> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/Gowtham-Darkseid/AutoPentestX/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # CLI Options > Complete reference for all AutoPentestX command-line flags and options AutoPentestX provides several command-line options to customize the penetration testing process. This page documents every available flag with defaults and usage examples. ## Required Arguments ### Target Specification Target IP address or domain name to perform penetration testing against **Format:** IPv4 address or fully qualified domain name (FQDN) **Examples:** ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 python3 main.py --target example.com ``` ## Optional Arguments ### Tester Name Name of the penetration tester to include in generated reports This value appears in: * PDF report headers * Database scan records * Executive summaries **Examples:** ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 -n "John Doe" python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --tester-name "Security Team" ``` With custom tester name: ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 -n "Red Team - Q1 2026" ``` PDF Report Output: ``` ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ SECURITY PENETRATION TEST REPORT ║ ║ ║ ║ Performed by: Red Team - Q1 2026 ║ ║ Target: 192.168.1.100 ║ ║ Date: March 11, 2026 ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ``` ### Safe Mode Control Disable safe mode protections (NOT RECOMMENDED) **Default Behavior:** Safe mode is **ENABLED** by default **Safe Mode Protections:** * Confirmation prompt before scanning * Rate limiting on aggressive scans * Prevents accidental destructive operations * Legal warning displays **Usage:** ```bash theme={null} # Disable safe mode (dangerous) python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --no-safe-mode ``` **Use `--no-safe-mode` with extreme caution!** Disabling safe mode: * Removes confirmation prompts * Increases risk of unauthorized scanning * May violate compliance requirements * Could lead to legal issues **Only disable safe mode when:** * Running in fully automated CI/CD pipelines * Testing in isolated lab environments * You have comprehensive authorization ### Web Scanning Control Skip web vulnerability scanning modules (Nikto and SQLMap) **Skipped Modules:** * Nikto web server scanner * SQLMap SQL injection testing * Web application fingerprinting * CMS vulnerability detection **Use Cases:** * Target has no web services * Time-constrained assessments * Network infrastructure focus * Web testing handled separately **Usage:** ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-web ``` **Time Savings:** 5-10 minutes per scan **When to use `--skip-web`:** ✅ **Good scenarios:** * Network devices (routers, switches, firewalls) * Database servers without web interfaces * Quick reconnaissance sweeps * IoT devices without HTTP services ❌ **Avoid when:** * Target runs web applications * Testing web servers or APIs * Comprehensive assessments required * Unknown service landscape ### Exploitation Control Skip exploitation assessment and Metasploit RC script generation **Skipped Functionality:** * CVE exploitability analysis * Metasploit module matching * RC script generation for manual exploitation * Risk-based exploit prioritization **Use Cases:** * Read-only security assessments * Compliance scans * Initial reconnaissance * Vulnerability enumeration only **Usage:** ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-exploit ``` **Time Savings:** 2-5 minutes per scan **Important:** Even with `--skip-exploit`, AutoPentestX still: * Performs CVE lookups * Calculates risk scores * Identifies vulnerabilities * Generates comprehensive reports Only the **exploitation assessment** phase is skipped. ### Version Information Display AutoPentestX version number and exit **Usage:** ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py --version ``` **Output:** ``` AutoPentestX v1.0 ``` ### Help Display Show help message with all available options and exit **Usage:** ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py --help python3 main.py -h ``` ## Option Combinations ### Speed-Optimized Scanning ```bash Lightning Fast (5-10 min) theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-web --skip-exploit ``` ```bash Balanced Speed (10-20 min) theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-exploit ``` ```bash Full Assessment (20-30 min) theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 ``` ### Customized Testing Scenarios ```bash theme={null} # Router/Switch/Firewall Assessment python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.1 \ --skip-web \ --skip-exploit \ -n "Network Security Audit" ``` **Rationale:** * Network devices rarely run web applications * Exploitation may disrupt network operations * Focus on configuration and service hardening ```bash theme={null} # Complete Web Application Testing python3 main.py -t web.example.com \ -n "Application Security Team" ``` **Rationale:** * Includes Nikto and SQLMap scanning * Full exploitation assessment * Comprehensive web vulnerability detection ```bash theme={null} # Database Security Assessment python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.50 \ --skip-web \ -n "Database Security Audit" ``` **Rationale:** * Skip web modules (no HTTP services) * Include exploitation for privilege escalation * Focus on network service vulnerabilities ```bash theme={null} # Read-Only Vulnerability Assessment python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 \ --skip-exploit \ -n "Quarterly Compliance Scan" ``` **Rationale:** * No exploitation attempts (compliance requirement) * Full vulnerability detection * Safe for production environments ## Advanced Usage Patterns ### Automated Scanning ```bash theme={null} #!/bin/bash # Automated scanning script for multiple targets TARGETS=("192.168.1.100" "192.168.1.101" "192.168.1.102") TESTER="Automated Security Scanner" for target in "${TARGETS[@]}"; do echo "[*] Scanning $target..." python3 main.py -t "$target" \ -n "$TESTER" \ --no-safe-mode \ --skip-exploit echo "[✓] Completed: $target" echo "-----------------------------------" done echo "[✓] All scans complete. Check reports/ directory." ``` **Automation Considerations:** * Use `--no-safe-mode` to bypass interactive prompts * Implement proper authorization checks * Add logging and error handling * Consider rate limiting between scans * Ensure sufficient disk space for reports ### CI/CD Integration ```yaml theme={null} # GitLab CI Example security_scan: stage: test image: python:3.10 script: - cd AutoPentestX - ./install.sh - source venv/bin/activate - python3 main.py -t staging.example.com \ --no-safe-mode \ --skip-exploit \ -n "CI/CD Security Pipeline" artifacts: paths: - reports/*.pdf - database/autopentestx.db expire_in: 30 days only: - develop - main ``` ### Wrapper Script with Options The `autopentestx.sh` wrapper script accepts the same options: ```bash theme={null} # Using wrapper script ./autopentestx.sh 192.168.1.100 --skip-web -n "Security Team" # Equivalent Python command python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-web -n "Security Team" ``` **Wrapper Script Benefits:** * Automatic virtual environment handling * Enhanced logging to `logs/` directory * Legal warning display * Exit code handling * Timestamped log files ## Option Summary Table | Flag | Short | Type | Default | Required | Description | | ---------------- | ----- | ------- | ------------------- | -------- | ----------------------- | | `--target` | `-t` | string | - | ✅ Yes | Target IP or domain | | `--tester-name` | `-n` | string | `AutoPentestX Team` | ❌ No | Tester name for reports | | `--no-safe-mode` | - | boolean | `false` | ❌ No | Disable safety checks | | `--skip-web` | - | boolean | `false` | ❌ No | Skip Nikto/SQLMap | | `--skip-exploit` | - | boolean | `false` | ❌ No | Skip exploitation | | `--version` | - | boolean | - | ❌ No | Show version | | `--help` | `-h` | boolean | - | ❌ No | Show help message | ## Environment Variables AutoPentestX does not currently support environment variable configuration. All options must be specified via command-line flags. **Feature Request:** If you need environment variable support for CI/CD integration, please open an issue on the GitHub repository. ## Error Handling ### Missing Required Argument ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py ``` **Error:** ``` usage: main.py [-h] -t TARGET [-n TESTER_NAME] [--no-safe-mode] [--skip-web] [--skip-exploit] [--version] main.py: error: the following arguments are required: -t/--target ``` ### Invalid Option ```bash theme={null} python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --invalid-flag ``` **Error:** ``` main.py: error: unrecognized arguments: --invalid-flag ``` ### Conflicting Options There are no conflicting options in AutoPentestX. All flags can be combined freely. ## Best Practices * [ ] Always use `-n` flag for audit trail documentation * [ ] Start with `--skip-exploit` in production environments * [ ] Use `--skip-web` for non-HTTP services * [ ] Keep safe mode enabled unless automating * [ ] Review `--help` output before complex scans * [ ] Document authorization for each target ## Related Topics Real-world command examples How to specify scan targets Understand safety mechanisms CI/CD and scripting integration