ExploitDB vs CrackMapExec: Which Cyber Investigation Platform tool is Best in 2025?

ExploitDB, or Exploit Database, is a premier open-source repository pre-installed in Kali Linux (version 20250522), designed for penetration testers and cybersecurity professionals. This exploit archive tool for ethical hacking hosts over 40,000 verified exploits and shellcodes, making it a leading vulnerability exploit database for security research. With a 189.18 MB footprint and the searchsploit tool, ExploitDB enables precise searches by CVE, platform, or keyword, empowering testers to identify and test vulnerabilities efficiently.

CrackMapExec (CME) is an open-source, versatile post-exploitation tool designed for automating security assessments of Windows and Active Directory (AD) environments. Pre-installed on Kali Linux, CME leverages built-in AD protocols to perform stealthy reconnaissance, credential testing, and privilege escalation. By integrating with libraries like Impacket and PowerSploit, it supports tasks such as enumerating users, spidering SMB shares, and executing Mimikatz for credential dumping. Now succeeded by NetExec, CME remains a critical tool for ethical hackers and red teamers.