BruteShark review

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

BruteShark is an open-source network forensic analysis tool for security researchers and network administrators. It analyzes PCAP and PCAPNG traffic, while also supporting live capture from a network interface. The Windows application provides a graphical interface, and the command-line tool runs on Windows and Linux. Its focus is investigative extraction rather than general network monitoring, with features for credentials, authentication hashes, DNS queries, sessions, files, and VoIP calls.

BruteShark is free and open source, with no paid workflow to compare across plan tiers. The platform fit is clear: Windows users can access the GUI and CLI, while Linux users can use the CLI. Command-line processing can handle files or directories and export results to standard output or files. Hashcat export supports a password-analysis workflow, and Neo4j integration connects network-map output with that ecosystem. PCAP and PCAPNG support also gives investigators a defined capture-file scope.

Its standout value is the breadth of extraction in one forensic workflow. BruteShark can capture traffic, generate visual network maps, extract DNS activity, reconstruct TCP and UDP sessions, carve files, and extract VoIP calls from SIP and RTP traffic. Credential and password extraction, plus authentication-hash extraction with Hashcat export, make it suited to focused investigations. Choose BruteShark when free, open-source analysis and extraction are priorities. Choose another tool if you need a graphical application on Linux, support for platforms beyond Windows and Linux, or AI features.

BruteShark pros and cons

• Where it wins
  • Extracts credentials, passwords, authentication hashes, DNS queries, and files
  • Reconstructs TCP, UDP, SIP, and RTP sessions from captured traffic
  • Combines a Windows GUI with command-line processing on Windows and Linux
• Where it doesn't
  • Windows is required for the graphical application
  • No AI features are included
  • Maintenance status is not clearly documented

BruteShark fact sheet, pricing and score →

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update