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A modern, high-performance DNS scanner with a beautiful Terminal User Interface (TUI)

Project description

PYDNS Scanner




Python License Platform

🇺🇸 English    |    🇮🇷 فارسی

A modern, high-performance DNS scanner with a beautiful Terminal User Interface (TUI) built with Textual.
This tool can scan millions of IP addresses to find working DNS servers with optional Slipstream proxy testing and automatic multi-platform client download.

✨ Features

  • 🎨 Beautiful TUI Interface - Modern Dracula-themed terminal interface
  • High Performance - Asynchronous scanning with configurable concurrency
  • ⏸️ Pause/Resume Support - Pause and resume scans at any time without losing progress
  • 📊 Real-time Statistics - Live progress tracking and scan metrics
  • 🔍 Smart DNS Detection - Detects working DNS servers even with error responses (NXDOMAIN, NODATA)
  • 🎲 Random Subdomain Support - Avoid cached responses with random subdomains
  • 🌐 Multiple DNS Types - Supports A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS records
  • 🔌 Slipstream Integration - Optional proxy testing with parallel execution
  • 🌍 Multi-Platform Auto-Download - Automatically downloads correct Slipstream client for your platform
  • 📥 Resume Downloads - Smart download resume on network interruptions with retry logic
  • 💾 Auto-save Results - Automatic JSON export of scan results
  • 📁 File Browser - Built-in file picker for CIDR files
  • ⚙️ Configurable - Adjustable concurrency, timeouts, and filters
  • 🚀 Memory Efficient - Streaming IP generation without loading all IPs into memory
  • 📝 Optional Logging - Disabled by default, easy to enable for troubleshooting

📋 Requirements

Python Version

  • Python 3.11 or higher

Dependencies

# Core dependencies
textual>=0.47.0       # TUI framework
aiodns>=3.1.0         # Async DNS resolver
httpx[socks]>=0.25.0  # HTTP client with SOCKS5 support for proxy testing
orjson>=3.9.0         # Fast JSON serialization
loguru>=0.7.0         # Advanced logging
pyperclip>=1.8.0      # Clipboard support

Optional

  • Slipstream Client - For proxy testing functionality
    • Automatic Download: The application automatically detects your platform and downloads the correct client
    • Smart Detection: Detects existing installations (including legacy filenames)
    • Resume Support: Partial downloads are saved and can be resumed on retry
    • Supported platforms:
      • Linux (x86_64): slipstream-client-linux-amd64
      • Windows (x86_64): slipstream-client-windows-amd64.exe
      • macOS (ARM64): slipstream-client-darwin-arm64
      • macOS (Intel): slipstream-client-darwin-amd64
    • Manual download available from: slipstream-rust-deploy releases

📦 Bundled Slipstream Clients

Pre-compiled Slipstream client binaries are included in the slipstream-client/ folder for all platforms:

Platform Path Description
Linux slipstream-client/linux/slipstream-client-linux-amd64 Linux x86_64 binary
Windows slipstream-client/windows/slipstream-client-windows-amd64.exe Windows x86_64 executable
macOS ARM slipstream-client/mac/slipstream-client-darwin-arm64 macOS Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)
macOS Intel slipstream-client/mac/slipstream-client-darwin-amd64 macOS Intel x86_64

⚠️ Windows Note: The Windows client requires OpenSSL DLLs (libcrypto-3-x64.dll and libssl-3-x64.dll) which are included in the slipstream-client/windows/ folder. When using automatic download, these DLLs are downloaded automatically alongside the Windows executable.

📥 All-in-One Archives

For convenience, compressed archives containing all platform binaries are available:

  • slipstream-client/slipstream-client-all-platforms.tar.gz - Best compression (recommended)
  • slipstream-client/slipstream-client-all-platforms.zip - Windows-friendly format

These archives include Linux, Windows, and macOS clients in a single download.

🚀 Installation

Method 1: Install from PyPI (Recommended)

The easiest way to install PYDNS Scanner:

Using pip

pip install pydns-scanner

Using uv (Faster)

uv pip install pydns-scanner

Using Mirror (For Users with Limited Access to PyPI)

# Runflare Mirror
pip install pydns-scanner -i https://mirror-pypi.runflare.com/simple/ --trusted-host mirror-pypi.runflare.com

# Or Alibaba Cloud Mirror
pip install pydns-scanner -i https://mirrors.aliyun.com/pypi/simple/ --trusted-host mirrors.aliyun.com

# Or TUNA Mirror
pip install pydns-scanner -i https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple

Run after installation

pydns-scanner

Method 2: Run from Source (Manual)

If you want to run the code directly from the repository:

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/xullexer/PYDNS-Scanner.git
cd PYDNS-Scanner

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Using uv (Recommended - Fast!)

uv pip install -r requirements.txt

Using pip

pip install -r requirements.txt

Using Mirror (For Users with Limited Access to PyPI)

