Installation

Install Impacket and configure your Python environment

Installation Methods

pipx (Recommended)

The recommended way to install Impacket system-wide is using pipx, which isolates the package in its own virtual environment while making the command-line tools globally available.

1. Install pipx (if needed)

   python3 -m pip install --user pipx
   python3 -m pipx ensurepath
   
2. Install Impacket

   Install the latest stable release:

   python3 -m pipx install impacket
   
3. Verify Installation

   python3 -c "from impacket.version import version; print(version)"
   

pip

For project-specific installations or when using virtual environments:

pip install impacket

It’s recommended to use a virtual environment to avoid conflicts with system packages.

From Source

Install the development version from the GitHub repository:

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/fortra/impacket.git
   cd impacket
   
2. Install from Source

   Using pipx:

   python3 -m pipx install .
   

   Or using pip:

   pip install .
   

Docker

Run Impacket in an isolated Docker container:

1. Build the Image

   docker build -t "impacket:latest" .
   
2. Run the Container

   docker run -it --rm "impacket:latest"
   

Dependencies

Impacket requires the following Python packages, which are automatically installed:

Core Dependencies

pyasn1>=0.2.3
pyasn1_modules
pycryptodomex
pyOpenSSL
six
charset_normalizer

Protocol-Specific Dependencies

ldap3>=2.5,!=2.5.2,!=2.5.0,!=2.6
ldapdomaindump>=0.9.0
flask>=1.0

Platform-Specific

Windows

pyreadline3  # Windows only

Python Version Requirements

Impacket supports the following Python versions:

Python 3.9

Fully supported

Python 3.10

Fully supported

Python 3.11

Fully supported

Python 3.12

Fully supported

Python 3.13

Fully supported

Python 2.x is no longer supported. Please use Python 3.9 or later.

Virtual Environment Setup

For development or testing, it’s recommended to use a virtual environment:

venv

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv impacket-env

# Activate (Linux/macOS)
source impacket-env/bin/activate

# Activate (Windows)
impacket-env\Scripts\activate

# Install Impacket
pip install impacket

Upgrading Impacket

pipx

python3 -m pipx upgrade impacket

pip

pip install --upgrade impacket

Troubleshooting

ImportError: No module named 'impacket'

Make sure Impacket is installed in the correct Python environment:

# Check Python version
python3 --version

# Check if impacket is installed
python3 -m pip list | grep impacket

# Reinstall if necessary
python3 -m pip install --force-reinstall impacket

Permission denied errors

On Linux/macOS, you may need to use --user flag or run with appropriate permissions:

pip install --user impacket

Or use pipx which handles user installations automatically.

SSL/TLS certificate errors

If you encounter SSL errors, update your certificates:

pip install --upgrade certifi

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Ready to write your first Impacket script? Continue to the Quick Start guide.