
A free, focused desktop tool for quantitative attack trees and attack ranking.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
ADTool is a graphical desktop application for modeling and analyzing security scenarios with attack-defense trees, sequential attack trees, and attack-defense terms. It is distributed by the Security and Trust of Software Systems group at the University of Luxembourg and is suited to researchers who need a focused environment for quantitative attack-tree work. The tool supports attack, protection, and defense tree formalisms, making it relevant when a project requires more than one threat-modeling method.
Its strongest area is quantitative analysis. ADTool provides bottom-up analysis and can rank possible attacks for selected attribute domains, giving researchers a way to compare attack paths within modeled scenarios. Modular tree display helps organize large scenarios, while customizable layouts support clearer model presentation. Users can print, save, and export models, and XML import and export supports model exchange between compatible workflows. These capabilities make ADTool a practical choice for structured research and analysis rather than a broad security program management suite.
ADTool is free and open source, with downloadable Java archives and a documented Java Web Start version. The current version is described as beta, while an older stable version is also listed, so teams should consider version selection as part of adoption. Its orientation is toward desktop modeling and analysis, not collaborative review or a wider integrated platform ecosystem. Choose ADTool when free quantitative attack-defense modeling, attack ranking, and XML-based model handling are the priority. Organizations seeking built-in collaborative review or a broader platform should consider a tool designed around those workflows instead.
ADTool pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free and open source for attack-defense modeling
- Quantitative analysis and attack ranking support
- XML exchange, customizable layouts, and modular tree display
- Where it doesn't
- Focused on individual modeling rather than collaborative review
- Desktop delivery depends on Java archives or Java Web Start
- The current version is described as beta
ADTool fact sheet, pricing and score →
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