Metasploit
Penetration testing tools
DevSecOps software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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- Information technology and software
- Construction
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
What is Metasploit
Metasploit is a penetration testing framework used to develop, validate, and execute exploits and post-exploitation workflows against target systems. Security teams and penetration testers use it to assess vulnerabilities, verify remediation, and support red-team style testing in controlled environments. It combines a large module ecosystem with tooling for payload generation, sessions, and automation via console and APIs, and it is available in open-source and commercial editions maintained by Rapid7.
Extensive exploit module ecosystem
Metasploit includes a large library of exploit, auxiliary, and post-exploitation modules that supports common enterprise technologies. This breadth helps testers quickly validate whether known vulnerabilities are practically exploitable rather than relying only on scanner findings. The module structure also enables repeatable testing workflows across engagements.
Strong automation and scripting
Metasploit supports automation through msfconsole scripting, resource scripts, and integration patterns that can be used in repeatable test pipelines. Teams can standardize exploitation steps, evidence collection, and reporting inputs across environments. This can be useful when integrating security testing activities into broader engineering or DevSecOps processes, even though it is not a full DevSecOps platform by itself.
Flexible deployment and editions
Metasploit is available as an open-source framework and as commercial offerings from Rapid7, which can fit different maturity levels and budgets. The open-source option enables local, offline use in restricted environments and supports customization. Commercial editions can add management features and integrations that some organizations require for operational use.
Requires skilled operator oversight
Effective use depends on practitioner expertise in scoping, safe exploitation, and interpreting results. Misuse can cause service disruption, data exposure, or invalid conclusions, particularly in production-like environments. Organizations often need governance and training to use it responsibly and consistently.
Not a full DevSecOps suite
Metasploit focuses on offensive security testing and does not replace CI/CD-native application security testing, policy enforcement, or developer remediation workflows. It typically needs complementary tools for code scanning, dependency analysis, and continuous monitoring. As a result, it may not satisfy end-to-end DevSecOps requirements on its own.
Module coverage and freshness vary
Not every vulnerability has a reliable module, and some modules can be outdated, unstable, or environment-specific. Exploit success often depends on precise target configuration, mitigations, and network conditions. Teams may need to validate modules carefully and develop custom modules for niche targets.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit Framework (Open Source) | Free | Community-maintained open-source framework; downloadable from the official site; used for exploit development, verification, and manual penetration testing. |
| Metasploit Pro (Commercial) | Contact sales / Custom pricing | Commercial edition with Pro-only features (Discovery Scan, auto-exploitation, bruteforce, reporting). Licenses are purchased via Rapid7 / contact sales; a time-limited free trial (14 days) is available per official docs. |
Seller details
Rapid7, Inc.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
2000
Public
https://www.rapid7.com/
https://x.com/Rapid7
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rapid7/
