Endlessh
Endlessh is an SSH tarpit that traps SSH clients by sending an endless, random SSH banner.
Endlessh is an SSH tarpit that traps SSH clients by sending an endless, random SSH banner.
Checked October 2026.
Endlessh is an SSH tarpit that very slowly sends an endless, random SSH banner. It keeps SSH clients locked up for hours or even days at a time. The purpose is to put your real SSH server on another port and then let the script kiddies get stuck in this tarpit instead of bothering a real server.
Since the tarpit is in the banner before any cryptographic exchange occurs, this program doesn't depend on any cryptographic libraries. It's a simple, single-threaded, standalone C program. It uses poll() to trap multiple clients at a time. Usage information is printed with -h.
Usage: endlessh [-vhs] [-d MS] [-f CONFIG] [-l LEN] [-m LIMIT] [-p PORT] -4 Bind to IPv4 only -6 Bind to IPv6 only -d INT Message millisecond delay [10000] -f Set and load config file [/etc/endlessh/config] -h Print this help message and exit -l INT Maximum banner line length (3-255) [32] -m INT Maximum number of clients [4096] -p INT Listening port [2222] -s Print diagnostics to syslog instead of standard output -v Print diagnostics (repeatable) Argument order matters.
The configuration file is loaded when the -f argument is processed, so only the options that follow will override the c
No core features are listed for this product yet, so check the vendor's documentation for the full feature list.
No integrations are listed for this product yet. Check the vendor's documentation, or ask the vendor which integrations and APIs it supports.
Common questions about Endlessh: features, pricing and alternatives.
Endlessh is a product in the Honeypots & Deception category. It covers SSH and Security Tools.
Endlessh is free. Download and setup instructions are at https://github.com/skeeto/endlessh/.
Alternatives to Endlessh listed on CybersecTools:
Compare all Endlessh alternatives at https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/endlessh
Endlessh is available as on-premises software. It is listed for startups, small businesses, mid-market companies and enterprises. It is free.
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