> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/fortra/impacket/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> Learn about Impacket, a collection of Python classes for working with network protocols

## What is Impacket?

Impacket is a collection of Python classes for working with network protocols. It provides low-level programmatic access to packets and protocol implementations, making it ideal for network protocol research, penetration testing, and security tool development.

Originally created by [SecureAuth](https://www.secureauth.com/labs/open-source-tools/impacket), Impacket is now maintained by [Fortra's Core Security](https://www.coresecurity.com/).

## Key Features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Protocol Implementation" icon="network-wired">
    Low-level programmatic access to network packets with object-oriented APIs for deep protocol hierarchies
  </Card>

  <Card title="Packet Construction" icon="screwdriver-wrench">
    Build packets from scratch or parse them from raw data with intuitive class-based interfaces
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rich Protocol Support" icon="server">
    SMB1-3, MSRPC, Kerberos, LDAP, MSSQL, and many more protocols ready to use
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication Flexibility" icon="key">
    Support for password, hash, ticket, and key-based authentication across multiple protocols
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Supported Protocols

Impacket provides extensive protocol support across multiple network layers:

### Network & Transport Layer

* Ethernet, Linux "Cooked" capture
* IP, TCP, UDP, ICMP, IGMP, ARP
* IPv4 and IPv6 Support

### Application Layer

* **NMB and SMB**: High-level implementations for SMB1, SMB2, and SMB3
* **MSRPC v5**: Over TCP, SMB/TCP, SMB/NetBIOS, and HTTP transports
* **Authentication**: Plain, NTLM, and Kerberos (password/hashes/tickets/keys)
* **MSRPC Interfaces**: EPM, DTYPES, LSAD, LSAT, NRPC, RRP, SAMR, SRVS, WKST, SCMR, BKRP, DHCPM, EVEN6, MGMT, SASEC, TSCH, DCOM, WMI, OXABREF, NSPI, OXNSPI
* **Additional Protocols**: TDS (MSSQL) and LDAP implementations

## Version Information

<Note>
  **Current Release**: v0.13.0\
  **Development Version**: v0.14.0-dev (master branch)
</Note>

### Python Compatibility

Impacket supports Python 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, and 3.13.

## Use Cases

Impacket is designed to accelerate:

* **Security Research**: Explore and analyze network protocol implementations
* **Penetration Testing**: Build custom tools for security assessments
* **Protocol Analysis**: Deep inspection of network communications
* **Educational Projects**: Learn about network protocols through hands-on implementation

<Warning>
  This software is for research and educational purposes. It is not intended for production environments or commercial products. Always follow responsible disclosure practices and obtain proper authorization before testing.
</Warning>

## License

Impacket is provided under a slightly modified version of the Apache Software License. See the [LICENSE](https://github.com/fortra/impacket/blob/master/LICENSE) file for details.

SMBv1 and NetBIOS support is based on Pysmb by Michael Teo.

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/installation">
    Install Impacket and set up your development environment
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quick Start" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Get started with your first Impacket script
  </Card>
</CardGroup>