---
name: "slowhttptest"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "slowhttptest"
version: "1.10.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/slowhttptest"
---

# slowhttptest(1)

Denial Of Service attacks simulator

## NAME

**slowhttptest** – Denial Of Service attacks simulator

## SYNOPSIS

**slowhttptest** \[**-H\|B\|R\|X**\] \[**-g**\] \[**-a** *range* *start*\] \[**-b** *range* *limit*\] \[**-c** *number* *of* *connections*\] \[**-d** *all* *traffic* *directed* *through* *HTTP* *proxy* *at* *host:port*\] \[**-e** *probe* *traffic* *directed* *through* *HTTP* *proxy* *at* *host:port*\] \[**-f** *value* *of* *Content-type* *header*\] \[**-i** *interval* *in* *seconds*\] \[**-k** *request* *multiply* *factor*\] \[**-l** *test* *duration* *in* *seconds*\] \[**-m** *value* *of* *Accept* *header*\] \[**-n** *slow* *read* *interval* *in* *seconds*\] \[**-o** *output* *file* *path* *and/or* *name*\] \[**-p** *timeout* *for* *probe* *connection* *in* *seconds*\] \[**-r** *connection* *per* *second*\] \[**-s** *value* *of* *Content-Length* *header*\] \[**-t** *HTTP* *verb*\] \[**-1** *HTTP* *header*\] \[**-u** *absolute* *URL*\] \[**-v** *output* *verbosity* *level*\] \[**-w** *advertised* *window* *size* *range* *start*\] \[**-x** *max* *length* *of* *follow* *up* *data*\] \[**-y** *advertised* *window* *size* *range* *end*\] \[**-z** *slow* *read* *from* *receive* *buffer* *in* *bytes*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **slowhttptest** implements most common low-bandwidth Application Layer DoS attacks and produces CSV and HTML files with test statistics.

Currently supported attacks are:

- Slowloris

- Slow HTTP POST

- Apache Range Header

- Slow Read

The options are as follows:

- **-g**

  Forces **slowhttptest** to generate CSV and HTML files when test finishes with timestamp in filename.

- **-H**

  Starts **slowhttptest** in SlowLoris mode, sending unfinished HTTP requests.

- **-B**

  Starts **slowhttptest** in Slow POST mode, sending unfinished HTTP message bodies.

- **-R**

  Starts **slowhttptest** in Range Header mode, sending malicious Range Request header data.

- **-X**

  Starts **slowhttptest** in Slow Read mode, reading HTTP responses slowly.

- **-a** *start*

  Sets the start value of range-specifier for Range Header attack.

- **-b** *bytes*

  Sets the limit value of range-specifier for Range Header attack.

- **-c** *number* *of* *connections*

  Specifies the target number of connections to establish during the test.

- **-d** *HTTP* *proxy* *host:port*

  Specifies HTTP proxy server to connect to for all connections.

- **-e** *HTTP* *proxy* *host:port*

  Specifies HTTP proxy server to connect to for probe connections.

- **-f** *content-type*

  Specifies the value of Content-Type header.

- **-i** *seconds*

  Specifies the interval between follow up data for slowrois and Slow POST tests.

- **-k** *pipeline* *factor*

  Specifies number of times the resource would be requested per socket in Slow Read test.

- **-l** *seconds*

  Specifies test duration in seconds.

- **-m** *accept*

  Specifies the value of Accept header.

- **-n** *seconds*

  Specifies the interval between read operations for Slow Read test.

- **-o** *file* *name*

  Specifies custom file name, effective with -g.

- **-p** *seconds*

  Specifies the interval to wait for HTTP response on probe connection, before marking the server as DoSed.

- **-r** *connections* *per* *second*

  Specifies the connection rate.

- **-s** *bytes*

  Specifies the value of Content-Length header for Slow POST test.

- **-t** *HTTP* *verb*

  Specifies the verb to use in HTTP request.

- **-1** *header*

  Specifies an HTTP header to use in HTTP request.

- **-u** *URL*

  Specifies the URL.

- **-v** *level*

  Specifies the verbosity level of logging.

- **-w** *bytes*

  Specifies the start of the range the TCP advertised window size would be picked from in Slow Read test.

- **-x** *bytes*

  Specifies the maximum length of follow up data for slowloris and Slow POST tests.

- **-y** *bytes*

  Specifies the end of the range the TCP advertised window size would be picked from in Slow Read test.

- **-z** *bytes*

  Specifies the number of bytes to read from receive buffer with each read() operation.

## ENVIRONMENT

- SSL\_CERT

  Specifies client certificate (PEM format)

- SSL\_KEY

  Specifies client private key (PEM format)

## EXAMPLES

Start a slowloris test of host.example.com with 1000 connections, statistics goes into my\_header\_stats, interval between follow up headers is 10 seconds and connection rate is 200 connections per second:

```
$ slowhttptest -c 1000 -H -g -o my_header_stats -i 10 -r 200 -t GET -u https://host.example.com/index.html -x 24 -p 3
```

Start slow POST test of host.example.com with 3000 connections, statistics goes into my\_body\_stats, interval between follow up headers is 110 seconds, connection rate is 200 connections per second, Content-Length header value is 8192, maximum length of follow up data is random value limited by 10 bytes and probe connections waits 3 seconds for HTTP response before marking server as DoSed:

```
$ slowhttptest -c 3000 -B -g -o my_body_stats -i 110 -r 200 -s 8192 -t FAKEVERB -u http://host.example.com/loginform.html -x 10 -p 3
```

Start Range Header test of host.example.com with 1000 connections, use HEAD verb, and generate HTTP header Range:0-, x-1, x-2, x-3, ... x-y, where x is 10 and y is 3000, connection rate is 500: interval between follow up headers is 10 seconds and connection rate is 200 connections per second:

```
$ slowhttptest -R -u http://host.example.com/ -t HEAD -c 1000 -a 10 -b 3000 -r 500
```

Start Slow Read test of host.example.com with 8000 connections, no statistics is generated, connection rate is 200 connections per second, TCP advertised window size is a random value between 512 and 1024, **slowhttptest** reads 32 bytes from each connections every 5 seconds, 3 requests are pipelined per each connections, probe connection waits 3 seconds for HTTP response before marking server as DoSed:

```
$ slowhttptest -c 8000 -X -r 200 -w 512 -y 1024 -n 5 -z 32 -k 3 -u https://host.example.com/resources/index.html -p 3
```

Start Slow Read test of host.example.com through HTTP proxy server at 10.10.0.1:8080 with 8000 connections, no statistics is generated, the rest test values are default. **slowhttptest** most likely would test HTTP proxy server itself, rather than target server, but it all depends on the HTTP proxy server implementation:

```
$ slowhttptest -d 10.10.0.1:8080 -c 8000 -X -u https://host.example.com/resources/index.html
```

Start Slow Read test of host.example.com and direct probe traffic through HTTP proxy server at 10.10.0.1:8080 with 8000 connections, no statistics is generated, the rest test values are default. Specifying another connection channel for probe connections helps to make sure that **slowhttptest** shows valid statistics for availability of server under test:

```
$ slowhttptest -e 10.10.0.1:8080 -c 8000 -X -u https://host.example.com/resources/index.html
```

## AUTHOR

Sergey Shekyan ⟨shekyan@gmail.com⟩.

Project page ⟨https://github.com/shekyan/slowhttptest/⟩.