macOS Useful Commands

Learn & practice AWS Hacking:HackTricks Training AWS Red Team Expert (ARTE) Learn & practice GCP Hacking: HackTricks Training GCP Red Team Expert (GRTE)

Support HackTricks

Check the subscription plans!
Join the 💬 Discord group or the telegram group or follow us on Twitter 🐦 @hacktricks_live.
Share hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the HackTricks and HackTricks Cloud github repos.

MacOS Automatic Enumeration Tools

MacPEAS: https://github.com/carlospolop/PEASS-ng/tree/master/linPEAS
Metasploit: https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/post/osx/gather/enum_osx.rb
SwiftBelt: https://github.com/cedowens/SwiftBelt

Specific MacOS Commands

#System info
date
cal
uptime #show time from starting
w #list users
whoami #this user
finger username #info about user
uname -a #sysinfo
cat /proc/cpuinfo #processor
cat /proc/meminfo #memory
free #check memory
df #check disk

launchctl list #List services
atq #List "at" tasks for the user
sysctl -a #List kernel configuration
diskutil list #List connected hard drives
nettop #Monitor network usage of processes in top style

system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType #System info
system_profiler SPPrintersDataType #Printer
system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType #Installed Apps
system_profiler SPFrameworksDataType #Instaled framework
system_profiler SPDeveloperToolsDataType #Developer tools info
system_profiler SPStartupItemDataType #Startup Items
system_profiler SPNetworkDataType #Network Capabilities
system_profiler SPFirewallDataType #Firewall Status
system_profiler SPNetworkLocationDataType #Known Network
system_profiler SPBluetoothDataType #Bluetooth Info
system_profiler SPEthernetDataType #Ethernet Info
system_profiler SPUSBDataType #USB info
system_profiler SPAirPortDataType #Airport Info


#Searches
mdfind password #Show all the files that contains the word password
mfind -name password #List all the files containing the word password in the name


#Open any app
open -a <Application Name> --hide #Open app hidden
open some.doc -a TextEdit #Open a file in one application


#Computer doesn't go to sleep
caffeinate &


#Screenshot
# This will ask for permission to the user
screencapture -x /tmp/ss.jpg #Save screenshot in that file


#Get clipboard info
pbpaste


#system_profiler
system_profiler --help #This command without arguments take lot of memory and time.
system_profiler -listDataTypes
system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType SPNetworkDataType


#Network
arp -i en0 -l -a #Print the macOS device's ARP table
lsof -i -P -n | grep LISTEN
smbutil statshares -a #View smb shares mounted to the hard drive

#networksetup - set or view network options: Proxies, FW options and more
networksetup -listallnetworkservices #List network services
networksetup -listallhardwareports #Hardware ports
networksetup -getinfo Wi-Fi #Wi-Fi info
networksetup -getautoproxyurl Wi-Fi #Get proxy URL for Wifi
networksetup -getwebproxy Wi-Fi #Wifi Web proxy
networksetup -getftpproxy Wi-Fi #Wifi ftp proxy


#Brew
brew list #List installed
brew search <text> #Search package
brew info <formula>
brew install <formula>
brew uninstall <formula>
brew cleanup #Remove older versions of installed formulae.
brew cleanup <formula> #Remove older versions of specified formula.


#Make the machine talk
say hello -v diego
#spanish: diego, Jorge, Monica
#mexican: Juan, Paulina
#french: Thomas, Amelie

########### High privileges actions
sudo purge #purge RAM
#Sharing preferences
sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist (enable ssh)
sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist (disable ssh)
#Start apache
sudo apachectl (start|status|restart|stop)
 ##Web folder: /Library/WebServer/Documents/
#Remove DNS cache
dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Installed Software & Services

Check for suspicious applications installed and privileges over the.installed resources:

system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType #Installed Apps
system_profiler SPFrameworksDataType #Instaled framework
lsappinfo list #Installed Apps
launchctl list #Services

