Subfinder

subfinder Agent Skill

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Performing passive subdomain enumeration during external recon (no direct target interaction)
• Configuring Subfinder API keys for maximum source coverage across providers
• Building automated recon pipelines: subfinder → httpx → nuclei
• Enumerating subdomains at scale across multiple domains from a list
• Integrating Subfinder with ProjectDiscovery's broader tool ecosystem (uncover, katana, nuclei)
• Comparing passive enumeration results with active brute-forcing (Gobuster dns mode, amass)

What Subfinder Does

Subfinder queries passive DNS intelligence sources — certificate transparency logs, search engines, threat intel platforms, DNS archives — without sending a single packet to the target. It aggregates results from 40+ data sources simultaneously, deduplicates, and streams to stdout or a file. Because it is entirely passive, it leaves no trace on the target infrastructure and is safe to run without authorization concerns on the enumeration phase itself. It requires Go 1.24+ and is part of the ProjectDiscovery open-source toolkit.

Installation

Go Install (recommended — always latest)

go install -v github.com/projectdiscovery/subfinder/v2/cmd/subfinder@latest
# Binary lands in $GOPATH/bin/subfinder
export PATH=$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin
subfinder -version

Pre-built Releases

# Download from https://github.com/projectdiscovery/subfinder/releases
wget https://github.com/projectdiscovery/subfinder/releases/latest/download/subfinder_linux_amd64.zip
unzip subfinder_linux_amd64.zip
sudo mv subfinder /usr/local/bin/
subfinder -version

Docker

docker pull projectdiscovery/subfinder:latest
docker run --rm projectdiscovery/subfinder:latest -d example.com -silent

# With provider config mounted
docker run --rm \
  -v $HOME/.config/subfinder:/root/.config/subfinder \
  projectdiscovery/subfinder:latest \
  -d example.com -silent

Apt / Homebrew

# Kali / via pdtm (ProjectDiscovery Tool Manager)
go install -v github.com/projectdiscovery/pdtm/cmd/pdtm@latest
pdtm -install subfinder

# macOS Homebrew
brew install subfinder

Provider Configuration

Subfinder's value multiplies dramatically with API keys. Without keys, only ~15 sources work. With a full config, 40+ sources are active.

Config File Location

Linux/macOS: ~/.config/subfinder/provider-config.yaml
Windows:     %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\subfinder\provider-config.yaml

Initialize Config

# Run once to create default config files
subfinder -d example.com
# Creates ~/.config/subfinder/config.yaml and provider-config.yaml

provider-config.yaml — Full Structure

binaryedge:
  - your-binaryedge-api-key
bufferover:
  - your-bufferover-api-key
c99:
  - your-c99-api-key
censys:
  - your-censys-api-id:your-censys-api-secret   # format: ID:SECRET
certspotter:
  - your-certspotter-api-key
chaos:
  - your-chaos-api-key                           # ProjectDiscovery Chaos
chinaz:
  - your-chinaz-api-key
dnsdb:
  - your-dnsdb-api-key
fofa:
  - your-fofa-email:your-fofa-api-key            # format: EMAIL:KEY
fullhunt:
  - your-fullhunt-api-key
github:
  - your-github-personal-access-token            # free, just needs public scope
gitlab:
  - your-gitlab-personal-access-token
hunter:
  - your-hunter-api-key
intelx:
  - your-intelx-api-key
leakix:
  - your-leakix-api-key
netlas:
  - your-netlas-api-key
passivetotal:
  - your-passivetotal-api-key                    # RiskIQ — username:key format
quake:
  - your-quake-api-key
robtex:
  - your-robtex-api-key
securitytrails:
  - your-securitytrails-api-key                  # free tier available
shodan:
  - your-shodan-api-key                          # free tier available
shodan:
  - SHODAN_KEY
spyse:
  - your-spyse-api-key
urlscan:
  - your-urlscan-api-key                         # free tier available
virustotal:
  - your-virustotal-api-key                      # free tier available (500 req/day)
whoisxmlapi:
  - your-whoisxmlapi-key
zoomeye:
  - your-zoomeye-api-key                         # format: USERNAME:PASSWORD
zoomeyeapi:
  - your-zoomeye-api-key

Priority API Keys to Get First (free tiers available)

Provider	Source Value	Free Tier	Get Key
GitHub	Excellent (code search)	Yes	github.com/settings/tokens
VirusTotal	High (passive DNS)	500/day	virustotal.com
SecurityTrails	High (DNS history)	50/month	securitytrails.com
Shodan	High (internet scanner)	Yes (limited)	account.shodan.io
Censys	High (internet scanner)	Yes	search.censys.io/account
Chaos	Very high (PD dataset)	Invite	chaos.projectdiscovery.io
URLScan	Medium	Yes	urlscan.io/user/settings

