DNSChef
DNS proxy for penetration testers and malware analysts. Intercepts DNS queries and returns forged responses, enabling traffic redirection for security testing. Supports selective domain filtering, wildcards, multiple record types (A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, NS, PTR, SOA), IPv6, TCP/UDP, and INI-based configuration files. Cross-platform (Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android).
Score Breakdown
⚙ Agent Friendliness
🔒 Security
Offensive security tool. No network auth. Requires root. Authorized use only.
⚡ Reliability
Best When
A security professional needs to intercept and forge DNS responses during a penetration test or malware analysis session.
Avoid When
You need a production DNS server, or you lack the privileges/authorization to manipulate DNS traffic.
Use Cases
- • Redirecting DNS traffic during penetration testing engagements
- • Analyzing malware DNS callbacks by intercepting resolution requests
- • Testing application behavior with manipulated DNS responses
- • Setting up controlled DNS environments for security research
Not For
- • Production DNS serving (this is a testing/analysis tool)
- • Users without root/admin privileges (requires port 53 access)
- • Automated MCP or API integration — this is a CLI tool
- • Legitimate DNS hosting or caching
Interface
Authentication
No authentication — standalone CLI tool. Requires root/admin to bind port 53.
Pricing
Free security tool. No external services or subscriptions.
Agent Metadata
Known Gotchas
- ⚠ Requires root/admin privileges to bind port 53 — will fail silently or with permission error otherwise
- ⚠ 31 open issues with last push in Aug 2024 — maintenance is minimal
- ⚠ Python 2/3 compatibility but aging codebase (created 2013)
- ⚠ No API or MCP interface — purely a CLI tool for manual security testing
- ⚠ Must configure system DNS resolver to point at DNSChef for interception to work
Full Evaluation Report
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Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-03-08.