PulseScan C++

Async port and host scanner built with C++20 coroutines and Boost.Asio. Uses CLI11 for argument parsing and vcpkg for dependencies.

Legal and ethical use

This tool is for authorized testing only. Do not scan systems or networks without explicit permission. Unauthorized use or exploitation is prohibited.

Build

1. Bootstrap vcpkg (if needed) and set VCPKG_ROOT:

git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git
./vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh
export VCPKG_ROOT="$PWD/vcpkg"

2. Configure and build with CMake (vcpkg manifests are enabled by default):

cmake -B build -S .
cmake --build build

Run

Basic scan (replace with hosts you are authorized to test):

./build/pulsescan-cpp localhost -p 80,443,8000-8005 -t 1.5 --max-inflight 500

Multi-host scan:

./build/pulsescan-cpp localhost 127.0.0.1 ::1 -p 22,80

Ping mode (repeat and report changes):

./build/pulsescan-cpp localhost -p 80 --ping --interval 2

ICMP ping (requires root or CAP_NET_RAW):

sudo ./build/pulsescan-cpp 127.0.0.1 --icmp-ping -c 3

Modes:

• -m connect (default): TCP connect scan.
• -m banner: TCP connect plus a short banner read (--banner-timeout, --banner-bytes).
• -m udp: UDP probe that sends a protocol-specific payload when known (DNS, NTP, QUIC VN, SIP, IAX2), otherwise a minimal payload. No reply is reported as open|filtered.

Features:

• Multi-host scanning.
• --ping change detection.
• ICMP ping mode with CIDR/range expansion.
• IPv4/IPv6 filtering (-4/-6).
• Optional reverse DNS (--reverse-dns).
• Optional sandboxing (--sandbox) using Landlock (Linux) or Capsicum (FreeBSD).
• Press Enter (or SIGINFO on FreeBSD) to print progress while running.

Notes / Next steps

• UDP scans are best-effort; no response is reported as open|filtered.
• ICMP ping requires root or CAP_NET_RAW.
• Consider JSON output and per-host/port rate caps for larger sweeps.