Cyx
Command-first cybersecurity companion for penetration testers and security researchers
Cyx is an LLM-powered terminal tool that delivers instant, executable security commands. Supports Perplexity (web search) and Groq (fast inference).
Features
- Command-first output - executable commands before explanations
- Learn mode - detailed educational breakdowns with sources
- Source attribution - tracks provider, model, and web search status
Quick Start
# Clone and build
# Setup (first time - interactive wizard)
# Use
Installation
Prerequisites
- Rust 1.70 or higher
- API key from Perplexity or Groq
Build from Source
# Optional: install to PATH
Initial Configuration
Run the interactive setup wizard:
This creates ~/.config/cyx/config.toml with your API key (stored with 600 permissions).
Usage
One-Shot Queries
# Quick command lookup
# Learn mode with detailed explanations
CLI Options
-l, --learn Educational mode with detailed breakdowns
-q, --quiet Minimal output (response only, no formatting)
-v, --verbose Detailed progress information
--no-tty Disable TTY features for scripting
Configuration
Config file: ~/.config/cyx/config.toml
Output Examples
Normal Mode
╭─── RESPONSE ──────────────────────────────────────────────
│ ```bash
│ nmap -sS <target>
│ ```
│ TCP SYN stealth scan - doesn't complete handshake. Requires root.
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[*] SOURCES
───────────────────────────────────────
Provider: Perplexity (sonar-pro)
Search: Yes (performed web search)
Links:
- nmap documentation: https://nmap.org/book/synscan.html
- TCP protocol (RFC 793): https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc793.txt
Learn Mode
Detailed breakdowns with flag explanations, how it works, advantages/disadvantages, alternatives, and cited sources.
Quiet Mode
Technical Details
Security
- API keys stored with 600 permissions in
~/.config/cyx/config.toml - Read-only operation - provides commands but never executes them
- Timeout protection - all API calls timeout after 120 seconds
- Local-first - all sensitive data remains on your machine
System Prompts
Normal mode: Command-first responses with minimal explanation, assumes authorized testing context, prioritizes executable commands over theory.
Learn mode: Educational responses with detailed flag breakdowns, protocol explanations, cited sources, advantages/disadvantages, and alternatives.
Disclaimer
For authorized security testing, educational purposes, and defensive research only.
This tool is designed for:
- Professional penetration testers with written authorization
- Security students in controlled lab environments
- Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions
- Defensive security and threat analysis
Always obtain explicit permission before testing systems you don't own.
License
MIT License - See LICENSE for details.