Software Used in Mr. Robot

Software used by the hackers in the Emmy and Golden Globe award winning drama/thriller series Mr. Robot. THIS LIST CONTAINS SPOILERS UP TO AND INCLUDING SEASON 3, EPISODE 10!

Tim_B
Tim_BList by Tim_B, last updated 
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  1. Kali Linux is a Linux distro made for security researchers for penetration testing, but is also used by hackers since it is jam packed with hacking tools. It is regularly featured in Mr. Robot since it is the hackers' operating system of choice.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Kali Linux screenshot 1
    Kali Linux screenshot 1
    Kali Linux screenshot 2
    +8
    Kali Linux screenshot 3
  2. AWS Wickr icon
     Like

    Wickr is an end-to-end encrypted chat app with features such as adjustable expiration time for messages. It is used by fsociety in season 2 for secure communication.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    AWS Wickr screenshot 1
    AWS Wickr screenshot 2
    AWS Wickr screenshot 3
  3. Tor Browser is widely considered to be the best anonymizing tool out there. It will make your Internet activity very hard to trace, which fsociety takes advantage of when Trenton in season 2, episode 8 uploads a leaked FBI conference call about illegal mass surveillance to Vimeo icon Vimeo using Tor Browser.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Tor
    • OpenBSD
    • Flathub
    Tor Browser screenshot 1
    Tor Browser 10.0.3 is now based on the new version of Firefox for Android.
    Tor browser for android alpha
  4. Raspberry Pi is a small, programmable computer board designed to teach children about computer science. It is also favourite among hobbyists and programmers due to its low-cost, versatility and simplicity. In season 1, episode 5 Elliot installs a Raspberry Pi into Steel Mountain's climate control system so that fsociety at a later point in time can remotely raise the temperature in the storage room where Evil Corp's tape backups are stored, resulting in the backups of the records of a significant portion of the US' consumer debt being destroyed.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Raspberry Pi screenshot 1
    Raspberry Pi screenshot 1
  5. FileZilla icon
     Like

    FileZilla is the world's most popular FTP client and one of the most powerful and user friendly ones. In season 1, episode 4 Trenton uses FileZilla to upload an exploit to fsociety's FTP server for the Raspberry Pi icon Raspberry Pi Elliot will install in Steel Mountain's climate control system to destroy the records of a significant portion of the US' consumer debt.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • ReactOS
    • Haiku
    FileZilla screenshot 1
    FileZilla screenshot 1
  6. Pwnix icon
     Like

    Pwnix is an Android ROM built for penetration testers for network hacking and security. Elliot uses a Pwnie Express Pwn Phone - which has Pwnix pre-installed - in season 2, episode 9 so that he and Darlene can tap into the Dark Army's phone calls.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    Pwnix screenshot 1
  7. DeepSound icon
     Like

    DeepSound is used by Elliot in season 1, episode 8 to hide files on a CD among regular music tracks so that the hidden files are only viewable using the DeepSound software. This is a technique known as steganography.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    DeepSound screenshot 1
    DeepSound screenshot 1
    Hide data into carrier audio file. Screenshot 1
    +6
    Hide data into carrier audio file. Screenshot 2
  8. ProtonMail is a secure, end-to-end encrypted e-mail service based in Switzerland that is used by Elliot in season 1, episode 8. The team behind Mr. Robot researched secure e-mail services to the extent that they actually contacted the ProtonMail developers and asked if it was possible for users to monitor their own e-mail activity in ProtonMail. The ProtonMail developers liked the idea of account access logs so much that they ended up implementing it in their v2.0 release of ProtonMail. Read more: https://protonmail.com/blog/protonmail-mr-robot-secure-email/

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Tor
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Proton Mail screenshot 1
    Proton Mail screenshot 1
    Proton Mail screenshot 2
    +9
    Proton Mail screenshot 3
  9. HDShredder 4 Enterprise Edition is used in season 1, episode 10 to securely wipe all of fsociety's hard drives after the Evil Corp hack before they incinerate the hard drives in the crematory of a dog pound.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    HDShredder screenshot 1
    HDShredder screenshot 1
    HDShredder screenshot 2
    +1
    HDShredder screenshot 3
  10. John the Ripper is a password cracker included in Kali Linux icon Kali Linux that detects weak Unix passwords and attempts to crack them by making thousands of guesses per seconds. This is known as a brute-force attack and is used by Elliot against Evil Corp’s interim chief technology officer, Tyrell Wellick in season 1, episode 2.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Haiku
    John the Ripper screenshot 1
    John the Ripper screenshot 1
  11. Wget icon
     Like

    Wget is a command line tool that makes HTTP(S) requests. It is used in Mr. Robot to hack an Android phone using the Shellshock bug in combination with John the Ripper icon John the Ripper