User Processes

# will print all the running services under that particular user domain.
launchctl print gui/<users UID>

# will print all the running services under root
launchctl print system

# will print detailed information about the specific launch agent. And if it’s not running or you’ve mistyped, you will get some output with a non-zero exit code: Could not find service “com.company.launchagent.label” in domain for login
launchctl print gui/<user's UID>/com.company.launchagent.label

Create a user

Without prompts

Support HackTricks

Check the subscription plans!
Join the 💬 Discord group or the telegram group or follow us on Twitter 🐦 @hacktricks_live.
Share hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the HackTricks and HackTricks Cloud github repos.

PreviousmacOS Keychain NextmacOS Auto Start

Last updated 13 hours ago

#System info date cal uptime #show time from starting w #list users whoami #this user finger username #info about user uname -a #sysinfo cat /proc/cpuinfo #processor cat /proc/meminfo #memory free #check memory df #check disk launchctl list #List services atq #List "at" tasks for the user sysctl -a #List kernel configuration diskutil list #List connected hard drives nettop #Monitor network usage of processes in top style system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType #System info system_profiler SPPrintersDataType #Printer system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType #Installed Apps system_profiler SPFrameworksDataType #Instaled framework system_profiler SPDeveloperToolsDataType #Developer tools info system_profiler SPStartupItemDataType #Startup Items system_profiler SPNetworkDataType #Network Capabilities system_profiler SPFirewallDataType #Firewall Status system_profiler SPNetworkLocationDataType #Known Network system_profiler SPBluetoothDataType #Bluetooth Info system_profiler SPEthernetDataType #Ethernet Info system_profiler SPUSBDataType #USB info system_profiler SPAirPortDataType #Airport Info #Searches mdfind password #Show all the files that contains the word password mfind -name password #List all the files containing the word password in the name #Open any app open -a <Application Name> --hide #Open app hidden open some.doc -a TextEdit #Open a file in one application #Computer doesn't go to sleep caffeinate & #Screenshot # This will ask for permission to the user screencapture -x /tmp/ss.jpg #Save screenshot in that file #Get clipboard info pbpaste #system_profiler system_profiler --help #This command without arguments take lot of memory and time. system_profiler -listDataTypes system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType SPNetworkDataType #Network arp -i en0 -l -a #Print the macOS device's ARP table lsof -i -P -n | grep LISTEN smbutil statshares -a #View smb shares mounted to the hard drive #networksetup - set or view network options: Proxies, FW options and more networksetup -listallnetworkservices #List network services networksetup -listallhardwareports #Hardware ports networksetup -getinfo Wi-Fi #Wi-Fi info networksetup -getautoproxyurl Wi-Fi #Get proxy URL for Wifi networksetup -getwebproxy Wi-Fi #Wifi Web proxy networksetup -getftpproxy Wi-Fi #Wifi ftp proxy #Brew brew list #List installed brew search <text> #Search package brew info <formula> brew install <formula> brew uninstall <formula> brew cleanup #Remove older versions of installed formulae. brew cleanup <formula> #Remove older versions of specified formula. #Make the machine talk say hello -v diego #spanish: diego, Jorge, Monica #mexican: Juan, Paulina #french: Thomas, Amelie ########### High privileges actions sudo purge #purge RAM #Sharing preferences sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist (enable ssh) sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist (disable ssh) #Start apache sudo apachectl (start|status|restart|stop) ##Web folder: /Library/WebServer/Documents/ #Remove DNS cache dscacheutil -flushcache sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

# will print all the running services under that particular user domain. launchctl print gui/<users UID> # will print all the running services under root launchctl print system # will print detailed information about the specific launch agent. And if it’s not running or you’ve mistyped, you will get some output with a non-zero exit code: Could not find service “com.company.launchagent.label” in domain for login launchctl print gui/<user's UID>/com.company.launchagent.label