Keklick in Plain English: A Step-by-Step Guide to Hunting Command-and-Control (C2) Networks

Quick takeaway: Keklick is a free, open-source toolkit that helps security teams discover, map, and report malicious infrastructure—without writing a single line of code.
In the next 3,000 words you will learn how to install it, run your first hunt, and turn raw data into a board-ready PDF report.

1. Why C2 Matters (Even if You’re Not a Security Guru)

Imagine malware as a quiet burglar in your house.
The burglar does not smash windows; instead, he opens a tiny, hidden door and slips out stolen items to an accomplice waiting on the sidewalk.
That accomplice is the command-and-control (C2) server.
C2 servers live on seemingly normal domains and IP addresses, but they are the brains of an attack campaign.
If you can find every domain or IP that talks to the burglar, you can slam the door shut before more data walks out.

Keklick automates the boring parts of this hunt—probing, correlating, and visualizing—so you can focus on the decision-making.

2. A One-Minute Feature Tour

3. Before You Begin: System Requirements

• Memory: 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended for large datasets)
• Disk: 4 GB free space (Docker image plus temporary scan data)
• OS: Any modern Linux, macOS, or Windows 10/11
• Either Docker & Docker Compose or Python 3.9+ and Go 1.21+ (your choice)

4. Installation Option A: Docker (Fastest Route)

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/0x6rss/keklick.git
   cd keklick
   

2. Build and run the container

   docker build -t keklick .
   docker run -p 5000:5000 keklick
   

3. Open http://localhost:5000 in your browser.
   You should see the clean Keklick dashboard.

Tip: If port 5000 is already in use, change the left side of -p 8080:5000.

5. Installation Option B: Manual (Full Control)

6. Optional: Add Your Own API Keys

Out of the box, Keklick works without keys, but enrichment is richer when you supply them.

1. Open app.py in any text editor.
2. Find the dictionary named API_KEYS.
3. Replace the placeholder strings with real keys:

API_KEYS = {
    "abuseipdb": "YOUR_ABUSEIPDB_KEY",
    "otx": "YOUR_ALIENVAULT_OTX_KEY"
}

4. Save and restart the container or Python process.
   No keys? No problem. The tool still performs core discovery.

7. Core Technologies Under the Hood

Keklick stitches these outputs together, removes duplicates, and hands the data to a graph renderer so you can see relationships at a glance.

8. Your First Hunt in Five Steps

1. Input: Type a domain or IP you already distrust (e.g., malicious.example).
2. Search Type: Leave it on Auto Detect unless you know exactly what you have.
3. Limit: Start with 50 results; raise later if needed.
4. Click Search and wait.
5. Explore: The left pane shows a network map similar to the image below.

Each circle is a domain or IP.
Lines indicate shared SSL certificates, common DNS records, or overlapping WHOIS data.
Hover or click any node to open a detail card.

9. Deep-Dive Tools in the Right-Click Menu

10. Exporting a Board-Ready PDF Report

1. Click the Report button in the top toolbar.
2. Wait 20–30 seconds.
3. Download the PDF.
   The file contains:

• A high-resolution snapshot of the network map
• A table of every node with key attributes
• Threat-intel summaries
• Timestamp of analysis

Attach it to an incident ticket or email it to stakeholders.

11. External Integrations (Quiet Helpers)

Keklick queries the following services automatically if you provide keys or if free quotas allow:

• AbuseIPDB – IP reputation
• AlienVault OTX – Pulse indicators
• VirusTotal – Multi-engine verdicts
• Shodan – Open ports and banners
• Censys – Certificates and host data
• FOFA – Chinese-space search engine
• URLScan.io – Page screenshots and behavior

12. Real-World Scenario: From One Alert to a Full Brief

Monday 09:15 – Your EDR shouts:
malware.exe contacted abc.evil.

09:17 – You open Keklick, paste abc.evil, hit Search.

09:18 – Map shows 15 domains and 6 IPs linked by shared SSL certificate.

09:20 – AbuseIPDB column reveals 3 IPs with 20+ user reports each.

09:22 – Click Report, download PDF, attach to incident ticket.

09:25 – Network team blocks the entire subnet before coffee gets cold.

13. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Does Keklick guarantee zero false positives?
A: No tool can. Keklick surfaces relationships; humans still interpret them.

Q2: Is it legal to scan unknown domains?
A: Only if you have explicit authorization. Always follow your company’s policy and local laws.

Q3: How large is the Docker image?
A: Roughly 1.2 GB on first build. Subsequent pulls are incremental.

Q4: Can I run Keklick on Windows natively?
A: Docker works on Windows 10/11. Manual installation requires WSL or a full Linux toolchain.

Q5: The browser freezes with huge datasets—what now?
A: Reduce the result limit or use the built-in filters (status code, first-seen date) to shrink the graph.

14. Glossary in Plain Language

15. Closing Thoughts: Tools Think Fast, Humans Think Deep

Keklick does the tedious work—probing ports, parsing certificates, drawing graphs—so you can spend your time on judgment, context, and communication.
Remember: the map is not the territory. Always corroborate findings, seek proper authorization, and keep your reports honest.

Happy hunting, and stay lawful.