# Runflare Mirror
pip install -r requirements.txt -i https://mirror-pypi.runflare.com/simple/ --trusted-host mirror-pypi.runflare.com

# Or Alibaba Cloud Mirror
pip install -r requirements.txt -i https://mirrors.aliyun.com/pypi/simple/ --trusted-host mirrors.aliyun.com

# Or TUNA Mirror
pip install -r requirements.txt -i https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple

Step 3: Run the Application

python -m python

🎮 Usage

🎮 Usage

Basic Usage

From PyPI:

pydns-scanner

From source:

python -m python

This will launch the interactive TUI where you can configure:

  • CIDR File: Path to file containing IP ranges (CIDR notation)
  • Domain: Domain to query (e.g., google.com)
  • DNS Type: Record type (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS)
  • Concurrency: Number of parallel workers (default: 100)
  • Random Subdomain: Add random prefix to avoid cached responses
  • Slipstream Test: Enable proxy testing for found DNS servers

CIDR File Format

Create a text file with one CIDR range per line:

# Comments start with #
1.1.1.0/24
8.8.8.0/24
178.22.122.0/24
185.51.200.0/22

Example Workflow

  1. Launch the application:

    python dnsscanner_tui.py
    
  2. Configure scan parameters:

    • Click "📂 Browse" to select your CIDR file
    • Enter domain (e.g., google.com)
    • Set concurrency (recommended: 100-500)
    • Enable options as needed
  3. Start scanning:

    • Click "🚀 Start Scan"
    • Watch real-time progress and results
    • Use "⏸ Pause" to pause the scan at any time
    • Use "▶ Resume" to continue from where you paused
  4. View results:

    • Sorted by response time (fastest first)
    • Green = fast (<100ms)
    • Yellow = medium (100-300ms)
    • Red = slow (>300ms)
  5. Save results:

    • Results are auto-saved to results/TIMESTAMP.txt
    • Press s or click "💾 Save Results" to save manually

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

  • q - Quit the application
  • s - Save current results

🎮 Control Buttons

During an active scan:

  • ⏸ Pause - Pause the scan without losing progress
  • ▶ Resume - Continue scanning from where you paused
  • 💾 Save Results - Manually save current results
  • 🛑 Quit - Exit the application

🎛️ Configuration

Logging

Logging is disabled by default to keep the interface clean and avoid unnecessary disk writes.

To enable logging, edit dnsscanner_tui.py:

# Configure logging (disabled by default)
logger.remove()  # Remove default handler to disable logging
# Uncomment the line below to enable file logging
logger.add(
    "logs/dnsscanner_{time}.log",
    rotation="50 MB",
    compression="zip",
    level="DEBUG",
)

When enabled:

  • Logs are saved to logs/dnsscanner_TIMESTAMP.log
  • Auto-rotate at 50 MB
  • Compressed automatically (zip)
  • Includes DEBUG level details

Concurrency Settings

Adjust based on your system and network:

  • Low (50-100): Conservative, suitable for slower systems
  • Medium (100-300): Balanced performance
  • High (300-500): Fast scanning, requires good hardware
  • Very High (500+): Maximum speed, may hit resource limits

Slipstream Testing

The scanner supports parallel Slipstream proxy testing with automatic download:

# In __init__ method
self.slipstream_max_concurrent = 3  # Max parallel proxy tests
self.slipstream_base_port = 10800   # Base port (uses 10800, 10801, 10802)

Auto-Download Features:

  • Platform detection (Windows/Linux/macOS + architecture)
  • Progress bar with download speed
  • Resume on interruption (keeps .partial files)
  • Retry with exponential backoff (up to 5 attempts)
  • Legacy filename detection (slipstream-client.exe)

DNS Timeout

DNS queries timeout after 2 seconds:

# In _test_dns method
resolver = aiodns.DNSResolver(nameservers=[ip], timeout=2.0, tries=1)

📊 Output Format

Results are saved in JSON format:

{
  "scan_info": {
    "domain": "google.com",
    "dns_type": "A",
    "slipstream_test": true,
    "total_found": 50,
    "total_passed_proxy": 42,
    "total_saved": 42,
    "elapsed_seconds": 300.5,
    "timestamp": "2026-01-26_10-30-45"
  },
  "servers": ["8.8.8.8", "1.1.1.1", "..."]
}

🔍 How It Works

DNS Detection Logic

The scanner considers a server as "working DNS" if:

  1. Successful Response: Returns valid DNS answer in <2s
  2. DNS Error Responses: Returns NXDOMAIN, NODATA, or NXRRSET in <2s
    • These errors mean the DNS server IS working, just the record doesn't exist

This approach catches more working DNS servers than tools that only accept successful responses.

