aeondave/cyberchef

CyberChef

CyberChef is ideal for rapid transformation pipelines: decode, inspect, branch, and iterate without writing throwaway scripts first.

Core use in crypto/reversing

• Unwrap nested encodings (Base64/Hex/URL/gzip/rot/XOR).
• Test candidate keys/IVs quickly for block/stream ciphers.
• Analyze unknown blobs via Magic before custom code.
• Export reproducible recipes through URL hash or saved JSON.

High-value workflow

1. Load input (text, hex dump, file).
2. Start with Magic and inspect suggestions.
3. Build explicit recipe chain (avoid blind overfitting).
4. Add breakpoints and step through each operation.
5. Export URL/recipe JSON for reproducibility and script handoff.

Deep-link format

CyberChef supports URL recipes:

https://gchq.github.io/CyberChef/#recipe=<Ops>&input=<Base64Input>

This is useful for teammate handoff and agent reproducibility.

Local/offline options

• Browser app is client-side by design.
• For isolated environments, run local Docker image and use local browser access.

Automation bridge

When recipe stabilizes and must be automated at scale:

• Move from web recipe to CyberChef Node API (chef.bake) or to Python equivalents.
• Keep operation order and arguments identical.

Browser interaction note

CyberChef is a web-first tool. If interactive browser steps are required and cannot be executed automatically in the current environment, request user-assisted interaction (e.g., upload input blob, verify candidate recipe output).

Resources

• references/web-workflows.md — practical browser workflow, Magic usage, breakpoints, recipe sharing, and validation strategy.
• references/node-api-handoff.md — converting web recipes into programmatic Node API (chef, Dish, bake) for agentic automation.