Web Application Analysisencoderdecoderhexadecimalurlbase64

hURL

hURL is a hexadecimal and URL encoder/decoder tool for handling encoding tasks in cybersecurity. It supports base64, URL single/double encoding and decoding operations.

Description

hURL is a command-line utility designed for encoding and decoding hexadecimal and URL strings, essential for web application testing and penetration testing workflows. It provides quick transformations between encoded and decoded formats, aiding in payload crafting, obfuscation analysis, and data manipulation during security assessments.

Common use cases include decoding base64 strings from network captures, URL-decoding parameters in web requests, and encoding inputs to bypass filters. The tool supports both interactive menu-driven mode and direct command-line flags for efficient operation in scripts or terminal sessions.

As part of Kali Linux tools, hURL is lightweight with minimal dependencies like libcgi-pm-perl and perl, making it suitable for rapid deployment in forensic analysis or exploit development contexts.

How It Works

hURL processes input strings or files using Perl-based encoding/decoding algorithms for hexadecimal, URL percent-encoding (single and double layers), and base64 transformations. It applies standard RFC-compliant methods: URL encoding replaces special characters with %XX hex sequences, base64 uses MIME encoding, with options for colored output, suppression of headers, and file batch processing.

Installation

bash

sudo apt install hurl

Flags

-M|--menuMenu-driven GUI

-U|--URLURL encode

-u|--urluRL decode

-D|--DURLDouble URL encode

-d|--durldouble URL decode

-B|--BASE64Base64 encode

-b|--base64base64 decode

--color|--nocolorenable/disable colored output [default is ENABLED]

--corelandisplay corelan reference

--helpdisplays help

--mandisplays extended help with examples

--versiondisplays version information

-ssuppress (display result only)

-f|--file <file1>,<file2>use file(s) as input

Examples

Decode the given base64-encoded string and display the result: Original string :: S2FsaSBMaW51eAo= base64 DEcoded string :: Kali Linux

hURL -b "S2FsaSBMaW51eAo="

Menu-driven GUI

/usr/bin/hURL -M

URL encode 'hello world'

/usr/bin/hURL -U "hello world"

uRL decode 'hello%20world'

/usr/bin/hURL -u "hello%20world"

Double URL encode 'hello world'

/usr/bin/hURL -D "hello world"

double URL decode 'hello%2520world'

/usr/bin/hURL -d "hello%2520world"

Base64 encode 'hello world'

/usr/bin/hURL -B "hello world"

base64 decode 'aGVsbG8gd29ybGQ='

/usr/bin/hURL -b "aGVsbG8gd29ybGQ="

Updated 2026-04-16kali.org ↗