PentestAider

PentestAider is a cybersecurity engineering workbench built around operator-guided testing, local tooling, and applied AI. The repository combines a shared .NET 9 core, a feature-rich .NET MAUI shell, an Avalonia desktop shell, and focused tests around the reusable product logic.

Design Philosophy

PentestAider is designed as a practical bridge between cybersecurity engineering, testing, LLM-assisted workflow design, ML experimentation, and MT (machine teaching).

• Cybersecurity Engineering First The project is meant to support real operator workflows: tool discovery, environment checks, command execution, evidence-oriented status tracking, and repeatable desktop execution paths.

• Testing As Product Behavior Validation is treated as part of the product, not as an afterthought. Environment checks, platform checks, state tracking, and persistence all need to be understandable, inspectable, and testable.

• LLM As A Guided Copilot LLM capability is positioned as a reasoning and interaction layer that helps users interpret security workflows, not as a black-box replacement for engineering judgment.

• ML And MT As Learning Infrastructure ML features are treated as experimental but intentional. MT (machine teaching) matters here because the product is not only about running tools, but also about structuring knowledge, prompts, and operator feedback so users can learn while they work.

• Shared Core, Multiple Shells Product behavior belongs in shared services and reusable view-model logic. UI shells should express platform strengths, not redefine product semantics independently.

• Documentation As Engineering Contract Frequently changing platform status, validation notes, and build constraints are tracked under Docs/ so the README can remain stable and describe the project itself rather than a transient machine state.

Solution Map

• PentestAider/Modules/PA_CORE Shared domain logic, service abstractions, chat history, environment checks, terminal helpers, settings logic, tool catalog loading, and reusable view models.
• PentestAider/PA.MAUI The most feature-complete product shell today. It now follows an AppHost / Features / Infrastructure / Shared layout while continuing to provide navigation, chat, testing, tools, settings, terminal-oriented flows, and the current integration surface for PA_CORE.
• PentestAider/PentestAider.Avalonia A desktop-oriented shell with a stronger long-term distribution story, but still at an earlier maturity level than MAUI. It builds, but much of its current behavior is UI-local and seed-data driven.
• PentestAider/Modules/PA_Core.Tests Coverage for embedded resources, tool loading, timer behavior, environment checks, path providers, and chat history persistence.
• PentestAider/PentestAider.csproj A transitional root library project that is present in the repository but not wired into the current solution file.

Documentation

• Project Status Snapshot
• Cross-Platform Development Plan
• MacCatalyst Notes
• PA.MAUI Desktop Analysis
• PA.MAUI Desktop Refactor
• Developer Structure
• Chat Feature Design Index
• Performance Analysis
• Performance Optimization Plan
• Chat Stage and Command Workspace Refactor Plan
• Homepage Concept Package
• Homepage Content-Only Variant
• Testing Page Content Concept
• Log Page Content Concept
• Security Tools Page Content Concept
• Dashboard Page Content Concept
• LLM Model Page Content Concept
• Install Guide