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Quick Start

This guide walks you through setting up Cracken and getting started with security assessments.

Prerequisites​

  • An account on your Cracken instance.
  • A host for the Tentacle with outbound network access and reach to your targets.
Get Started

Visit https://app.cracken.ai to begin.

Step 1: Create a realm​

A realm organizes your operations, tentacles, and knowledge. On the Realms page, click New Realm — Cracken creates the realm immediately with the placeholder name Untitled (Untitled 2, Untitled 3, and so on when that name is taken) and opens the Set up this realm wizard. The wizard's Configure realm step replaces the placeholder; renaming it yourself from Realm Settings is optional and can be done at any time.

The wizard walks you through two steps: Install tentacle and Configure realm. Step 2 below covers the ways to install the tentacle. Once it connects, describe the asset, app, or org this realm covers and click Configure realm — Cracken launches a configuration operation that replaces the placeholder with a name derived from your system description and proposes the realm's initial scope and semi-auto policy; approve the proposal to apply it, or reject with feedback to get an adjusted one. The configuration operation only configures the realm — it does not run reconnaissance or scans. Start the actual assessment afterwards as a separate operation (Step 3).

Step 2: Install a tentacle​

A Tentacle runs your operations near the targets. You set up the Tentacle host — a machine with network reach to your targets; the Cracken app itself stays in your browser at app.cracken.ai. There are three ways to install it.

The default path is built into realm creation. In the Set up this realm wizard's Install tentacle step, run the generated one-line sandbox command on the host. Open Advanced options to choose another deployment method, configure ports or routed egress, or use a Docker Compose, Docker run, or Podman artifact instead. The wizard changes from Waiting for the tentacle to connect once the new Tentacle checks in.

The command and every generated artifact contain an enrollment credential. Treat them as secrets and do not paste them into chats, logs, tickets, or operation output.

Host requirements

The recommended Tentacle deployment uses Docker or Podman. When containers are unsuitable, LOTL can run as a native binary directly on a dedicated assessment host, but its download is for operator-managed setup rather than a self-contained installer; Covert is an account-gated minimal-footprint option for specialized engagements. Read Tentacles before choosing a host-native deployment. For routed egress, see Tentacle Networking.

Generating another setup command does not revoke a command copied earlier. If one is exposed, do not use it; ask your administrator or Cracken support to revoke its credential. If the command has already created a connected Tentacle, delete that Tentacle in Cracken to revoke its active key.

Step 3: Start hacking​

Once your Tentacle is connected and filesystem-ready, you can begin performing security assessments. The following demo shows how to investigate vulnerabilities using Cracken's workflow.

Step-by-step instructions
  1. On the Tentacles page, confirm your Tentacle shows Ready.
  2. Open the operations view (Release the Cracken) and type your goal into the prompt box — for example, "Conduct a comprehensive security assessment of http://<target>:3000/ web application" — then submit. You can also launch a pre-built playbook such as Web App Pentest.
  3. Watch the agent stream its plan under Phase 1: Initial Reconnaissance. It first runs a Cybergraph read to check the Knowledge base for existing intel on the target.
  4. When the agent proposes a shell action (e.g. an nmap scan), review it in the approval card — click Edit to adjust the command before running, or Approve to run it on the tentacle.
  5. Inspect the streamed output; results are saved automatically as an Artifact.
  6. Read the agent's analysis of the findings, then let it write them into the Knowledge base graph via Cybergraph write.
  7. Continue into follow-up phases (e.g. Phase 2: Web Application Reconnaissance), approving each proposed command.
  8. To let the agent proceed without approving every step, raise the autonomy next to the prompt — switch from Manual to Semi or Auto.

Track results in the right panel: generated Artifacts, Cybergraph Knowledge base nodes, and PDF/Markdown exports from the Outputs tab.

Important

Only perform security assessments on systems you own or have explicit written authorization to test.

Step 4: Integration Center​

The Integration Center connects Cracken with external tools and data sources to extend its capabilities.

Step-by-step instructions
  1. Open the Integration Center page.
  2. Switch between the Data Integrations, Tentacle Tools, MCP Servers, and C2 Tools tabs. Which tabs appear depends on your plan's features.
  3. Use Search tools… to filter the cards in the active tab.
  4. To install a tentacle tool, open its card and click Install — pick the realm and installation target, then confirm. Data providers instead ask for credentials and Save & Connect — see Integrations.

Next steps​

  • Operations — create assessment threads, approve actions, and inspect evidence
  • Tentacles — install options, runtime modes, and connection troubleshooting
  • Deployment — deploy Cracken inside your own infrastructure

LLM task path​

A compact version of this page for an agent executing the setup.

Prerequisites: an account on your Cracken instance; a host for the Tentacle with outbound network access and reach to your targets.

Order of actions:

  1. Create a realm — Realms → New Realm. There is no name form; Cracken creates the realm immediately with the placeholder name Untitled (Untitled 2, Untitled 3, and so on when that name is taken) and opens its onboarding wizard. Success signal: you land on /onboarding/<realmUuid>, starting with Install tentacle. Once a tentacle connects, the wizard's Configure realm step launches a configuration operation that replaces the placeholder with a name derived from your system description and proposes the realm's initial scope and semi-auto policy — approve or reject that proposal in the operation. It does not run reconnaissance; assessment work starts later as a separate operation (step 3). You can still rename the realm yourself at any time in Realm Settings.
  2. Install a Tentacle — the default is the New Realm wizard's Install tentacle step: run the generated sandbox command on the host. The command contains an enrollment credential, so keep it out of chats, logs, tickets, and operation output. Alternatives: hand the install to an AI agent, open Advanced options, or use Tentacles → New Tentacle for an existing realm. Success signal: the Tentacle shows Ready on the Tentacles page.
  3. Run an assessment — open Release the Cracken, submit a scoped task (or attach a playbook template), then approve each proposed command as it streams in — or raise the autonomy from Manual to Semi or Auto to skip per-command approval. Success signal: the right panel accumulates Artifacts and Knowledge base graph nodes.
  4. (Optional) Connect tools — Integration Center → Data Integrations tab → Install on a provider card → enter credentials → Save & Connect. Success signal: the provider card shows Configured in the Integration Center.

Next: Operations for the ledger/approval model that step 3 runs on · Tentacles for install modes and troubleshooting · MCP to drive operations from your own client instead of the web app.