install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install driftctl

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install driftctl

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/driftctl/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#driftctl

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/dr/driftctl/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Detect, track and alert on infrastructure drift

Project links

Homepage

Commands and aliases

driftctl

history

Project history and usage

driftctl is a Snyk-maintained infrastructure-drift scanner for Terraform-era IaC workflows. It measures how much cloud infrastructure is covered by code and reports unmanaged or drifted resources.

Project history

The public repository was created in September 2020 and the official docs describe the tool as a CLI for measuring infrastructure-as-code coverage and tracking drift. Its README now states that the project is in maintenance mode, which makes the package historically important as a snapshot of the early standalone drift-detection tooling wave.

Adoption history

driftctl was adopted by infrastructure and DevSecOps users because it filled a gap between Terraform state and actual cloud-provider state. The official installation docs list direct binaries, Docker, Homebrew, and MacPorts, while the README shows badges for release downloads and Docker pulls, reflecting distribution beyond source builds.

How it is used

Typical use centers on driftctl scan, with Terraform state supplied locally, from S3, from multiple state files, or by glob. The docs also show AWS credential usage through environment variables, named profiles, and Docker mounts for ~/.aws and ~/.driftctl.

Why package nerds care

For package nerds, driftctl is a neat example of a Go-style single-binary cloud CLI that shipped through releases, Docker, Homebrew, MacPorts, and distro package indexes. It also marks a moment when IaC drift moved from an enterprise-platform feature into a small installable tool.

Timeline

2020: Public snyk/driftctl repository created.
2020: Early v0.1.x tags appear in the public repository.
2023: v0.40.0 release published and documented as the stable Homebrew version.
2026: README identifies the project as being in maintenance mode.

Related projects

Terraform is the primary IaC system referenced by driftctl docs and examples.
Snyk is the maintaining organization for the repository and documentation.
The official Docker image snyk/driftctl is documented as an alternate installation and execution path.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: orange

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

text:infrastructure

Install behavior

No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`driftctl`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-08-03

manager version0.40.0

manager updated2026-07-28

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:driftctl
Version	0.40.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://github.com/snyk/driftctl
Repository	https://github.com/snyk/driftctl
Last updated	2026-07-28T14:10:42+02:00
Pulse	updated
Bottle	not recorded
Service	none declared

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

driftctl

nix profile install nixpkgs#driftctl

normalized package name match
Matched by: Driftctl

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/dr/driftctl/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

MacPorts95%

driftctl

sudo port install driftctl

normalized package name match
Matched by: Driftctl

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/driftctl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/driftctl.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install driftctl with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix