Freedom251 › Breach and Attack Simulation Software
PurpleSharp
What PurpleSharp is
PurpleSharp is a free, open-source C# tool for simulating adversary activity in Windows Active Directory environments. Its simulations generate telemetry that detection teams can use to develop analytics, assess detection resilience, find visibility gaps, and identify issues in event logging pipelines. The documentation covers 47 unique MITRE ATT&CK techniques, including execution, persistence, privilege escalation, credential access, lateral movement, discovery, and defense evasion. JSON playbooks can combine techniques and specify variations or technique-specific parameters. Local runs use an interactive session after the assembly is copied to the host. Remote simulations use Windows SMB and RPC and require administrative credentials on the target, plus network access to TCP ports 445 and 135. Scout tasks can collect audit policy, event subscription and PowerShell logging settings, running processes, and services from remote hosts. PurpleSharp can export supported techniques to an ATT&CK Navigator layer or import a layer file to create a JSON playbook. It normally removes artifacts created by certain techniques after a simulation; a no-cleanup option skips that phase. The documentation identifies the August 2021 release, v1.3, as the latest version.
Who it suits
It suits Windows Active Directory detection teams that want to simulate mapped techniques and inspect generated telemetry. Remote use requires administrative credentials and connectivity to the stated SMB and RPC ports.
What it does well
- Covers 47 MITRE ATT&CK techniques.
- JSON playbooks support multi-technique simulations.
- Includes scout tasks for remote settings and processes.
- Supports ATT&CK Navigator layer import and export.
- Free and open-source under BSD 3-Clause.
What to know first
- Latest documented release is from August 2021.
- Remote simulation requires administrative credentials.
- Remote access requires TCP ports 445 and 135.
- Requires .NET Framework 4.5.
Getting started
- Open the PurpleSharp documentation website.
- Build the project with Visual Studio Community 2019 or 2020, or use the linked latest-release binary.
- For a local simulation, copy the PurpleSharp assembly to the host and start an interactive session.
- For remote simulations, prepare administrative credentials and network access to TCP ports 445 and 135.
- Create or import a JSON playbook, optionally using an ATT&CK Navigator layer.
Verdict
PurpleSharp provides configurable local and remote simulations for Windows Active Directory detection work. Its documented release is from August 2021, and remote runs have specific credential and network requirements.
Questions
Is PurpleSharp free?
Yes. PurpleSharp is offered as a free tool.
Which platforms does it support?
It is self-hosted for Windows.
Is PurpleSharp open source?
Yes. The project is licensed under the BSD 3-Clause License.
What does it require?
The maker's README says .NET Framework 4.5 is required. It can be built with Visual Studio Community 2019 or 2020.
Can PurpleSharp run simulations remotely?
Yes. Remote simulations use Windows SMB and RPC and require administrative credentials on the target, plus connectivity to TCP ports 445 and 135.
How does it work with ATT&CK Navigator?
It can export a layer of supported techniques or import a layer file to create a JSON simulation playbook.
Facts from PurpleSharp's own pages
- Attack Range
- The demos page includes an item titled “Attack Range + PurpleSharp Integration.” · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- ATT&CK coverage
- The documentation says PurpleSharp supports 47 unique MITRE ATT&CK techniques across the attack life cycle. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- ATT&CK Navigator integration
- PurpleSharp can export an ATT&CK Navigator layer of supported techniques and import a layer file to create a JSON simulation playbook. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Build and download
- The quick start says PurpleSharp can be built with Visual Studio Community 2019 or 2020 and links to a latest-release binary. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Cleanup
- PurpleSharp normally removes artifacts created by certain techniques after a simulation, while its no-cleanup option skips that cleanup phase. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Cleanup behavior
- PurpleSharp normally deletes artifacts created by certain techniques after a simulation; the /nocleanup option skips cleanup for the relevant technique. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Integration
- PurpleSharp integrates with MITRE ATT&CK Navigator to export a layer of supported techniques or import a layer into a JSON simulation playbook. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- License
- The GitHub README says the project is licensed under the BSD 3-Clause License. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Local deployment
- Local simulations run through an interactive session, and the documentation says the requirement is to copy the PurpleSharp assembly to the host. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Playbooks
- JSON playbooks can define multi-technique simulations, variations, and technique-specific parameters. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- PurpleSharp is an open-source C# adversary simulation tool for Windows Active Directory environments. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Reconnaissance
- Scout tasks can retrieve remote audit policy, Windows Event Subscription settings, PowerShell logging settings, running processes, and running services. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Release currency
- The documentation identifies the August 2021 release as the latest version, and GitHub lists that release as v1.3. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Remote deployment
- Remote simulations use native Windows SMB and RPC features to reach remote hosts. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Remote requirements
- Remote simulation requires administrative credentials on the target and network connectivity to SMB TCP port 445 and RPC TCP port 135. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- The maker's GitHub README says .NET Framework 4.5 is required and that the project can be built with Visual Studio Community 2019 or 2020. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- The documentation thanks the community as a source of ideas and feedback and names Mauricio Velazco as an author. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Use cases
- It generates attack telemetry to help detection teams build and test analytics, validate detection resiliency, find visibility gaps, and identify event logging pipeline issues. · purplesharp.com, 7 Oct 2026