PowerCat is a compact PowerShell implementation of netcat-style networking utilities that makes it easy to create TCP/UDP clients and listeners, forward ports, and move data between sockets and files. It provides both interactive shells and single-command execution modes so operators can create bind shells, reverse shells, or simple file upload/download endpoints using only PowerShell. The tool supports encrypted connections (SSL/TLS) and can act as a basic SOCKS proxy or relay, enabling flexible pivot and tunneling workflows. PowerCat is implemented as a single, portable PowerShell script that favors minimal dependencies and is convenient to drop into a target or use from an admin workstation. Because it reimplements low-level socket behavior in managed code it is especially useful in Windows environments where native tools like netcat are unavailable or restricted.
Features
- TCP and UDP client/listener modes for raw socket communication
- Reverse and bind shell creation with interactive session support
- File upload and download primitives for exfiltration or staging
- SSL/TLS wrapper for encrypted channels to protect traffic in transit
- Port forwarding and simple SOCKS proxy capabilities for pivoting
- Single-file PowerShell implementation that runs without external binaries