tcpcat

Projects that follow the best practices below can voluntarily self-certify and show that they've achieved an Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) best practices badge.

There is no set of practices that can guarantee that software will never have defects or vulnerabilities; even formal methods can fail if the specifications or assumptions are wrong. Nor is there any set of practices that can guarantee that a project will sustain a healthy and well-functioning development community. However, following best practices can help improve the results of projects. For example, some practices enable multi-person review before release, which can both help find otherwise hard-to-find technical vulnerabilities and help build trust and a desire for repeated interaction among developers from different companies. To earn a badge, all MUST and MUST NOT criteria must be met, all SHOULD criteria must be met OR be unmet with justification, and all SUGGESTED criteria must be met OR unmet (we want them considered at least). If you want to enter justification text as a generic comment, instead of being a rationale that the situation is acceptable, start the text block with '//' followed by a space. Feedback is welcome via the GitHub site as issues or pull requests There is also a mailing list for general discussion.

We gladly provide the information in several locales, however, if there is any conflict or inconsistency between the translations, the English version is the authoritative version.
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These are the Baseline Level 2 criteria. These are criteria version v2026.08.28.

Baseline Series: Baseline Level 1 Baseline Level 2 Baseline Level 3

        

 Basics

  • General

    Note that other projects may use the same name.

    tcpcat is a high-performance network reconnaissance and modular security engine written in Go, leveraging Linux eBPF and AF_XDP.

    Designed for security auditors, DevSecOps, and network engineers, it provides kernel-bypass packet delivery for ultra-fast, low-overhead network scanning.

    Key Features:

    • Kernel-Bypass Performance: High-speed SYN scanning and stealth reconnaissance powered by eBPF/AF_XDP.
    • Service & Vulnerability Detection: Real-time service fingerprinting and offline CVE/CVSS mapping.
    • Enterprise Reporting: Standardized, audit-ready JSON exports designed for seamless integration into SIEM/SOAR systems and CI/CD pipelines.
    Please use SPDX license expression format; examples include "Apache-2.0", "BSD-2-Clause", "BSD-3-Clause", "GPL-2.0+", "LGPL-3.0+", "MIT", and "(BSD-2-Clause OR Ruby)". Do not include single quotes or double quotes.
    If there is more than one language, list them as comma-separated values (spaces optional) and sort them from most to least used. If there is a long list, please list at least the first three most common ones. If there is no language (e.g., this is a documentation-only or test-only project), use the single character "-". Please use a conventional capitalization for each language, e.g., "JavaScript".
    The Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) is a structured naming scheme for information technology systems, software, and packages. It is used in a number of systems and databases when reporting vulnerabilities.

 Controls 19/19 ●

  • Controls


    Enough for a badge!

    When a CI/CD task is executed with no permissions specified, the CI/CD system MUST default the task's permissions to the lowest permissions granted in the pipeline. [OSPS-AC-04.01]
    Configure the project's settings to assign the lowest available permissions to new pipelines by default, granting additional permissions only when necessary for specific tasks.

    Both GitHub Actions workflows set explicit least-privilege top-level permissions: ci.yml uses permissions: contents: read, release.yml uses contents: write (+ id-token: write only for cosign signing). https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/.github/workflows/ci.yml∑


    Enough for a badge!

    When an official release is created, that release MUST be assigned a unique version identifier. [OSPS-BR-02.01]
    Assign a unique version identifier to each release produced by the project, following a consistent naming convention or numbering scheme. Examples include SemVer, CalVer, or git commit id.

    https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/releases

    Each distribution and release is uniquely identified using a specific release version (e.g., v1.0.0). [version_unique]


    Enough for a badge!

    When an official release is created, that release MUST contain a descriptive log of functional and security modifications. [OSPS-BR-04.01]
    Ensure that all releases include a descriptive change log. It is recommended to ensure that the change log is human-readable and includes details beyond commit messages, such as descriptions of the security impact or relevance to different use cases. To ensure machine readability, place the content under a markdown header such as "## Changelog".

    https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/releases
    https://tcpcat.io/release
    Human-readable release notes summarizing major changes, updates, and fixes are published with every release on the GitHub Releases page. [release_notes]


    Enough for a badge!

    When a build and release pipeline ingests dependencies, it MUST use standardized tooling where available. [OSPS-BR-05.01]
    Use a common tooling for your ecosystem, such as package managers or dependency management tools to ingest dependencies at build time. This may include using a dependency file, lock file, or manifest to specify the required dependencies, which are then pulled in by the build system.

