Commands Overview

Complete reference for all Pensar Apex CLI commands

Pensar provides a comprehensive set of commands for AI-powered penetration testing, from interactive TUI sessions to automated security assessments.

Command Structure

pensar [command] [options]

When invoked without a command, Pensar launches the interactive Terminal UI (TUI).

Available Commands

pensar

Launch the interactive Terminal UI for guided penetration testing

pentest

Run a full orchestrated pentest with attack surface discovery

targeted-pentest

Execute a focused pentest against specific objectives

quicktest

Run a rapid, objective-focused penetration test

benchmark

Compare security posture across repository branches

swarm

Run parallel pentests on multiple targets simultaneously

auth

Authenticate to target applications and verify auth mechanisms

doctor

Check dependencies and system configuration

upgrade

Update Pensar to the latest version

Quick Reference

Launch TUI

pensar

Start the interactive Terminal UI with full visual interface and guided workflows.

Full Pentest

# Blackbox pentest
pensar pentest --target https://example.com

# Whitebox pentest with source code analysis
pensar pentest --target https://example.com --cwd /path/to/source

# Exfiltration mode (pivoting & flag extraction)
pensar pentest --target https://example.com --mode exfil

Targeted Pentest

pensar targeted-pentest \
  --target https://example.com \
  --objective "Test authentication bypass" \
  --objective "Check for SQL injection"

Quick Test

# Rapid, focused testing
pensar quicktest \
  --target http://localhost:3000 \
  --objective "Test for SQL injection"

Benchmark

# Compare security across branches
pensar benchmark /path/to/repo main develop
pensar benchmark /path/to/repo --all-branches --limit 5

Swarm

# Test multiple targets in parallel
pensar swarm targets.json
pensar swarm '["https://api.example.com", "https://admin.example.com"]'

Authentication

# Authenticate to target
pensar auth --target https://app.example.com --username admin --password pass
pensar auth --target https://api.example.com --bearer "eyJ..."

System Check

# Check dependencies and AI provider configuration
pensar doctor

Update

# Update to latest version
pensar upgrade

Global Options

These options work with any command:

-h, --help · flag

Display help information for the command

-v, --version · flag

Show the current Pensar version

Command Output

Most pentest commands generate structured output:

• Findings: JSON file with discovered vulnerabilities
• POCs: Proof-of-concept exploit scripts
• Reports: Human-readable security assessment reports
• Session Data: Stored in ~/.pensar/sessions/ for later review

Environment Variables

Pensar respects standard environment variables for AI provider configuration:

# Anthropic (default provider)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key-here"

# OpenAI
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key-here"

# OpenRouter
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your-key-here"

# AWS Bedrock
export BEDROCK_API_KEY="your-key-here"
export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID="your-key-here"
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="your-key-here"

# Local vLLM
export LOCAL_MODEL_URL="http://localhost:8000/v1"

Usage Patterns

Interactive Exploration (TUI)

Best for learning, exploration, and manual testing:

pensar

Automated CI/CD Integration

Best for continuous security testing:

pensar pentest --target "$TARGET_URL" --model gpt-4o > pentest.log

Focused Vulnerability Research

Best for testing specific attack vectors:

pensar targeted-pentest \
  --target "$TARGET_URL" \
  --objective "Test for IDOR vulnerabilities" \
  --objective "Check session management"

Next Steps

Getting Started

Set up Pensar and run your first pentest

Configuration

Configure AI providers and customize settings