# Verify your config works — list active sources
subfinder -ls

# Verify against a known domain
subfinder -d hackerone.com -v

Complete Flag Reference

Input Flags

-d, -domain string[]    Single domain or comma-separated domains
-dL, -list string       File containing domains (one per line)

Source Selection Flags

-s, -sources string[]         Specific sources to use (-s crtsh,github,virustotal)
-recursive                    Use only sources supporting recursive subdomain lookup
-all                          Use ALL available sources (slow, max coverage)
-es, -exclude-sources string[]  Sources to exclude (-es alienvault,threatcrowd)
-ls, -list-sources            List all available sources and exit

Output Flags

-o, -output string      Write output to file (one subdomain per line)
-oJ, -json              Write JSON lines output (JSONL format)
-oD, -output-dir string Directory for output when using -dL (one file per domain)
-cs, -collect-sources   Include source names in output (requires -oJ)
-oI, -ip                Include resolved IP addresses (-active only)

Filter Flags

-m, -match string[]     Match subdomains containing this string/pattern
-f, -filter string[]    Filter OUT subdomains containing this string/pattern

Rate Limiting Flags

-rl, -rate-limit int    Max HTTP requests per second (global)
-rls value              Per-provider rate limits: "hackertarget=10/s,shodan=15/s"
-t int                  Goroutines for resolving (default 10, -active only)

Configuration Flags

-config string          Config file path (default: ~/.config/subfinder/config.yaml)
-pc, -provider-config   Provider config file (default: ~/.config/subfinder/provider-config.yaml)
-r string[]             Custom resolvers (comma-separated IPs)
-rL, -rlist string      File containing resolver IPs
-nW, -active            Show only active (resolving) subdomains
-proxy string           HTTP proxy (http://127.0.0.1:8080)
-ei, -exclude-ip        Exclude IP addresses from domain output

Debug / Control Flags

-silent             Output only subdomains (no banner/metadata) — best for piping
-v                  Verbose output (show source tags, debug info)
-nc, -no-color      Disable color output
-version            Show version
-up, -update        Update subfinder to latest version
-duc, -disable-update-check  Disable auto-update check

Timeout Flags

-timeout int       Seconds before a source times out (default 30)
-max-time int      Total enumeration time limit in minutes (default 10)

Basic Usage Examples

# Single domain — default sources
subfinder -d example.com

# Silent mode (clean output for piping)
subfinder -d example.com -silent

# Save to file
subfinder -d example.com -o subs.txt

# JSON output with source attribution
subfinder -d example.com -oJ -cs -o subs.json

# Multiple domains
subfinder -d example.com,example.org,example.net -silent

# From domain list file
subfinder -dL domains.txt -silent -o all-subs.txt

# Output per-domain files to directory
subfinder -dL domains.txt -oD ./results/

# Use all sources (maximum coverage, slow)
subfinder -d example.com -all -silent

# Only use specific fast sources
subfinder -d example.com -s crtsh,certspotter,hackertarget,bufferover -silent

# Exclude noisy sources
subfinder -d example.com -es alienvault,threatcrowd -silent

# Recursive enumeration (finds sub.sub.example.com patterns)
subfinder -d example.com -recursive -silent

# Active subdomains only (resolves each)
subfinder -d example.com -nW -silent

Output Formats

Plain text (default)

subfinder -d example.com -o subs.txt
# Output: one subdomain per line
# api.example.com
# mail.example.com
# dev.example.com

JSON Lines (-oJ)

subfinder -d example.com -oJ -cs -o subs.jsonl
# Each line: {"host":"api.example.com","source":["virustotal","crtsh"]}

Parse JSONL for source analysis

cat subs.jsonl | jq -r '.host' | sort -u           # just hostnames
cat subs.jsonl | jq -r '"[\(.source[])] \(.host)"' # with sources
cat subs.jsonl | jq -r 'select(.source[] == "virustotal") | .host'  # filter by source

With IP resolution

subfinder -d example.com -nW -oI -silent
# Output includes IP: api.example.com,1.2.3.4

Pipeline Integration

Subfinder → httpx (alive host probe)

# Basic alive check
subfinder -d example.com -silent | httpx -silent

# With status codes and titles
subfinder -d example.com -silent | httpx -status-code -title -tech-detect -silent

# Save live URLs
subfinder -d example.com -silent | httpx -silent -o live-hosts.txt

# Filter to HTTPS only
subfinder -d example.com -silent | httpx -silent -filter-string "https"

Subfinder → httpx → nuclei (full recon-to-exploit)

# Complete pipeline: enum → alive check → vuln scan
subfinder -d example.com -silent | \
  httpx -silent | \
  nuclei -t /usr/share/nuclei-templates/ -severity critical,high -silent

# With rate limiting and output
subfinder -d example.com -silent | \
  httpx -silent -threads 50 | \
  nuclei -t /usr/share/nuclei-templates/ \
    -severity critical,high,medium \
    -rate-limit 50 \
    -o nuclei-findings.txt

