Best CrossC2 Alternatives & Competitors in 2026

Core Security Outflank Security Tooling

Red team toolkit for EDR evasion, initial access, and post-exploitation.

Havoc Framework

Open-source C2 framework for red team ops and adversary simulation.

PoshC2

A proxy aware C2 framework for penetration testing, red teaming, post-exploitation, and lateral movement with modular format and highly configurable payloads.

Fortra Cobalt Strike

Threat emulation tool for adversary simulations and red team operations

Core Security Cobalt Strike

Post-exploitation threat emulation platform for red team operations.

WebDAV Covert Channel

A covert channel technique that uses WebDAV protocol features to deliver malicious payloads and establish C2 communication while bypassing security controls.

pybof

PyBOF is a Python library that enables in-memory loading and execution of Beacon Object Files (BOFs) with support for argument passing and function targeting.

Covenant

Covenant is a collaborative .NET command and control framework designed for red team operations and offensive security engagements.

Merlin

A cross-platform HTTP/2 Command & Control framework written in Golang for post-exploitation activities and remote system management.

Mystikal

A macOS Initial Access Payload Generator for penetration testing and red teaming exercises.

NimPlant

A lightweight Command and Control (C2) implant written in Nim that provides remote access capabilities for penetration testing and red team operations.

Pupy

Pupy is an open-source, cross-platform C2 framework that provides remote access and control capabilities for compromised systems across Windows, Linux, OSX, and Android platforms.

SharpC2

SharpC2 is a C#-based Command and Control framework that provides remote access capabilities for penetration testing and red team operations.

SourcePoint

SourcePoint generates customizable C2 profiles for Cobalt Strike servers to enhance evasion capabilities against security defenses.

SILENTTRINITY

SILENTTRINITY is a Python-based, asynchronous C2 framework that uses .NET scripting languages for post-exploitation activities without relying on PowerShell.

Kubesploit

A cross-platform post-exploitation HTTP/2 Command & Control framework designed specifically for testing and exploiting containerized environments including Docker and Kubernetes.

Papa Shango

A Linux process injection tool that uses ptrace() to inject assembly-based shellcode into running processes without NULL byte restrictions.

Read-Teaming-TTPs

A comprehensive repository of red teaming resources including cheatsheets, detailed notes, automation scripts, and practice platforms covering multiple cybersecurity domains.

Core Security Bundles and Suites

Bundled offensive security suites combining pen testing, red teaming, and VM.

Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents

AI agent platform for automating offensive security operations and evals.

MITRE Caldera™

MITRE Caldera™ is an automated adversary emulation platform built on the MITRE ATT&CK framework that supports red team operations and incident response activities through a modular C2 server and plugin architecture.

AzureC2Relay

An Azure Function that validates and relays Cobalt Strike beacon traffic based on Malleable C2 profile authentication.

Brute Ratel C4

Advanced command and control tool for red teaming and adversary simulation with extensive features and evasion capabilities.

C2concealer

A command line tool that generates randomized malleable C2 profiles for Cobalt Strike to vary command and control communication patterns.

C3

C3 is a framework by WithSecureLabs for rapid prototyping of custom command and control channels that integrates with existing offensive security toolkits.

CobaltBus

CobaltBus integrates Cobalt Strike with Azure Service Bus to create covert C2 communication channels for red team operations.

Domain Hunter

A reconnaissance tool that analyzes expired domains for categorization, reputation, and Archive.org history to identify candidates suitable for phishing and C2 operations.

EvilClippy

EvilClippy is a cross-platform tool that creates malicious MS Office documents with hidden VBA macros and evasion techniques for penetration testing and red team operations.

InvisibilityCloak

InvisibilityCloak is a proof-of-concept C# code obfuscation toolkit designed for red teaming and penetration testing to conceal post-exploitation tools from detection.

Ivy

Ivy is a payload creation framework for executing arbitrary VBA source code directly in memory, utilizing programmatical access to load, decrypt, and execute shellcode.

Koadic

A COM Command & Control framework that uses JScript to provide fileless remote access capabilities on Windows systems through a modular plugin architecture.

Macro_Pack

Macro_Pack automates the generation and obfuscation of Office documents and scripts for penetration testing and security assessments.

RedGuard

RedGuard is a C2 front flow control tool that helps evade detection by security systems through traffic filtering and redirection capabilities.

RedWarden

RedWarden is a Cobalt Strike C2 reverse proxy that uses packet inspection and malleable profile correlation to evade detection by security controls during red team operations.

ScareCrow

A payload creation framework designed to bypass Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems.

shad0w

A post-exploitation framework designed to operate covertly on heavily monitored environments.

TikiTorch

TikiTorch is a process injection tool that executes code within the address space of other processes using various injection techniques.

XlsGen

A proof-of-concept tool that generates Excel BIFF8 files with embedded 4.0 macros programmatically without requiring Microsoft Excel installation.

Forensia

Anti-forensics tool for Red Teamers to erase footprints and test incident response capabilities.

PowerSploit

PowerSploit is a PowerShell-based penetration testing framework containing modules for code execution, injection techniques, persistence, and various offensive security operations.

external_c2 framework

A Python framework for building custom Command and Control interfaces that implements Cobalt Strike's External C2 specification for data transfer between frameworks.

KeeFarce

KeeFarce extracts cleartext password database information from KeePass 2.x processes in memory using DLL injection and .NET runtime manipulation.

fexecve harness

A collection of tools that execute programs directly in memory using various delivery methods including URL downloads and netcat connections.

SharpShooter

A payload creation framework for generating and executing C# code payloads with anti-evasion capabilities for offensive security operations.

PHPsploit

A PHP-based command and control framework that maintains persistent web server access through polymorphic backdoors and HTTP header communication tunneling.

InvalidSign

InvalidSign is a security research tool that bypasses endpoint solutions by obtaining valid signed files with different hashes to evade signature-based detection mechanisms.

barq

A post-exploitation framework for attacking AWS infrastructure, enabling attacks on EC2 instances without SSH keypairs and extraction of AWS secrets and parameters.

Empire Communication Profiles

Customize Empire's GET request URIs, user agent, and headers for evading detection and masquerading as other applications.