Dnstwist

github.com/elceef/dnstwist Website & URL Scanners Open-source projectOpen source

DNSTwist detects lookalike domains used in homograph phishing, typosquatting, and brand impersonation.

github.com/elceef/dnstwist
Dnstwist homepage screenshot

About Dnstwist

DNSTwist is an open-source domain permutation engine built to detect homograph phishing, typosquatting, and brand impersonation. It generates large sets of potential lookalike domains from a user-provided domain name, then verifies which of those permutations are registered and active. The tool also includes features for identifying live phishing pages via HTML and screenshot similarity, detecting rogue MX hosts that could intercept misdirected emails, and approximating the geographic location of associated IPv4 addresses. For longer input domains, thousands of permutations may be generated, requiring users to filter for registered domains or configure a DNS server capable of handling high volumes of requests; GeoIP functionality requires a GeoLite2 database to be specified via the $GEOLITE2_MMDB environment variable, or it will fall back to the legacy GeoIP library.

Key features

  • Generates domain permutations to detect typosquatting and homograph domains
  • Supports Unicode (IDN) domain name processing
  • Accepts custom dictionary files for additional domain permutations
  • Multithreaded task distribution for efficient processing
  • Detects live phishing pages via HTML and screenshot similarity
  • Identifies rogue MX hosts to flag misdirected email interception
Best for: Security teams and domain owners seeking to identify lookalike domains used for phishing, typosquatting, and brand impersonation attacks.
Good for
  • Open-source with publicly accessible code repository
  • Uses a variety of domain fuzzing algorithms for broad coverage
  • Supports multiple installation methods including pip, Docker, and system packages
Watch out for
  • Generates thousands of permutations for longer input domains, requiring filtering
  • Requires a DNS server capable of handling high request volumes or manual nameserver configuration
  • GeoIP functionality requires a separate GeoLite2 database to be specified, or falls back to legacy software

Dnstwist at a glance

Type
Open-source project
Pricing
Not confirmed. Check the site
Open source
Yes · Source code
Language
English
Last checked
Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
Listed
Oct 5, 2026

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DNSTwist scans for lookalike domains that could be used in phishing attacks.

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Dnstwist FAQ

How do I filter results to only show registered domain permutations?
Use the --registered flag when running the dnstwist command.
Can I use custom dictionary files to generate additional domain permutations?
Yes, supply a dictionary file via the --dictionary argument.
What output formats are available for dnstwist results?
Results can be exported to CSV, JSON, or plain list formats.
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