# Specific template categories
subfinder -d example.com -silent | \
  httpx -silent | \
  nuclei -tags cve,misconfig,exposed-panels -o findings.txt

Multi-domain recon pipeline

# Run across multiple targets from a list
subfinder -dL targets.txt -silent -oD ./subfinder-results/

# Aggregate and deduplicate
cat ./subfinder-results/*.txt | sort -u > all-subs.txt

# Probe all discovered subdomains
cat all-subs.txt | httpx -silent -threads 100 | \
  nuclei -t /usr/share/nuclei-templates/ -o all-findings.txt

Subfinder → Gobuster (passive → active brute force)

# First passive, then active brute force for missed subs
subfinder -d example.com -silent -o passive-subs.txt
gobuster dns -d example.com \
  -w /usr/share/seclists/Discovery/DNS/subdomains-top1million-20000.txt \
  -t 50 -q | awk '{print $2}' > active-subs.txt

# Combine and deduplicate
cat passive-subs.txt active-subs.txt | sort -u > all-discovered.txt

Subdomain takeover check pipeline

# Find subdomains → check for takeover potential
subfinder -d example.com -silent | \
  httpx -silent -cname -o hosts-with-cnames.txt

# Use nuclei takeover templates
subfinder -d example.com -silent | \
  nuclei -t /usr/share/nuclei-templates/http/takeovers/ -o takeovers.txt

Integration with dnsx

# Resolve subdomains and get A records
subfinder -d example.com -silent | \
  dnsx -silent -a -resp -o dns-records.txt

# Filter to specific IP ranges (e.g., cloud provider CIDRs)
subfinder -d example.com -silent | \
  dnsx -silent -a -resp | \
  grep -E "1\.2\.3\.|10\.0\."

Advanced Techniques

Rate Limiting for Bug Bounty (polite enumeration)

# Global rate limit — 10 req/sec total
subfinder -d example.com -rl 10 -silent

# Per-source limits (prevent API exhaustion)
subfinder -d example.com -rls "securitytrails=5/s,shodan=2/s,virustotal=4/s" -silent

# Combined: global + per-source
subfinder -d example.com -rl 20 -rls "github=10/s" -silent

Recursive Enumeration

# Recursive mode — queries sub-subdomains
subfinder -d example.com -recursive -silent

# Manual recursive: use found subs as new input
subfinder -d example.com -silent > level1.txt
cat level1.txt | while read sub; do
  subfinder -d "$sub" -silent
done | sort -u > level2.txt
cat level1.txt level2.txt | sort -u > all-recursive.txt

Custom Resolvers

# Use specific DNS resolvers
subfinder -d example.com -r 8.8.8.8,1.1.1.1,9.9.9.9 -silent

# From resolver file (use with large wordlists — dnsx style)
cat > resolvers.txt << 'EOF'
8.8.8.8
1.1.1.1
9.9.9.9
208.67.222.222
EOF
subfinder -d example.com -rL resolvers.txt -silent

Scope Matching and Filtering

# Match only subdomains containing "api" or "dev"
subfinder -d example.com -m api,dev -silent

# Filter out CDN/third-party subdomains
subfinder -d example.com -f cdn,akamai,cloudfront -silent

# Combine match and filter
subfinder -d example.com -m admin,internal -f test,staging -silent

Version Checking and Updates

subfinder -version
subfinder -up         # Update to latest
subfinder -duc        # Disable update check (useful in CI)

Troubleshooting

Few or no results returned → Most sources need API keys. Run subfinder -ls to see which sources are active. Add keys to ~/.config/subfinder/provider-config.yaml. Verify key validity by testing a well-known domain: subfinder -d google.com -v.

"Error: API rate limit exceeded" → Use -rl to reduce requests per second. For specific providers, use -rls "provider=N/s". Check if free tier quota is exhausted.

Docker: provider config not found → Mount your config: -v $HOME/.config/subfinder:/root/.config/subfinder

Output is empty with -nW flag → -nW (active mode) resolves each subdomain and discards non-resolving ones. If your DNS resolver is unreliable, use -r 8.8.8.8,1.1.1.1.

Timeout on large domain sets → Increase -max-time (default 10 minutes). For large -dL lists, consider running batches and using -oD for per-domain output files to avoid losing progress.

Duplicate subdomains in output → Subfinder deduplicates by default. If seeing duplicates after piping, add | sort -u in the shell pipeline.

"panic: runtime error" on startup → Go version too old. Subfinder requires Go 1.24+. Update: go install golang.org/dl/go1.24.0@latest && go1.24.0 download

Built by Red Hound InfoSec — On-demand offensive security expertise for SMBs. 20+ years of Fortune 500 experience. Penetration testing, attack surface analysis, and security consulting.

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