SecLists
A large collection of security testing word lists, such as usernames, passwords, and attack payloads, in one r
- Stars
- 74.5k
- Forks
- 25.2k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- PHP
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- Learning resource
What it is
SecLists is a downloadable collection of text files (called lists) that security testers use during assessments. It includes lists of usernames, passwords, URLs, sensitive data patterns, fuzzing payloads, and web shells. The stated goal is that a tester can clone this one repository onto a new machine and have every common list type available.
- Copy a password or username list into a tool such as a login tester for an authorized assessment
- Feed fuzzing payload lists to a web fuzzer to find hidden directories or parameters
- Use the sensitive data pattern lists to search files for leaked secrets
- Pick a web shell or URL list when testing a web application you are authorized to assess
Great for
- Penetration testers who need standard lists for password or directory guessing
- Security students learning how assessments use wordlists
- Bug bounty hunters setting up a new testing machine
- Anyone running fuzzing tools that read wordlist files
Not ideal for
- People looking for a program or application to run; this is a set of text files, not a tool (README describes it as lists)
- Anyone who should not store attack payloads on important systems; the README warns that storing these files on a server or important system carries a risk of local file include attacks
- Users who want a single small file; the full repository is large (the README cites roughly 9 minutes to clone at 50 Mb/s)
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: Git (for the git clone options) or wget and unzip (for the zip option)
Shallow git clone (no commit history, faster)
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielmiessler/SecLists.gitFull git clone with history
git clone https://github.com/danielmiessler/SecLists.gitInstall on Kali Linux
apt -y install seclistsInstall on BlackArch
sudo pacman -S seclists - 2
Run it
- Clone or download the repository to a folder on your testing machine
- Browse the directories to find the list type you need, such as usernames or passwords
- Point your security testing tool at the chosen list file
- Check the README and CONTRIBUTING.md for details on list contents
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Check the .bin directory, which the README says contains wordlist generators and mutators
- Look at the Wordlist Tools section, such as CeWL and Cook, to generate custom lists from target content
- Compare with the listed similar projects, such as Assetnote Wordlists, for updated discovery lists
- Use the shallow clone option if you only need the current lists and not the history
Downloads
Strengths
- Many list types gathered in one place, reducing the need to hunt for them separately
- Maintained by several named people and updated over time (latest release 2026.2)
- Licensed under MIT, and installable through Kali Linux and BlackArch packages
Trade-offs
- Downloading the repository can trigger antivirus false-positive alarms, according to the README
- Large download size, and full history clone takes longer than a shallow clone
- Lists are only useful with a separate tool that reads them; the README does not describe any built-in testing function
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SecLists (this) | 74.5k | Learning resource | beginner | 4 days ago | Penetration testers who need standard lists for password or directory guessing |
| PayloadsAllTheThings | 82.3k | Curated list | beginner | 6 days ago | Penetration testers who want a quick reference of payload variations for a known vulnerability class |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.