macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libnetprovider-native install command
brew / rank 1938
Install libnet with Homebrew
C library for creating IP packets. Version 1.3 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
C library for creating IP packets
Project links
Commands and aliases
- libnet-config
history
Project history and usage
libnet is a C library for constructing and injecting network packets. It occupies the low-level packet-building side of the classic libpcap/libnet pairing: libpcap captures packets, while libnet gives test tools, scanners, and protocol experiments a portable API for emitting packets with controlled headers.
Project history
The project traces its 1.1 line to Mike D. Schiffman's Packetfactory-era work, with project materials crediting libnet 1.1 to 1998-2004. The maintained 1.1.3-and-later line was revived by Sam Roberts starting in 2009 after the older Packetfactory-hosted code had become unmaintained.
The 1.1 API was a significant break from 1.0.x code. The migration guide describes the change as a simplification from a five-step packet workflow to initialization, packet building, and packet writing, and the README warns that libnet 1.0.x code is incompatible with libnet 1.1.x and later.
Adoption history
libnet spread through security and networking tools because it hides byte ordering, buffer management, and link/IP layer packet assembly details while still allowing deliberate packet shaping. The official README names packaged tools such as arping, ettercap, nemesis, packit, tcptraceroute, and yersinia as libnet users.
How it is used
Developers include libnet through libnet.h and link with -lnet. The project retained libnet-config for compatibility but moved new integration guidance toward pkg-config, with libnet.pc replacing the older helper in modern builds.
Why package nerds care
For package maintainers, libnet is notable because it is tiny in concept but sits on privileged and platform-specific network interfaces. Its ABI break between 1.0.x and 1.1.x, the revival from an abandoned upstream, and the long-lived libnet-config compatibility shim are exactly the sort of details that explain why distributions keep careful split packages and rebuild notes for it.
Timeline
- 1998-2004: libnet 1.1 materials credit Mike D. Schiffman for the Packetfactory-era implementation.
- 2009: Sam Roberts began maintaining the 1.1.3-and-later line after the older upstream had gone quiet.
- 2012: libnet 1.1.6 appeared in the SourceForge-hosted release area.
- 2023: GitHub listed libnet v1.3 as a release dated October 2, 2023.
Related projects
- libpcap is the natural companion library for capture-side workflows.
- Packet-generation and network-security tools named by the project include arping, ettercap, nemesis, packit, tcptraceroute, and yersinia.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
library-like package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- library-like package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:library-like
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
libnet-config | 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 version1.3
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libnet |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://codedocs.xyz/libnet/libnet/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/libnet/libnet |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
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.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation