About This Tool

OWASP Mutillidae II is a free, open-source, deliberately vulnerable web application providing a target for web-security training. This is an easy-to-use web hacking environment designed for labs, security enthusiasts, classrooms, CTF, and vulnerability assessment tool targets.

Primary Use Case

This tool is primarily used by security enthusiasts, educators, and penetration testers to practice identifying and exploiting web vulnerabilities in a safe, controlled environment. It is ideal for use in security training labs, classrooms, Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions, and as a target for vulnerability assessment tools.

Key Features

Contains over 40 vulnerabilities covering OWASP Top Ten from 2007 to 2017
Deliberately vulnerable without requiring special inputs or 'magic' statements
Easy installation on Linux and Windows AMP stacks including LAMP, WAMP, and XAMPP
Preinstalled on popular security distributions like SamuraiWTF and OWASP BWA
One-click system restoration to default settings via a 'Setup' button
Ability to switch between secure and insecure modes
Widely used in graduate courses, corporate training, and vulnerability assessment testing
Regularly updated to maintain relevance and effectiveness

Insights & Recommendations

Mutillidae is intentionally vulnerable and should only be deployed in isolated or controlled environments to avoid exposing real systems to risk. It is recommended to use this tool for educational and testing purposes only, never in production. Regularly update the tool to benefit from the latest vulnerability coverage and fixes.

Installation

Install a LAMP, WAMP, or XAMPP stack on your Linux or Windows system
Clone or download the Mutillidae source code from the 'src' directory
Follow the comprehensive installation guide in README-INSTALLATION.md
Alternatively, run Mutillidae using Docker images from DockerHub
For Docker installation, install Docker on your system (e.g., Ubuntu)
Run Mutillidae container using provided Docker commands or tutorials
Optionally deploy Mutillidae on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) using provided guides
Use the 'Setup' button in the application to restore default vulnerable state

Usage

Use the 'Setup' button within the web interface

Restores the application to its default vulnerable state for repeated practice

Switch between secure and insecure modes via the web interface

Allows users to toggle the security posture of the application for testing

Run Mutillidae Docker container

Launches the application in a containerized environment for easy deployment

Install Mutillidae on LAMP stack

Manual installation method for traditional Linux/Windows AMP environments

Smart Usage Notes

Integrate Mutillidae II in purple team exercises to simulate real-world web attacks and improve detection capabilities.Use Mutillidae II as a continuous training platform for red teams to practice exploitation techniques safely.Leverage the tool for blue team training to recognize common web vulnerabilities and improve incident response.Automate vulnerability scanning tools against Mutillidae II to validate scanner effectiveness and tune detection rules.Deploy Mutillidae II in CI/CD pipelines as a sandbox environment for developers to identify and remediate web vulnerabilities early.

OpenSec Atlas

mutillidae