Nikto vs OWASP ZAP vs MSFPC: Which Malware Analysis tool is Best in 2025?

Nikto is an open-source web server and CGI scanner written in Perl, included in Kali Linux, designed for identifying vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in web applications. Pre-installed on Kali, it performs fast, automated scans to detect outdated software, missing security headers, dangerous files, and potential exploits like XSS or SQL injection. Using LibWhisker for HTTP requests, Nikto supports SSL, proxies, cookies, and evasion techniques, with a pluggable database of over 6,700 checks. It outputs reports in HTML, CSV, JSON, or XML, making it ideal for penetration testers, security analysts, and DevOps teams.

OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy), developed by OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project), is a versatile, open-source web application security scanner pre-installed on Kali Linux. It is designed for penetration testers, developers, and security enthusiasts to identify vulnerabilities in web applications. Acting as a man-in-the-middle proxy, ZAP intercepts and modifies HTTP/HTTPS traffic, enabling active and passive scanning, fuzzing, and API testing. Its user-friendly GUI, automation framework, and heads-up display (HUD) make it accessible for beginners and powerful for experts. With features like spidering, brute-forcing, and marketplace add-ons, ZAP is ideal for detecting issues like SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF, ensuring robust web security.

MSFvenom Payload Creator (MSFPC) is an open-source, user-friendly wrapper script for generating Metasploit payloads, pre-installed on Kali Linux at /usr/bin/msfpc. Designed by g0tmi1k, it automates the creation of Meterpreter and command-shell payloads for multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, Android, and macOS. By simplifying complex msfvenom commands, MSFPC enables penetration testers, ethical hackers, and red teamers to craft customized payloads with minimal input. Supporting options like staged/stageless payloads, bind/reverse connections, and HTTP/HTTPS protocols, it streamlines payload generation for security testing.