Tentacles

Tentacles are Cracken's execution layer. Install one on infrastructure you control to bring real security tools, terminals, browsers, and Vessels close to the systems you are authorized to assess while the operation remains orchestrated from Cracken.

Prerequisites

• A Cracken realm where you can manage Tentacles.
• A dedicated assessment host that can reach Cracken and the authorized targets.
• Permission to run the selected deployment method and expose any ports required by the engagement.
• Docker, Docker Compose, or Podman when you choose the recommended sandboxed deployment.

At a glance

• Execute where the target is reachable — place a Tentacle in the right network segment, cloud, lab, or customer environment.
• Use real security tooling — run command-line tools, interactive terminals, browser automation, and manual browser takeover.
• Keep execution under your control — choose a sandboxed container, a native LOTL binary, or an account-gated Covert deployment.
• Control the network path — use the host route, a customer proxy, or WireGuard egress.
• Bring evidence back to the operation — logs, files, and results return to the shared operation record.

Choose a deployment method

Method	Use when	What you get
Sandbox	The default for most assessment hosts.	A repeatable Docker or Podman deployment isolated from the host, with Compose and one-off run options.
LOTL	Containers are unavailable and your team has an operator-managed native deployment procedure.	A raw native executable that runs directly on the host without a container runtime.
Covert	The engagement requires the lowest available host footprint.	An account-gated deployment for specialized engagements; contact sales@cracken.ai to enable it.

The sandboxed method is recommended because security tooling can make network connections, open browser sessions, and change files inside its execution environment. LOTL runs directly on the host with no container isolation, so use it only on infrastructure dedicated to the engagement.

Install a Tentacle

1. Open your realm and select Tentacles.
2. Click New Tentacle.
3. Choose Sandbox, LOTL, or an enabled deployment method.
4. For a sandboxed install, choose the generated Script, Docker Compose, Docker run, or Podman path.
5. If the engagement requires custom ports or routed egress, open Advanced configuration and apply the settings before copying the command.
6. Run the generated sandbox artifact on the dedicated assessment host.
7. For LOTL, download the executable for the host platform, then have your account administrator supply its credential, environment, service registration, and lifecycle procedure. The download by itself does not connect a Tentacle.
8. Return to Cracken and wait for the completed deployment to show Ready.

Generated commands and artifacts contain an enrollment credential that authorizes a new Tentacle. Store them as secrets and do not paste them into chats, logs, tickets, or operation output. Generating another command does not revoke an earlier one. If a command is exposed, stop using it and ask your administrator or Cracken support to revoke the associated credential; if it has already connected, delete that Tentacle from Cracken to revoke its active key.

The LOTL control downloads a raw executable for an advanced, operator-managed setup. It does not provide the credential environment or register the binary as a service. Use the deployment procedure maintained by your account administrator, or contact your Cracken account representative. Use Sandbox when that native-host procedure is not available.

Install with an AI agent

You can ask a tool-capable coding agent running on the assessment host to follow the public install flow. Paste this prompt into the agent:

Install a Cracken Tentacle on this host with the best sandbox and runtime for it.
Read https://documentation.cracken.ai/tentacles, briefly explain how it works and why,
then install it and confirm the Tentacle reaches Ready.

Configure network egress

The Advanced configuration section supports a customer-provided proxy or WireGuard connection for supported install methods. Apply the settings before running the command; changing them generates a replacement command but does not revoke commands generated earlier.

See Tentacle Deployment and Networking for the generated command shapes, runtime environment reference, direct, proxy, and WireGuard options, and deployment-safety guidance.

Confirm readiness and placement

The Tentacle list shows the state that matters for operations:

• Preparing — the host is connected but setup is still finishing.
• Ready — the Tentacle can accept operation work.
• Offline — Cracken cannot currently use the Tentacle.

Start work only after the selected Tentacle shows Ready. When several Tentacles are ready, select one explicitly when the network location, operating system, or installed toolset matters; otherwise Cracken can select an available Tentacle for the realm.

A Tentacle belongs to one realm at a time. Reassigning a ready Tentacle moves it to the target realm and ends its active execution sessions.

What a Tentacle can do

Once ready, a Tentacle can:

• run command-line security tools against authorized targets
• launch isolated Bash, Python, and Browser Vessels
• provide an interactive terminal and manual browser takeover
• expose the host ports selected during installation
• receive specialized, installable Tentacle Tools
• return logs, files, artifacts, and results to the operation

This makes the Tentacle more than a remote runner: it is the controlled bridge between Cracken's operation intelligence and the real environment being assessed.

Update or remove a Tentacle

Do not update or remove a Tentacle while it is running an operation. Keep the artifact and lifecycle information for the method you deploy:

• Script — save the update and uninstall commands printed when the installer finishes. The script-managed install owns those lifecycle instructions.
• Docker Compose — keep docker-compose.yaml. From its directory, update with docker compose pull && docker compose up -d; remove the deployment with docker compose down --volumes.
• Docker run or Podman run — keep the generated command and container name. To update, stop and remove the existing container, pull the current image, and rerun an authorized current command. To uninstall, stop and remove the named container.
• LOTL — use the account administrator's native service procedure to replace the executable and restart the service, or to stop the service and remove its executable, environment, and service registration. The raw download does not generate lifecycle commands.

When retiring any connected deployment, delete its Tentacle entry in Cracken after stopping the runtime. Deletion revokes that Tentacle's active credential; generating a new install command does not.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
The install command fails	Confirm the selected runtime is running, the host has outbound access, and the command is current.
The Tentacle remains Preparing	Review the generated install logs and confirm the host can reach Cracken.
The Tentacle is Offline	Confirm the host and runtime are running, then use the recovery instructions from the installation flow.
Browser takeover is unavailable	Confirm the takeover port was included in Advanced configuration and is allowed by the host firewall.
The observed egress path is wrong	Stop testing, generate a replacement command with the approved proxy or WireGuard settings, and have the obsolete credential revoked before continuing.

Next steps

• Tentacle Deployment — use the generated install methods and configure direct, proxy, or WireGuard egress.
• Vessels — review the environments a Tentacle launches.
• Tentacle Tools — add specialized tooling to a Tentacle.
• Deployment — run Cracken inside your infrastructure.