# XlsGen

XlsGen is a Red-Team & Adversary Emulation product. It runs on-premises. Pricing is free.

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

Checked October 2026.

## What is XlsGen?

XlsGen is a proof-of-concept tool designed to generate Excel BIFF8 files with embedded 4.0 macros without requiring Microsoft Excel to be installed.

The tool enables programmatic creation of xls files that contain macro functionality, bypassing the need for the actual Excel application during file generation.

This capability allows security researchers and penetration testers to create Excel files with embedded macros for testing purposes, social engineering simulations, or malware analysis scenarios.

The tool operates by directly manipulating the BIFF8 file format structure to embed macro code into the generated Excel files, providing a method to create macro-enabled spreadsheets through code rather than through the Excel interface.

Tags: Red Team, Proof of Concept, Payload Generation

## Quick facts

- Category: [Offensive Security](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security-testing) · [Red-Team & Adversary Emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security)
- Deployment: On-Premises
- Company size fit: Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
- Pricing model: Free
- GitHub stars: 44
- Website: github.com

## XlsGen FAQ

### What is XlsGen?

XlsGen is a product in the Red-Team & Adversary Emulation category. It covers Red Team, Proof of Concept and Payload Generation.

### What is the pricing for XlsGen?

XlsGen is free. Download and setup instructions are at https://github.com/aaaddress1/xlsGen/.

### What are alternatives to XlsGen?

Alternatives to XlsGen listed on CybersecTools:

1. [Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/tools/fortra-cobalt-strike) - Threat emulation product for adversary simulations and red team operations (Commercial)
2. [Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/tools/core-security-outflank-security-tooling) - Red team toolkit for EDR evasion, initial access, and post-exploitation. (Commercial)
3. [GoSecure Titan® Adversarial Simulation](https://cybersectools.com/tools/gosecure-titanr-adversarial-simulation) - Human-led adversary emulation service testing detection & response capabilities (Commercial)
4. [Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents](https://cybersectools.com/tools/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) - AI agent platform for automating offensive security operations and evals. (Commercial)
5. [Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/tools/red-specter-cheatsheet) - CLI cheatsheet for Red Specter's 30-tool offensive security platform. (Commercial)

Compare all XlsGen alternatives at [https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/xlsgen](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/xlsgen)

### What deployment and organization size does XlsGen fit?

XlsGen is available as on-premises software. It is listed for startups, small businesses, mid-market companies and enterprises. It is free.

## Compare XlsGen with similar solutions

- [XlsGen vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-xlsgen)
- [XlsGen vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-xlsgen)
- [XlsGen vs GoSecure Titan® Adversarial Simulation](https://cybersectools.com/compare/gosecure-titanr-adversarial-simulation-vs-xlsgen)

All alternatives to XlsGen: [/alternatives/xlsgen](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/xlsgen)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/tools/xlsgen

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More on XlsGen: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=product-md