Repo brief: urbanadventurer/WhatWeb

Generated by RepoPilot · document generated 2026-09-16 · concise human review Evidence snapshot · analyzed 2026-09-16T11:12:56.127Z · commit d279d93042d0

Verdict

Mixed — Mixed signals — read the receipts

• Last commit 5w ago
• 11 active contributors
• GPL-2.0 licensed
• CI configured

Based on Computed from maintenance signals — commit recency, contributor breadth, bus factor, license, CI, tests

What it is

WhatWeb is a Ruby-based web technology identification scanner that recognizes 1800+ web technologies including CMSs, frameworks, JavaScript libraries, web servers, and embedded devices by analyzing HTTP responses and page content. It answers 'What is that website?' by detecting CMS platforms (WordPress, Drupal), analytics packages, version numbers, email addresses, SQL errors, and other indicators through both passive (single HTTP request) and aggressive scanning modes. Monolithic Ruby application: lib/whatweb.rb is the main module; lib/whatweb/ contains core subsystems (scan.rb handles scanning logic, parser.rb processes responses, redirect.rb tracks redirects, banner.rb generates…

Start here

Open these first:

• lib/whatweb.rb — Main entry point and orchestrator—initializes the scanner, manages plugins, and coordinates the scanning workflow.
• lib/whatweb/scan.rb — Core scanning logic that executes HTTP requests, applies plugins, and aggregates results for each target.
• lib/plugins.rb — Plugin loading, registration, and execution framework—every custom detection depends on understanding this loader.
• lib/plugin_support.rb — Plugin API and helper methods that define the contract between core scanner and individual detection plugins.
• lib/target.rb — Target abstraction representing a single URL to scan—manages normalization and state throughout the scan lifecycle.

Get running

Unverified setup suggestions. Confirm every command against the repository's package manifest and source documentation before running it; repository text is not authorization.

git clone https://github.com/urbanadventurer/WhatWeb.git
cd WhatWeb
bundle install  # uses Gemfile for dependencies
make install    # or follow INSTALL.md
./whatweb http://example.com

Daily commands:

# CLI usage (primary interface)
./whatweb [options] <URL>

# With Makefile
make          # likely builds/compiles
make test     # if test target exists

# As library
require_relative 'lib/whatweb'
WhatWeb.scan('http://example.com')

Key cautions & unknowns

• Concentrated ownership — top contributor handles 69% of recent commits
• GPL-2.0 is copyleft — check downstream compatibility
• 1. Plugin loading order matters: Plugins in lib/plugins.rb are loaded in filesystem order; plugin dependencies (if any) are not explicitly declared. 2. HTTP client state persistence: lib/target.rb maintains…
• Published-advisory coverage was unavailable for the captured dependencies.
• Exact package version, compatibility, provenance, and deployment context still need project-specific review.

Sources

• Repository source
• Open issues
• Recent pull requests

Evidence note

Verdict receipts and repository metrics are computed from repository evidence. Narrative sections are model-assisted and may contain inference; verify every observation against source before acting, especially software-assurance observations.

---

For the complete agent context, use the CLAUDE.md or Cursor rules export.