Performance Optimizations

  • Streaming IP Generation: IPs are generated on-the-fly from CIDR ranges
  • Chunked Processing: Processes IPs in batches of 500
  • Async I/O: Non-blocking DNS queries using aiodns
  • Semaphore Control: Limits concurrent operations to prevent resource exhaustion
  • Memory Mapping: Fast CIDR file reading using mmap when possible

Random Subdomain Feature

When enabled, queries use random prefixes:

original: google.com
random:   a1b2c3d4.google.com

Use case: Bypass cached DNS responses Requirement: Target domain should have wildcard DNS (*.example.com)

📂 Directory Structure

PYDNS-Scanner/
├── README.md                   # This file
├── python/
│   ├── dnsscanner_tui.py      # Main application
│   ├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies
│   └── iran-ipv4.cidrs        # Sample CIDR file
├── logs/                       # Application logs (when enabled, gitignored)
├── results/                    # Scan results (gitignored)
└── slipstream-client/          # Slipstream binaries (auto-downloaded, gitignored)
    ├── windows/
    ├── linux/
    └── macos/

🐛 Troubleshooting

"No module named 'textual'"

pip install textual

"File not found" error

  • Ensure CIDR file path is correct
  • Use absolute path or relative path from script location
  • Use the built-in file browser (📂 Browse button)

Slow scanning

  • Reduce concurrency value
  • Check network bandwidth
  • Verify DNS timeout settings

High memory usage

  • The scanner uses streaming to minimize memory
  • If issues persist, reduce chunk size in _stream_ips_from_file

Slipstream download fails

  • Network issues: The app automatically retries up to 5 times with exponential backoff
  • Resume: Partial downloads are saved as .partial files - just run again to resume
  • Manual download: Download from slipstream-rust-deploy releases
  • Check logs: Enable logging (see Configuration section) for detailed error info
  • Firewall: Ensure GitHub access is allowed

Slipstream not detected

  • Check platform-specific directory exists (slipstream-client/windows/, etc.)
  • Verify filename matches (supports both new and legacy names)
  • For legacy installs: Use slipstream-client.exe (auto-detected)
  • Enable logging to see detection process

Slipstream tests fail

  • Verify executable has correct permissions (Linux/macOS: chmod +x)
  • Check that ports 10800-10802 are available
  • Review logs (if enabled) in logs/ directory
  • Test connectivity to DNS servers manually

📝 Logging

Default: Disabled - No logs are created to keep your system clean.

To Enable Logging:

  1. Edit python/dnsscanner_tui.py
  2. Uncomment the logger.add() section
  3. Logs saved to logs/dnsscanner_TIMESTAMP.log

Log Levels:

  • DEBUG: Detailed DNS query results, download progress
  • INFO: Scan progress and statistics
  • WARNING: Non-critical issues, retry attempts
  • ERROR: Critical failures, download errors

🌍 Finding CIDR Lists

Country IP Ranges

IPv4:

IPv6:

Usage Example

# Download Iran IPv4 ranges
wget https://www.ipdeny.com/ipblocks/data/aggregated/ir-aggregated.zone -O iran-ipv4.cidrs

# Use in scanner
python dnsscanner_tui.py
# Then select iran-ipv4.cidrs in the file browser

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or open issues.

Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/xullexer/PYDNS-Scanner.git
cd PYDNS-Scanner/python
pip install -r requirements.txt
python dnsscanner_tui.py

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

👨‍💻 Author

🙏 Acknowledgments

  • Built with Textual by Textualize
  • DNS resolution via aiodns
  • Inspired by the need for efficient DNS server discovery

📈 Performance Notes

Tested performance on various systems:

  • Small scan (1,000 IPs): ~10-30 seconds
  • Medium scan (50,000 IPs): ~5-10 minutes
  • Large scan (1M+ IPs): ~1-3 hours

Results vary based on network speed, concurrency settings, and system resources.

🔐 Security Considerations

  • Uses cryptographically secure random number generator (secrets.SystemRandom)
  • No credentials or sensitive data are logged
  • DNS queries are standard UDP/TCP port 53
  • Slipstream proxy testing is optional and disabled by default

💝 Support the Project

If you find this project useful, consider supporting its development:

Cryptocurrency Donations

  • Bitcoin (BTC)
    bc1qpya0kc2uh0mc08c7nuzrqkpsqjr36mrwscgpxr

  • Solana (SOL)
    J1XzZfizQ6mgYiyxpLGWU52kHBF1hm2Tb9AZ5FaRj8tH

  • Ethereum (ETH)
    0x26D9924B88e71b5908d957EA4c74C66989c253cb

  • Binance Smart Chain (BNB/BSC)
    0x26D9924B88e71b5908d957EA4c74C66989c253cb

  • Tron (TRX)
    TYBZFr8WUsjgfrXrqmrdF5EXPXo7QdimA8

  • Ethereum Base
    0x26D9924B88e71b5908d957EA4c74C66989c253cb

  • TON (Telegram Open Network)
    UQBcI_ZZGQq3fcNzTkL-zszgFR5HpRDLFHYRZffizriiScxJ


Happy Scanning! 🚀

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