Nikto

Nikto is an open source web server scanner for security professionals, penetration testers and system administrators. It checks web servers for more than 8,000 potentially dangerous or interesting files and programs, identifies outdated versions of thousands of servers and components, and detects common server misconfigurations such as multiple index files and HTTP server options.

Nikto identifies installed web servers and software from headers, content and file analysis, with scan items and plugins that can be updated automatically. Its test database supports a small matching language on response bodies, headers and status codes, and each scan can produce several report formats for interactive or automated use. Nikto can also run as a Docker container.

Nikto is written in Perl by Chris Sullo; its code is distributed under the GNU GPL v3, while its database files are licensed for use with Nikto only. Version 2.6.1 was released in July 2026.