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What Is VulnHub And How To Use It

VunHub Dashboard

What Is VulnHub And What Is It Used For?

VulnHub is a free platform that hosts vulnerable CTF style machines.

You can download a VM of your choice (without even needing to create an account), load it up into your lab, and begin looking for flags. There are more than 700 machines, all community contributed. Some go back nearly 20 years!

  • Experience Level: Beginners to Advanced
  • Cybersecurity Focus: CTFs, Offensive Techniques
  • VulnHub Pricing: Free

VulnHub is fairly simple to use. Select a machine and download it. Once the download is complete, setup your lab and safely load the machine. If you’re a complete beginner, this may seem intimidating, but is a great learning opportunity. If you know how this works, or want to avoid this process, see our alternatives below which removes this whole process and takes you straight inside of a machine.

One thing worth mentioning is that there have been no new boxes since late 2022. This means you won’t find machines with newer vulnerabilities.

Although VulnHub hasn't been actively updated since 2022, it's still the go to place to freely download vulnerable machines.

Getting started With VulnHub

  1. Download a machine from VulnHub
  2. Setup your lab. VulnHub has a Guide
  3. Load it onto your virtualization software
  4. Start hacking

Many machines on VulnHub have write-ups done by others who’ve completed it. Use them as guidance if you get stuck

    Conclusion

    VulnHub is a completely free platform that hosts vulnerable VMs. Simply go on the site, choose a machine, and the rest is up to you. Just make sure you’re safely loading these vulnerable machines. Happy learning!

    Frequently Asked Questions

    VulnHub is good for beginners. However it won’t be easy and must be done with care to ensure you’re not exposing your network to a vulnerable machine.

    Learning how to work with virtualization software is good for any aspiring cybersecurity professional. You’ll learn a bunch. You’ll be forced to be hands-on. You can talk about the troubles you experienced while going through this whole process in an interview. 

    Yes, there are no paid features. Everything is free.

    If you’re looking for a learning environment that requires no lab setup, and no  VM download, HackTheBox or TryHackMe might be better alternatives.