OSCP+ Allowed Tools: What's Banned, What's Fine and How to Check

The short answer

Under the OSCP+^™ (OSCP Plus) exam rules, OffSec allows every tool that doesn't perform a restricted action. The exam guide restricts five things: spoofing, commercial tools such as Metasploit Pro and Burp Pro, automatic exploitation tools such as sqlmap, mass vulnerability scanners such as Nessus and OpenVAS, and AI chatbots. It also bans any feature inside another tool that does one of those. Metasploit has its own rule: you can use it against one target of your choice, while msfvenom and multi/handler work on every target.

The OSCP+ exam is also open book. Your notes, online resources and the OffSec Learning Platform are all allowed, as long as you use them on the host running the proctoring tool. AI chatbots and LLMs stay off limits during the exam and while you write the report, and asking anyone for help is banned, Discord included.

Most tool lists leave out the fine print. OffSec says its allowed list "is not limited to these", and that it "will not comment on allowed or restricted tools, other than what is included inside this exam guide." For any tool it doesn't name, the decision is yours, and the guide's penalty for using a restricted tool is zero points for that target.

We're Hacker Blueprint. Our instructor holds the OSCP^®, and our academy has more than 600 students. This page puts the OSCP exam rules on tools in one place, quoted from OffSec's exam guide and exam FAQ (both updated October 21, 2026, and rechecked on November 3, 2026 with no changes). For the full study plan, see the OSCP+ roadmap.

Video: OSCP banned tools in under six minutes

OSCP Banned Tools (One Mistake = Exam Over!) goes through the restriction list one category at a time. Useful chapters: automatic exploitation at 0:38, spoofing and AI tools at 1:56, and collaboration rules at 2:37. The video went up in June 2025, and OffSec last updated the exam guide on October 21, 2026, so where the wording differs, this page follows the current guide.

For a more recent take inside a full exam overview, The Only OSCP Guide You'll Ever Need! (2026) covers tool limitations at 5:06 and AI restrictions at 6:11.

OSCP+ tool rules at a glance

Every row comes from OffSec's exam guide or exam FAQ, except linPEAS, which rests on an older OffSec blog post. The sections below quote the exact wording.

Which tools are banned on the OSCP exam

The "Exam Restrictions" section of the guide starts with "You cannot use any of the following on the exam" and lists six lines:

Each list of examples ends in "etc.", so the names are samples. Two sentences under the list widen it further: "Any tools that perform similar functions as those above are also prohibited," and "You are ultimately responsible for knowing what features or external utilities any chosen tool is using."

Plan around that second sentence. A tool that's fine on its own can ship a module, plugin or option that crosses one of these lines, and the guide makes knowing that your job.

The same section has a file rule people tend to miss: "Downloading any applications, files or source code from the exam environment to your local machine is strictly forbidden unless they're necessary for you to compromise the exam machine." Anything you do download should be deleted once you've finished the exam objectives.

Some lists online are stricter than OffSec. We couldn't find any rule in the guide or the FAQ that bans tools for not shipping with Kali, and Mimikatz, which some pages call a grey area, is on OffSec's allowed list.

Which tools OffSec says you can use

The guide names four: "You may however, use tools such as Nmap (and its scripting engine), Nikto, Burp Free, DirBuster etc. against any of your target systems." The exam FAQ adds a longer list, mostly Active Directory tools, introduced with the rule that covers everything else: "All tools that do not perform any restricted actions are allowed during the exam."

Two entries carry conditions. BloodHound is allowed in its Legacy and Community Editions only. Responder comes with "Poisoning and Spoofing is not allowed in the challenges or on the exam", which matches the guide's spoofing ban.

Most of the FAQ list is for the Active Directory set, three linked machines worth 40 of the 100 raw points that start from a domain username and password. Our guide to the OSCP+ Active Directory set covers the methodology, and our free AD chains let you practice with the same allowed tools from an assumed-breach start.

Is Metasploit allowed on the OSCP?

Yes, on one target. The guide's "Metasploit Restrictions" section sets the limits:

• One target of your choice. "You may only use Metasploit modules (Auxiliary, Exploit, and Post) or the Meterpreter payload against one single target machine of your choice." On that machine, you can use it as many times as you like.
• No testing first. You can't try Metasploit against several machines before you pick one, and the guide adds "this includes the use of check".
• The choice locks in. If the attack fails, you can't move Metasploit to a second target: its use "becomes locked in as soon as you decide to use either one of them."
• No pivoting. "Metasploit cannot be used for pivoting, because it would thereby be used on more than one target." The FAQ gives the AD set the same answer: one target machine, and no pivoting.
• Payload tools on every target. msfvenom and multi/handler are allowed against all targets, with one exception from the guide: a Meterpreter payload can still only go to your one Metasploit machine.
• Same rules for front ends. "All the above limitations also apply to different interfaces that make use of Metasploit (such as Armitage, Cobalt Strike, Metasploit Community Edition, etc)."

Plan every machine as if Metasploit weren't there, and spend it deliberately. Our OSCP exam tips cover choosing that target as part of the exam-day plan.

Can you use ChatGPT or other AI on the OSCP?

No. AI chatbots are on the guide's restriction list, and the FAQ says "Use of KAI or any other chatbots is not allowed during the exam and the exam reporting phase." KAI is OffSec's own assistant, and the reporting phase is the 24 hours you get to write and upload the report.

The current guide draws one line worth reading twice: "You are not required to disable tools with built-in AI features like Notion or Google AI Overview. However, using LLMs and AI chatbots (OffSec KAI, ChatGPT, Deepseek, Gemini, etc.) is strictly prohibited." An app with an AI feature can stay installed. Prompting an LLM or a chatbot is the banned part, and the FAQ's open-book answer excludes "AI chatbots and LLMs with direct prompt access".

OffSec treats this as more than a tool rule. The guide says AI use "is considered receiving third-party help and sharing exam information, both of which violate our Academic Policy." The consequences are in the penalty section below.

If AI is part of how you study, run your mock exams and practice reports without it, so exam day isn't the first time you work alone.

What the open-book rule allows

The FAQ puts it this way: "OSCP+ exam is an open book exam, meaning you are permitted to use your notes, online resources (Except for AI chatbots and LLMs with direct prompt access), the OffSec Learning Platform, and similar materials." Everything has to happen on the host machine running the proctoring software, because that's the session the proctor watches. Our guide to what the proctor sees during the exam covers the webcam, screen and room rules.

The limits sit around the edges:

• Discord for searching only. The guide lets you use Discord "as a resource for searching for information during the exam", and forbids seeking or receiving help from anyone there. The FAQ adds that discussing the exam or asking for hints on forums or Discord violates the academic policy.
• Printed material. OffSec's proctoring FAQ permits "printed books, notes, paper, and pen" alongside the host machine and up to four screens shared with the proctoring tool.
• Other devices. Phones go out of reach, and any electronic device apart from what's shared with the proctoring tool is "strictly prohibited."
• Screen recording. OffSec doesn't allow you to record your screen while you work on exam machines.

Since notes are allowed, the speed of your notes matters. A cheat sheet you can search in seconds saves time at hour 16. Our OSCP notes are copy-paste methodology in CherryTree and Markdown for Obsidian, ordered the way you work through a machine, and they're the kind of material the open-book rule covers. To build your own, our video Most Effective Notes for OSCP Exam, CTFs and Pentesting shows how we structure them, and our OSCP note-taking guide compares Obsidian, CherryTree and Notion against the exam rules.

Are enumeration scripts like linPEAS allowed?

OffSec's clearest statement on scripts is a blog post from April 22, 2021, "Understanding the Penetration Testing Tools and Scripts You Can Use". It says "penetration testing tools that perform automatic enumeration are allowed during the exam," and "tools that perform automatic exploitation are not allowed during the exam."

On linPEAS, the same post says "The tool is okay to use as long as you do not use previous versions of the script that have the auto-exploitation capabilities." The post is from 2021, before the OSCP+ existed, so read it next to the current guide's line that you're "ultimately responsible for knowing what features or external utilities any chosen tool is using." Use a current version and know what it runs.

The post only names linPEAS. For winPEAS and other enumeration scripts, the same dividing line applies: automatic enumeration is allowed and automatic exploitation is banned.

For what to do with the output, our Most Common OSCP Attacks playlist covers Windows and Linux privilege escalation one technique at a time.

How to judge a tool OffSec doesn't name

Don't plan on asking OffSec. The 2021 post told readers to email OffSec about a tool, but the current guide says "we will not comment on allowed or restricted tools, other than what is included inside this exam guide." During the exam, support only handles technical problems.

So run every tool in your exam kit through these questions before exam day. Each one comes from the guide's restriction list.

1. Does it exploit anything by itself, without you choosing and running each step?
2. Does it sweep hosts for vulnerabilities and report them, the way Nessus or OpenVAS do?
3. Is it a paid tool or service, or the paid edition of a free one?
4. Does it spoof or poison anything on the network?
5. Does it include an LLM or a chatbot you can prompt?
6. Does it run Metasploit modules or Meterpreter under the hood? Then the one-target rule applies to it.
7. Do any of its modules, plugins or optional features do any of the above?

If any answer is yes, or you can't tell, leave it out of your exam kit and do that step by hand.

AutoRecon shows up in a lot of these searches. OffSec doesn't name it in the guide or the FAQ. It runs a set of other tools for you, so the question becomes what each of those tools does, and the guide makes that your responsibility. NetExec, which continues the CrackMapExec project, is in the same position: CrackMapExec is on the FAQ list and NetExec isn't, so check its features the same way.

