pensar

Launch the interactive Terminal UI for guided penetration testing

The pensar command (with no subcommand) launches the interactive Terminal UI (TUI), providing a full visual interface for penetration testing workflows.

Syntax

pensar

Description

The TUI provides an interactive environment for:

• Guided Pentesting: Step-by-step workflows for blackbox and whitebox testing
• Session Management: View, resume, and organize past pentest sessions
• Real-time Chat: Interact with AI agents during security assessments
• Visual Dashboard: Monitor agent progress, findings, and system status
• Configuration: Manage AI providers, models, and tool settings

Features

First-Time Setup

On first launch, the TUI guides you through:

1. Responsible Use Disclosure: Review and accept ethical hacking guidelines
2. Provider Configuration: Set up AI provider API keys if not already configured

Main Interface

The TUI offers multiple screens accessible via keyboard shortcuts:

Chat

Interactive chat interface with AI security agents. Send messages, review findings, and collaborate on vulnerability discovery.

Key Features:

• Real-time streaming responses
• Tool call visualization
• Finding annotations
• Session context preservation

Sessions

Browse and manage all pentest sessions.

Key Features:

• View session history
• Resume previous pentests
• Review findings from past sessions
• Delete or archive sessions

Operator Dashboard

Launch and monitor autonomous pentest workflows.

Key Features:

• Start blackbox/whitebox pentests
• Configure testing parameters
• Monitor agent progress
• View live findings

Configuration

Manage system settings and preferences.

Key Features:

• AI provider management
• Model selection
• Theme customization
• Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts

Press Ctrl+P at any time to see all available shortcuts.

Global Navigation

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+P	Open command palette
Ctrl+N	New chat session
Ctrl+S	View sessions
Ctrl+T	Toggle theme
Ctrl+C	Exit / Cancel
Esc	Close dialog / Go back

Chat Interface

Shortcut	Action
Enter	Send message
Shift+Enter	New line
↑ / ↓	Navigate message history
Ctrl+L	Clear chat

Configuration Files

The TUI stores configuration in:

~/.pensar/
├── config.json          # User preferences and API keys
├── sessions/            # Session data and history
│   ├── <session-id>/
│   │   ├── findings.json
│   │   ├── pocs/
│   │   └── report.md
└── logs/                # Error logs and diagnostics

Examples

Launch TUI

pensar

First-Time Setup Flow

$ pensar

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                                                          ║
║              RESPONSIBLE USE DISCLOSURE                  ║
║                                                          ║
║  Pensar is designed for authorized security testing     ║
║  only. You must have explicit permission to test any    ║
║  system or network.                                      ║
║                                                          ║
║  Press Enter to accept and continue...                   ║
║                                                          ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

After accepting, if no AI provider is configured:

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                                                          ║
║                   PROVIDER SETUP                         ║
║                                                          ║
║  No AI provider configured. Please set up at least      ║
║  one provider to continue.                               ║
║                                                          ║
║  → Anthropic                                             ║
║    OpenAI                                                ║
║    OpenRouter                                            ║
║    AWS Bedrock                                           ║
║    Local vLLM                                            ║
║                                                          ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Normal TUI Session

$ pensar

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Pensar Apex v0.0.79                                     │
│                                                         │
│ Chat       Sessions       Operator       Config         │
│ ────       ────────       ────────       ──────         │
│                                                         │
│ > Start a new pentest or ask me anything...            │
│                                                         │
│                                                         │
│                                                         │
│                                                         │
│                                                         │
│ [Type message] Ctrl+P: Commands  Ctrl+C: Exit          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Use Cases

1. Interactive Pentest Learning

Start conversations with AI agents to learn about:

• Vulnerability discovery techniques
• Exploitation methodologies
• Security best practices

pensar
# Then in chat:
> Explain how to test for SQL injection in a login form

2. Manual Vulnerability Research

Use the TUI to manually explore targets with AI assistance:

pensar
# Navigate to Operator Dashboard
# Configure target and testing parameters
# Launch guided pentest workflow

3. Session Review and Reporting

Review past pentest findings:

pensar
# Press Ctrl+S to view sessions
# Select a session to review findings
# Export reports or continue testing

Troubleshooting

TUI Won’t Launch

# Check for errors
pensar doctor

# Verify terminal compatibility
echo $TERM
# Should show: xterm-256color, screen-256color, etc.

Display Issues

If you experience rendering problems:

1. Ensure your terminal supports 256 colors
2. Try a different theme: Ctrl+T in the TUI
3. Resize your terminal window (minimum 80x24)

Performance Issues

For slow TUI performance:

# Use CLI commands instead for better performance
pensar pentest --target https://example.com

Environment Variables

The TUI respects these environment variables:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY · string

Anthropic API key for Claude models (recommended)

OPENAI_API_KEY · string

OpenAI API key for GPT models

OPENROUTER_API_KEY · string

OpenRouter API key for multi-model access

NO_COLOR · flag

Disable colored output (for accessibility)

Advanced Configuration

Custom Themes

The TUI supports multiple themes:

• Apex (default)
• Catppuccin
• Dracula
• Tokyo Night
• Nord
• Gruvbox
• And more…

Change themes via Ctrl+T or in the Config menu.

Keyboard Customization

Edit ~/.pensar/config.json to customize shortcuts:

{
  "keybindings": {
    "newSession": "ctrl+n",
    "viewSessions": "ctrl+s",
    "commandPalette": "ctrl+p"
  }
}

Related Commands

• pentest - Run automated pentests from CLI
• targeted-pentest - Focused vulnerability testing
• doctor - Check system configuration

Next Steps

Getting Started

Complete setup guide for first-time users

Workflows

Learn about pentest workflows and methodologies