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Wget screenshot 1
  12. The Social-Engineer Toolkit is a pentesting framework focusing on social engineering attacks like phishing, among others. Social engineering is tricking the victim to give the attacker sensitive information. In season 1, episode 5 Elliot uses Social-Engineer Toolkit's SMS spoofing function to get a supervisor to leave Steel Mountain so that he can move around in the facility on his own.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Python
    Social-Engineer Toolkit screenshot 1
  13. mimikatz icon
     Like

    mimikatz is a post-exploitation tool that bundles together some useful tasks that hackers may want to preform. It is given to Angela in season 2, episode 6 on a USB Rubber Ducky as a backup plan in case she can't pull off the femtocell hack.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • C (programming language)
    mimikatz screenshot 1
  14.  Like

    btscanner is a tool that is included in Kali Linux icon Kali Linux that extracts as much information as possible about Bluetooth devices without having to pair. In season 1, episode 6 Elliot uses btscanner in combination with Bluesniff and Metasploit icon Metasploit when he connects to the computer in a nearby police car using a MultiBlue Bluetooth USB Dongle to compromise a prison's network in order to break a drug dealer called Vera out of prison.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    btscanner screenshot 1
  15.  Like

    Bluesniff is a Bluetooth device discovery tool. In season 1, episode 6 Elliot uses Bluesniff in combination with btscanner and Metasploit icon Metasploit when he connects to the computer in a nearby police car via a MultiBlue Bluetooth USB Dongle to compromise a prison's network in order to break a drug dealer called Vera out of prison.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Bluesniff screenshot 1
  16. KVM is a hypervisor, which is a software that can run other operating systems via virtual machines. Elliot uses KVM to virtualize Windows 7 inside of Kali Linux icon Kali Linux. In season 1, episode 6 Elliot uses KVM to run Metasploit icon Metasploit and Metapreter and in season 1, episode 8 he uses KVM to run DeepSound icon DeepSound.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Android
    KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) screenshot 1
  17. Metasploit Framework is a software included in Kali Linux icon Kali Linux that makes it easier to discover vulnerabilities in networks for penetration testers. Meterpreter is one of several hundreds of payloads that can be run in the Metasploit Framework and it is used in season 1, episode 6. In season 1, episode 6 Elliot uses Metasploit Framwork and Metapreter in combination with btscanner and Bluesniff when he connects to the computer in a nearby police car via a MultiBlue Bluetooth USB Dongle to compromise a prison's network in order to break a drug dealer called Vera out of prison.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Metasploit screenshot 1
  18. Framaroot icon
     Like

    Framaroot - called RooterFrame in the show - is used by Tyrell Wellick in season 1, episode 3 to root a co-worker's Android phone so that he can covertly install the FlexiSPY icon FlexiSPY spyware on the phone in order to get access to secret information about who is going to be the next chief technology officer of Evil Corp.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Framaroot screenshot 1
  19. KingoRoot icon
     Like

    Kingo Root is used by Tyrell Wellick in season 1, episode 3 to root a co-worker's Android phone so that he can covertly install the FlexiSPY icon FlexiSPY spyware on the phone in order to get access to secret information about who is going to be the next chief technology officer of Evil Corp.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    KingoRoot screenshot 1
    KingoRoot screenshot 1
    KingoRoot screenshot 2
  20. FlexiSPY icon
     Like

    FlexiSPY is a spyware software for Android, iOS and BlackBerry that lets the user monitor all activities on the victims phone. In season 1, episode 3 Tyrell Wellick covertly installs it on a co-worker's Android phone in order to get access to secret information about who is going to be the next chief technology officer of Evil Corp.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Blackberry
    • iPad
    FlexiSPY screenshot 1
    FlexiSPY screenshot 1
    FlexiSPY screenshot 2
    +4
    FlexiSPY screenshot 3
  21. SuperSU icon
     Like

    SuperSU is an app that managed superuser privileges on rooted Android phones. In season 1, episode 3 Tyrell Wellick covertly installs FlexiSPY icon FlexiSPY - which uses SuperSU to give itself superuser access - on a co-worker's Android phone in order to get access to secret information about who is going to be the next chief technology officer of Evil Corp.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    SuperSU screenshot 1
    SuperSU screenshot 2
    SuperSU screenshot 3
  22.  Like

    can-utils contains utilities related to car computers. One of those utilities is called candump and it is used in Mr. Robot to hack into a car's computer.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
  23. radare icon
     Like

    radare2 is a reverse engineering framework that Tyrell Wellick uses in season 2, episode 12.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
  24. PyCharm icon
     Like

    PyCharm is a Python icon Python and Django icon Django IDE (Integrated Developer Environment), which is a type of code editor software. It is used by Trenton in season 1, episode 4.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    PyCharm screenshot 1
    PyCharm screenshot 1
  25. Tor icon
     Like

    Tor is widely considered to be the best anonymizing tool out there. It will make your Internet activity very hard to trace and this edition - unlike Tor Browser icon Tor Browser - can be used to host Hidden Services, which are sites that are only accessible through Tor and that have their physical server location concealed by the Tor anonymity network. Ray runs a Silk Road inspired Tor Hidden Service, which he wants Elliot to do a site migration for in season 2, episode 5.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Tor screenshot 1
    Tor screenshot 1
  26. PuTTY icon
     Like

    PuTTY is a client used to connect to Linux servers. Elliot uses PuTTY in season 2, episode 4 and 5 to connect to a VPS (virtual private server) running Kali Linux icon Kali Linux, so that he can use an IRC client installed on the VPS to chat with Darlene while on Ray's computer. He also uses PuTTY in season 2, episode 5 to do a site migration on Ray's Silk Road inspired Tor icon Tor Hidden Service.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • ReactOS
    • Flathub
    PuTTY screenshot 1
    Tunnels interface
    PuTTY screenshot 2
  27. Elliot uses Firefox as his default web browser. Trenton uses Firefox in season 2, episode 8.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Gecko
    Firefox Desktop (Light Theme)
    Firefox Desktop (Dark Theme)
    Firefox iOS (Light Theme)
    +7
    Firefox iOS (Dark Theme)
  28. FFmpeg icon
     Like

    In season 2, episode 8 Trenton uses FFmpeg to encode a video containing a leaked FBI conference call about illegal mass surveillance to Vimeo icon Vimeo using Tor Browser icon Tor Browser.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    FFmpeg screenshot 1
    FFmpeg screenshot 1
    FFmpeg screenshot 2
    +1
    FFmpeg screenshot 3
  29. Slackware icon
     Like

    Slackware is a Linux distribution created in 1993 that aims for design stability and simplicity and to be the most "Unix-like" Linux distribution. Originally based on Softlanding Linux System, Slackware has been the basis for many other Linux distributions, most notably the first versions of SUSE Linux distributions, and is the oldest distribution that is still maintained. In season 3, episode 10, when Elliot makes a deal with the Dark Army to save Darlene's life, Leon gives him a laptop with Slackware installed on it to move Dark Army's projects to the Congo.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Slackware screenshot 1
    Slackware screenshot 1
  30. VLC Media Player was used in season 2, episode 4 when Elliot and Darlene watched a VHS rip of the fake horror movie Careful Massacre of the Bourgeoisie together. VLC is also used in season 2, episode 8 when fsociety preview the video they are about to upload a leaked FBI conference call about illegal mass surveillance.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • AppImageHub
    • Apple Watch
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Apple TV
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Kindle Fire
    • Haiku
    • Android TV
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    VLC Media Player screenshot 1
    VLC Media Player screenshot 1
    VLC Media Player screenshot 2
    +4
    VLC Media Player screenshot 3
  31. The Waybach Machine, which is operated by Internet Archive icon Internet Archive, is a database that contains copies of more than 490 billion web pages. In season 2, episode 8 FBI agent Dominique DiPierro reveals to Mobley that the FBI used the Wayback Machine in order to connect his hacker handle with an old fanpage he created for a DJ called DJ Mobley on the website host Angelfire.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Wayback Machine screenshot 1
    Wayback Machine screenshot 1
    Wayback Machine screenshot 2
    +3
    Wayback Machine screenshot 3
  32. µTorrent icon
     Like

    In season 2, episode 4 Darlene was downloading a VHS rip of the fake horror movie Careful Massacre of the Bourgeoisie using µTorrent.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • PortableApps.com
    • Wine
    ,

Comments

RemovedUser
5

You missed one of the most important once called Nmap! And more basic once like /usr/bin/ utilties ^_^ Of the GUI based sofware was just for the show to look cool. This is not how real hackers really hack LOL Everything is command based for fast scripting and automation for minimal interaction or more advanced research.

Review by a new / low-activity user.
Jimmy Briggs
0

This is awesome. I loved that show. Can you teach me how to hack the world with a python script too?

PS: Any Idea what the site he used to pass a string into ~6-8 separate decryption algorithms simultaneously to try and find a sensible decrypted password/string?

iwanttoliveinyourhouse
24

don't forget the Elastic Stack. Elliot used Kibana to visualize the logging data when he worked at evil corp.

2 replies
Not Important

Can you help me remember the actual tools, or rather sites that flashed on the show, like wickr, protonmail..... I'm interested in the name of the site where he got the information about the person or location, I don't remember exactly, but I remember that this service is only relevant to the US, but if you know other sources, please tell me, I searched all google, but this information was from the time when the show came out

Not Important

P.s I also remember that I think this site was in the first season, but that's not certain.

RemovedUser
26

You missed Linux Mint, used in S03 E03.

3 replies
crebspark

yeah, i think he was using virtualbox to run kali inside mint. is that right?

RemovedUser

Can't really remember. Sorry

Not Important

Hey, maybe you can help? I think the user I was asking about no longer exists.

Review by a new / low-activity user.
Gu