dirb is a classic, fast, and lightweight web content scanner used in Linux (including Kali Linux) to brute-force and discover hidden directories and files on web servers. It’s commonly used during the reconnaissance and enumeration phase of penetration testing or bug bounty hunting.

⚠️ Note: dirb is no longer actively maintained (last update ~2015), and modern alternatives like gobuster, ffuf, or dirsearch are preferred for performance and features. However, dirb is still useful for learning and simple tasks.

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🔍 What Does dirb Do?

• Sends HTTP requests to a target website using a wordlist of common directory/file names.
• Identifies valid paths based on HTTP response codes (e.g., 200 OK, 301 Redirect, 403 Forbidden).
• Helps uncover:
  • Admin panels (/admin, /wp-admin)
  • Backup files (/backup.zip, /config.bak)
  • Hidden APIs (/api/v1/)
  • Sensitive directories (/logs, /uploads)

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Basic Usage

1. Install dirb (if not present)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install dirb -y

2. Basic Scan

dirb http://target.com

→ Uses default wordlist (/usr/share/dirb/wordlists/common.txt).

3. Custom Wordlist

dirb http://target.com /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/big.txt

4. Scan with File Extensions

dirb http://target.com -X .php,.html,.txt

→ Appends extensions to each word (e.g., login.php, config.html).

5. Save Output to File

dirb http://target.com -o scan_results.txt

6. Use Proxy or Custom Headers

dirb http://target.com -p http://127.0.0.1:8080        # via proxy
dirb http://target.com -H "User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0"   # custom header

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📁 Common Wordlists in Kali

Path	Description
/usr/share/dirb/wordlists/common.txt	Default (900+ entries)
/usr/share/dirb/wordlists/vulns/	Lists for specific vulns (e.g., Apache, IIS)
/usr/share/wordlists/dirb/	Additional lists (small.txt, big.txt, etc.)

💡 Tip: Combine with seclists for better coverage:

sudo apt install seclists
dirb http://target.com /usr/share/seclists/Discovery/Web-Content/common.txt

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Example: Find Admin Panel

dirb http://192.168.1.100 -X .php,.html

Output might reveal:

==> DIRECTORY: http://192.168.1.100/admin/
+ http://192.168.1.100/login.php (CODE:200)

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⚠️ Limitations of dirb

Issue	Explanation
No multithreading	Slower than gobuster or ffuf
No recursive scanning by default	Must enable with -r (but still limited)
No modern features	No rate limiting, JSON output, or advanced filtering
Fails on dynamic sites	Struggles with JavaScript-rendered content

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🔁 Modern Alternatives (Recommended)

Tool	Advantage
gobuster	Fast, multi-threaded, supports DNS/vhost scanning
ffuf	Extremely flexible, great for fuzzing and API testing
dirsearch	Python-based, recursive, handles redirects well

Example with gobuster (faster):

gobuster dir -u http://target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt

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Ethical Reminder

Only scan systems you own or have explicit permission to test. Unauthorized directory brute-forcing may violate laws or terms of service.

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Summary

• dirb = Simple, educational tool for basic web directory brute-forcing.
• Use it for: CTFs, labs, or quick checks.
• Avoid it for: Large-scale, professional engagements—opt for ffuf or gobuster instead.