# Deadend CLI

> Deadend CLI is a self-hosted, open-source CLI for autonomous web app pentesting using feedback-driven AI with any LiteLLM model, achieving ~80% on XBOW.

- **Category:** Security
- **Licence:** AGPL-3.0
- **Latest version:** v0.1.15
- **Open source:** oss
- **Languages:** Python, Jinja
- **Platforms:** Linux, macOS
- **Tags:** CLI, Security, Agentic Ai, Cybersecurity, Vulnerability Scanning, AI, Penetration testing, Litellm, Pentesting, Autonomous, Offensive security, Cybersecurity Tools, Feedback Driven, Secure Coding

## Description

This command-line tool performs autonomous web application penetration testing through an AI agent that iteratively refines exploitation strategies based on observed feedback. It runs entirely on local infrastructure with no cloud dependencies, supports any language model accessible via LiteLLM (including local models through Ollama), and presents a React/Ink terminal interface offering both supervised and fully autonomous execution modes. The agent reaches about four-fifths success on the XBOW validation suite using Kimi K2.5 at approximately US$122 in API costs. Users install it via a shell script that fetches pre-built binaries for Linux x86_64 and macOS ARM64, with Docker as a required prerequisite. Model credentials and settings live in ~/.deadend/config.json while CLI preferences reside in ~/.deadend/settings.json.

## Links

- [Homepage](https://github.com/straylabs-ai/deadend-cli)
- [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/straylabs-ai/deadend-cli)
- [Discord Community](https://discord.gg/zwUVa3E7KT)
- [Architecture Deep Dive (Medium)](https://xoxruns.medium.com/feedback-driven-iteration-and-fully-local-webapp-pentesting-ai-agent-achieving-78-on-xbow-199ef719bf01)
- [Benchmark Results](https://github.com/xoxruns/deadend-cli/tree/main/benchmarks-results/xbow)
- [Report Issues](https://github.com/xoxruns/deadend-cli/issues)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/project/deadend-cli