minikerberos
Kerberos manipulation library in pure Python
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need a pure-Python Kerberos client for pentesting or security research. The library is permissively licensed, has low install friction, and no known vulnerabilities. However, the 289-day gap between last commit and latest release suggests maintenance is infrequent—verify that its PKINIT and delegation features meet your current threat model before relying on it for production security work.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python >= 3.6; depends on asn1crypto, oscrypto, asysocks, unicrypto, tqdm, and six.
- Low friction installation with six runtime dependencies; last commit 2025-10-29 but no release in 289 days suggests the project is in a maintenance holding pattern rather than actively developed.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
last release 2025-10-29 (289 days) · last repo commit 2025-10-29 · 304 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 112,401 downloads/mo, #12,371 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install minikerberos
from minikerberos.client import KerberosClient
client = KerberosClient(target='user@REALM')
# Use client for TGT/TGS requests or kerberoast operations- Whether the library's async API is production-ready or primarily for development/testing.
- Current compatibility with modern Windows certificate stores and PKINIT implementations.
- Whether the command-line tools (minikerberos-getTGT, minikerberos-kerberoast, etc.) are actively maintained for pentesting workflows.
What it is and what it does
Minikerberos is a pure-Python Kerberos client library designed for both programmatic use and pentesting. It implements the Kerberos protocol with support for multiple authentication methods—password-based, AES/RC4 keys, and PKINIT (certificate-based)—alongside both blocking and asynchronous client APIs. The library powers other security tools like pypykatz, aiosmb, and msldap, and ships with command-line utilities for common Kerberos operations.
For pentesters, it provides ready-to-use tools for TGT/TGS ticket fetching, kerberoast attacks, S4U2self/S4U2proxy delegation attacks, CCACHE file manipulation, and NT hash recovery. For developers, it offers a consistent API across sync and async contexts, making it suitable for integration into larger security frameworks or automation scripts.
Use it for
- Perform kerberoast attacks to extract service account hashes for offline cracking.
- Request TGT and TGS tickets programmatically using password or certificate credentials.
- Exploit Kerberos Resource-based Constrained Delegation (RBCD) with S4U2proxy.
- Recover NT hashes from PKINIT certificate-based authentication.
- Convert and edit CCACHE files for ticket manipulation in penetration tests.
- Integrate Kerberos authentication into Python security tools or automation frameworks.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need a pure-Python Kerberos client for pentesting or security research.
The library is permissively licensed, has low install friction, and no known vulnerabilities. However, the 289-day gap between last commit and latest release suggests maintenance is infrequent—verify that its PKINIT and delegation features meet your current threat model before relying on it for production security work.
Install
minikerberos on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction installation with six runtime dependencies; last commit 2025-10-29 but no release in 289 days suggests the project is in a maintenance holding pattern rather than actively developed.
Requires Python >= 3.6; depends on asn1crypto, oscrypto, asysocks, unicrypto, tqdm, and six.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install minikerberos
from minikerberos.client import KerberosClient
client = KerberosClient(target='user@REALM')
# Use client for TGT/TGS requests or kerberoast operationsVerify before relying
- Whether the library's async API is production-ready or primarily for development/testing.
- Current compatibility with modern Windows certificate stores and PKINIT implementations.
- Whether the command-line tools (minikerberos-getTGT, minikerberos-kerberoast, etc.) are actively maintained for pentesting workflows.
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.6 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 6 packagesasn1cryptooscryptoasysocksunicryptotqdmsix |
| Maintenance | Aging 289 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 112,401 / month, #12,371 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | License :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.6 |
Evidence: minikerberos-0.4.9-py3-none-any.whl
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Install only if maintaining existing code that already depends on it, and plan a migration.
See also requests-kerberos · requests-gssapi · asysocks · pykerberos · msldap · kerberos · gssapi · smbprotocol · winkerberos · winacl