FAQ
Quick answers
Short answers to the questions that come up most. Each one links to the page that goes deeper.
Do I need to know how to program?
No. A solution is a plain text file, one instruction per line. Lines that start with # are comments, and everything else is a name: value line. The authoring guide walks you from a one-step file to a full attack.
Is Exploitmatic a scanner?
No. It replays one documented attack against one target. It does not crawl, discover, or sweep a network. It is a verified replay of a known technique, not a discovery tool.
What can I run it against?
Only systems you own or are authorized to test. The replica workflow applies: refine against a local replica first, then verify against an authorized target.
What does the runtime print?
One line per step, then a result line. Each step line shows the step name, whether the test passed, and which test ran. There is no artifact file; the console output is the result.
Why a plain text format and not JSON?
So the file reads like a checklist, not markup. There is no syntax to remember, comments are allowed, and diffs stay clean. The format stays strict where it matters: the runtime validates required fields and hex at load time and refuses to run a bad file.
What are host steps?
Steps that run commands or read files on your own machine, such as reading the flag file a lab writes. They run like any other step; the tool runs on your host.
Can I describe an attack in natural language?
Yes, through an LLM. The runtime itself takes a .txt file only, and that is the point: the file is exact, reviewable, and deterministic. Describe the attack in your own words, have an LLM draft the file, review it, then run it.
Can I write my own solutions?
Yes. Start with the worked example, use the corpus as reference implementations, and verify each solution against a vulnerable replica before you contribute it.
Is it open source?
Yes. The runtime is AGPLv3, and the solution corpus is Apache 2.0. The runtime is a portable binary downloaded from the releases page.
The full format reference and authoring guide live in the documentation.
Write attacks down. Verify them.
Download the binary, point it at a target you own, and get a verified result. The corpus is open and the format is plain text.