What happens if you use a banned tool

The guide has a section headed "Point Disqualification" that starts "You will receive no points for a specific target for the following:". The first three items are:

• Using a restricted tool
• Using Metasploit Auxiliary, Exploit, or Post modules on multiple machines
• Using the Meterpreter payload on multiple machines

The same list zeroes a target for missing proof (the local.txt and proof.txt contents in both the control panel and an interactive shell screenshot) and for lack of documentation. Our exam tips cover how to get those right.

For exams starting on or after December 1, 2026 at 08:00 GMT, OffSec uses scaled scoring, and no raw-point total tells you that you've passed. Every target you prove counts toward the result, so a zeroed target is a loss you can't measure on the day. Our scaled scoring explainer has the details.

AI and outside help carry heavier consequences. The guide classes LLM use as an Academic Policy violation, and OffSec's Terms and Conditions (updated August 31, 2026) say that if you breach the Academic Policy, OffSec may, in its sole discretion, "Revoke all existing certification(s) you have obtained from us", "Disqualify you for life from all of our courses and exam(s)" and "Disqualify you for life from buying our Products." The proctoring FAQ adds that breaking its rules on phones and other devices "will result in the cancellation of the exam."

FAQ

Is sqlmap allowed on the OSCP?

No. The exam guide names sqlmap under automatic exploitation tools, alongside SQLninja, db_autopwn and browser_autopwn. SQL injection is still on the PEN-200 syllabus, so practice it by hand.

Is BloodHound allowed on the OSCP?

Yes. OffSec's exam FAQ lists BloodHound as allowed, limited to the Legacy and Community Editions, and lists its collector SharpHound too.

Is msfvenom allowed on the OSCP?

Yes, against every target. The exam guide allows msfvenom and multi/handler on all machines, with one exception: a Meterpreter payload can only be used against your single Metasploit target.

Can I use Burp Suite on the OSCP?

The free edition, yes: the guide names "Burp Free" among the tools you may use. Burp Pro is a commercial tool and is banned.

Is AutoRecon allowed on the OSCP?

OffSec doesn't name AutoRecon in the exam guide or the FAQ, and says it won't comment on tools beyond the guide. The guide's rule applies: you're responsible for every feature and external utility a tool uses, so check each tool AutoRecon runs against the restriction list.

Is the OSCP open book?

Yes. OffSec calls the OSCP+ an open-book exam and permits your notes, online resources, the OffSec Learning Platform and similar materials, used on the proctored host machine. AI chatbots and LLMs are excluded, and asking anyone for help is banned.

Practice with the tools the exam allows

The easiest way to stay inside these rules on exam day is to train inside them from the start. Build your kit from the tools OffSec names, enumerate and exploit by hand, and run your mock exams and practice reports without AI. Our free AD chains start from an assumed breach, the same way the exam's AD set does, and the tools on OffSec's FAQ list are the ones you'll reach for.

One of our students, mario, wrote: "I just passed the OSCP on my first attempt. Your videos, notes and methodology helped me land one of the most respected cybersecurity certifications." (More reviews)

Try our 30+ hour course for OSCP prep with a free trial, or start with one of our free Active Directory chains.

Unsure about a tool in your kit? Ask in the Hacker Blueprint Discord before exam day.

Sources

• OffSec: OSCP+ Exam Guide (updated Oct 21, 2026: exam restrictions, tools allowed by name, AI and Discord rules, Metasploit restrictions, downloading files, point disqualification, "will not comment" on tools, checked Nov 3, 2026)
• OffSec: OSCP+ Exam FAQ (updated Oct 21, 2026: allowed tools list, BloodHound editions, Responder limit, chatbots in the exam and reporting phase, Metasploit on the AD set, open-book resources, checked Nov 3, 2026)
• OffSec: Understanding the Penetration Testing Tools and Scripts You Can Use (Apr 22, 2021: automatic enumeration versus automatic exploitation, linPEAS versions)
• OffSec: Proctored Exam Requirements FAQ (printed materials, screens, other devices, screen recording, exam cancellation)
• OffSec: Terms and Conditions (updated Aug 31, 2026: consequences of breaching the Academic Policy)
• OffSec: OSCP+ Equated Scaled Scoring FAQ (scaled scoring from Dec 1, 2026)
• Hacker Blueprint: OSCP Banned Tools (One Mistake = Exam Over!) (YouTube, Jun 8, 2025)
• Hacker Blueprint: The Only OSCP Guide You'll Ever Need! (2026) (YouTube, Dec 23, 2025)
• Hacker Blueprint: Most Effective Notes for OSCP Exam, CTFs and Pentesting (YouTube, Jun 15, 2025)