---
name: "cryptcat"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "cryptcat"
version: "20031202-4+b2"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cryptcat"
---

# cryptcat(1)

twofish encryption enabled version of nc(1)

## NAME

cryptcat - twofish encryption enabled version of  **[nc(1)](/nc/1.md)**

## SYNOPSIS

**cryptcat** -k *secret* \[-options\] hostname port\[s\] \[ports\]\
 **cryptcat** -k *secret* -l -p port \[-options\] \[hostname\] \[port\]

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents briefly the **cryptcat** command. This manual page was written for the Debian GNU/Linux distribution because the original program does not have a manual page. It only documents the features specific to **cryptcat** and not the features that are described at length in the manpage for **[nc(1)](/nc/1.md)**.\
 If you do not know **nc** then the chances are you won't have much use for this manpage.

**cryptcat** can act as a **tcp** or **udp** client or server - connecting to or listening on a socket, while otherwise working as the standard Unix command **[cat(1)](/cat/1.md)**.

**cryptcat** takes a password as a salt to encrypt the data being sent over the connection. Without a specified password **cryptcat** will default to the hardcoded password \`\`*metallica*''. Needless to say, failure to specify a different password makes the connection as good as unencrypted.

## OPTIONS

This programs *does not* follow the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (\`-'). A summary of the options specific to cryptcat is included below.

- **-h**

  Show summary of options.

- **-k *secret password***

  Change the shared secret password to be used to establish a connection.

## BUGS

This version of **cryptcat** does not support the **-e** *command* command line option available in some versions of **nc**.

## SEE ALSO

**[nc(1)](/nc/1.md),** **[cat(1)](/cat/1.md).**\
 /usr/share/doc/cryptcat/README.gz\
 /usr/share/doc/cryptcat/README.cryptcat\
 /usr/share/doc/cryptcat/README.Debian

## AUTHOR

The original **netcat** was written by **hobbit@avian.org**.

**cryptcat** is the work of **farm9 \<info@farm9.org\>** with the help of Dan F, Jeff Nathan, Matt W, Frank Knobbe, Dragos, Bill Weiss, Jimmy.

This manual page was written by Lars Bahner \<bahner@debian.org\> for Debian.