    Dependencies use standard Go modules (go.mod/go.sum, checksum-verified); the build/publish pipeline uses GoReleaser. https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/go.mod


    Enough for a badge!

    When an official release is created, that release MUST be signed or accounted for in a signed manifest including each asset's cryptographic hashes. [OSPS-BR-06.01]
    Sign all released software assets at build time with a cryptographic signature or attestations, such as GPG or PGP signature, Sigstore signatures, SLSA provenance, or SLSA VSAs. Include the cryptographic hashes of each asset in a signed manifest or metadata file.

    CONTRIBUTING.md “Dependencies” documents how dependencies are obtained (Go modules, go.sum hash-verified), selected (stdlib first; maintained, license-compatible modules justified in the PR) and tracked (weekly Dependabot, govulncheck/gosec in CI, per-release SBOMs). https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#dependencies


    Enough for a badge!

    When the project has made a release, the project documentation MUST include a description of how the project selects, obtains, and tracks its dependencies. [OSPS-DO-06.01]
    It is recommended to publish this information alongside the project's technical & design documentation on a publicly viewable resource such as the source code repository, project website, or other channel.

    CONTRIBUTING.md “Dependencies” documents how dependencies are obtained (Go modules, go.sum hash-verified), selected (stdlib first; maintained, license-compatible modules justified in the PR) and tracked (weekly Dependabot, govulncheck/gosec in CI, per-release SBOMs). https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#dependencies


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST include instructions on how to build the software, including required libraries, frameworks, SDKs, and dependencies. [OSPS-DO-07.01]
    It is recommended to publish this information alongside the project's contributor documentation, such as in CONTRIBUTING.md or other developer task documentation. This may also be documented using Makefile targets or other automation scripts.

    README “Installation & Prerequisites” lists the requirements (Go 1.26+; optional Linux 5.8+ and gcc/clang for eBPF/XDP; CAP_SYS_ADMIN/root for raw sockets) and the build commands (go install, or go build from source); CONTRIBUTING.md covers the dev setup. https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat#installation--prerequisites


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST include a list of project members with access to sensitive resources. [OSPS-GV-01.01]
    Document project participants and their roles through such artifacts as members.md, governance.md, maintainers.md, or similar file within the source code repository of the project. This may be as simple as including names or account handles in a list of maintainers, or more complex depending on the project's governance.

    MAINTAINERS.md lists every project member with access to sensitive resources (repo admin, releases, Actions secrets, security advisories); releases are signed keyless, so no signing key is held by anyone. https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/MAINTAINERS.md


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST include descriptions of the roles and responsibilities for members of the project [OSPS-GV-01.02]
    Document project participants and their roles through such artifacts as members.md, governance.md, maintainers.md, or similar file within the source code repository of the project.

    MAINTAINERS.md “Roles and responsibilities” describes the maintainer role (review/merge, releases, triage, private vulnerability handling, policy enforcement) and contributor responsibilities, alongside who holds access to which sensitive resources. https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/MAINTAINERS.md


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST include a guide for code contributors that includes requirements for acceptable contributions. [OSPS-GV-03.02]
    Extend the CONTRIBUTING.md or CONTRIBUTING/ contents in the project documentation to outline the requirements for acceptable contributions, including coding standards, testing requirements, and submission guidelines for code contributors. It is recommended that this guide is the source of truth for both contributors and approvers.

    https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md

    Contribution requirements and acceptable guidelines are documented in CONTRIBUTING.md, including standard Go formatting standards (gofmt), passing unit test suites, and clear commit messages. [contribution_requirements]


    Enough for a badge!

    The version control system MUST require all code contributors to assert that they are legally authorized to make the associated contributions on every commit. [OSPS-LE-01.01]
    Include a DCO in the project's repository, requiring code contributors to assert that they are legally authorized to commit the associated contributions on every commit. Use a status check to ensure the assertion is made. A CLA also satisfies this requirement. Some version control systems, such as GitHub, may include this in the platform terms of service.

    All contributors except the copyright holder must accept the Contributor License Agreement (CLA.md) before their pull request can merge. The CLA Assistant check runs on every pull request, records each signature, and is a required status check on the protected main branch. https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/CLA.md https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/.github/workflows/cla.yml


    Enough for a badge!

    When a commit is made to the primary branch, any automated status checks for commits MUST pass or be manually bypassed. [OSPS-QA-03.01]
    Configure the project's version control system to require that all automated status checks pass or require manual acknowledgement before a commit can be merged into the primary branch. It is recommended that any optional status checks are NOT configured as a pass or fail requirement that approvers may be tempted to bypass.

    https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/actions

    Continuous integration is handled by GitHub Actions, running tests and build validations automatically on every push and pull request. [test_continuous_integration]


    Enough for a badge!

    Prior to a commit being accepted, the project's CI/CD pipelines MUST run at least one automated test suite to ensure the changes meet expectations. [OSPS-QA-06.01]
    Automated tests should be run prior to every merge into the primary branch. The test suite should be run in a CI/CD pipeline and the results should be visible to all contributors. The test suite should be run in a consistent environment and should be run in a way that allows contributors to run the tests locally. Examples of test suites include unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests.

    https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/actions

    Continuous integration is handled by GitHub Actions, running tests and build validations automatically on every push and pull request. [test_continuous_integration]


    Enough for a badge!

    When the project has made a release, the project documentation MUST include design documentation demonstrating all actions and actors within the system. [OSPS-SA-01.01]
    Include designs in the project documentation that explains the actions and actors. Actors include any subsystem or entity that can influence another segment in the system. Ensure this is updated for new features or breaking changes.

    docs/ARCHITECTURE.md lists every actor (operator, scanned targets, kernel/XDP, vulnerability feeds, GitHub, AWS, webhook receivers, local web UI) with its trust level, every action in the scan pipeline from configuration to reporting, and the trust boundaries. https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md


    Enough for a badge!

    When the project has made a release, the project documentation MUST include descriptions of all external software interfaces of the released software assets. [OSPS-SA-02.01]
    Document all software interfaces (APIs) of the released software assets, explaining how users can interact with the software and what data is expected or produced. Ensure this is updated for new features or breaking changes.

    https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat#readme

    CLI flags, target specification inputs, and output formats (standard output and structured JSON exports) are documented in the project README and accessible via the built-in --help flag.https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat#readme

    CLI flags, target specification inputs, and output formats (standard output and structured JSON exports) are documented in the project README and accessible via the built-in --help flag. [documentation_interface]


    Enough for a badge!

    When the project has made a release, the project MUST perform a security assessment to understand the most likely and impactful potential security problems that could occur within the software. [OSPS-SA-03.01]
    Performing a security assessment informs both project members as well as downstream consumers that the project understands what problems could arise within the software. Understanding what threats could be realized helps the project manage and address risk. This information is useful to downstream consumers to demonstrate the security acumen and practices of the project. Ensure this is updated for new features or breaking changes.

    docs/SECURITY_ASSESSMENT.md assesses the 10 most likely and impactful security problems in tcpcat itself (hostile replies from targets, privilege amplification, XDP side effects, out-of-scope scanning, local web UI, self-update integrity, supply chain, secrets, WASM scripts, data sharing), with mitigations and residual risks; reviewed at each minor release. https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/docs/SECURITY_ASSESSMENT.md


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST include a policy for coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD), with a clear timeframe for response. [OSPS-VM-01.01]
    Create a SECURITY.md file at the root of the directory, outlining the project's policy for coordinated vulnerability disclosure. Include a method for reporting vulnerabilities. Set expectations for how the project will respond and address reported issues.

    https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/SECURITY.md

    The vulnerability reporting process and coordinated disclosure policy are documented in SECURITY.md. [vulnerability_report_process]


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST provide a means for private vulnerability reporting directly to the security contacts within the project. [OSPS-VM-03.01]
    Provide a means for security researchers to report vulnerabilities privately to the project. This may be a dedicated email address, a web form, VCS specialized tools, email addresses for security contacts, or other methods.

    https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/security/advisories

    Confidential security reporting is enabled using GitHub Private Vulnerability Reporting and direct security contact instructions in SECURITY.md. [vulnerability_report_private]


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST publicly publish data about discovered vulnerabilities. [OSPS-VM-04.01]
    Provide information about known vulnerabilities in a predictable public channel, such as a CVE entry, blog post, or other medium. To the degree possible, this information should include affected version(s), how a consumer can determine if they are vulnerable, and instructions for mitigation or remediation.

    SECURITY.md “How vulnerabilities are published”: every confirmed vulnerability is published as a public GitHub Security Advisory (with CVE, affected/fixed versions, severity, reporter credit), listed at the advisories page, and in the CHANGELOG ### Security section and release notes. No vulnerability has been reported so far. https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/blob/main/SECURITY.md https://github.com/NycolazSec/tcpcat/security/advisories



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Project badge entry owned by: NycolazSec.
Entry created on 2026-09-09 17:17:45 UTC, last updated on 2026-10-09 14:39:27 UTC. Last achieved passing badge on 2026-09-09 20:36:49 UTC.