The Google OSINT Gap—and How GHunt Bridges It

Every security analyst knows the pain of extracting actionable intelligence from Google’s sprawling ecosystem. Official APIs are throttled, rate‑limited, and often require costly enterprise subscriptions. Meanwhile, manual browsing leaves you with fragmented data, no export options, and a constant risk of account bans.

Enter GHunt – an offensive Google framework built for efficiency, flexibility, and privacy. By combining a fully asynchronous CLI, a Python library, and a browser extension for seamless login, GHunt empowers researchers to harvest, parse, and export Google‑related data without the overhead of proprietary tools.

Why Choose GHunt?

• Zero Vendor Lock‑in – All components are open source and run locally, so you retain full control over your data and workflow.
• Async‑First Architecture – Parallel requests dramatically speed up large‑scale investigations, saving hours of manual work.
• Multi‑Mode Access – Use the CLI, import the library into your own scripts, or leverage the browser extension for a frictionless login experience.
• JSON Export – Every module can output clean, structured JSON, ready for downstream analysis or integration with SIEMs.
• Python 3.13 Ready – Modern language features and type‑hints keep the codebase maintainable and future‑proof.
• Dependency Isolation with pipx – Install GHunt in an isolated virtual environment, avoiding conflicts with other Python projects.

Spotlight on Key Features

Getting Started

1. Install via pipx (recommended)

pip3 install pipx
pipx ensurepath
pipx install ghunt

pipx creates an isolated virtual environment, preventing dependency clashes with other Python tools.

2. Authenticate

ghunt login

Choose one of the three login methods:

1. Companion (listening mode) – Starts a local listener; complete login in the browser extension.
2. Paste base64‑encoded cookies – Quick copy‑paste for already‑captured sessions.
3. Manual entry – Enter all required cookies manually.

The companion extension is available in the Chrome Web Store and Microsoft Edge Add‑ons.

3. Run a Module (example: email lookup)

ghunt email [email protected] --json user_data.json

The command authenticates, queries Google’s public endpoints, and writes a structured JSON file with the email’s profile data.

4. Use the Library in Your Code

from ghunt import Email

result = Email("[email protected]").run()
print(result.json())

Now you can embed GHunt’s capabilities into custom pipelines, dashboards, or threat‑intel platforms.

Comparison with Proprietary Alternatives

GHunt shines when you need high‑volume, scriptable OSINT without paying per‑request fees or being tied to a proprietary UI.

Call to Action

Ready to take control of Google‑centric investigations? Dive in, contribute, and make the most of a truly open‑source OSINT stack.

• Try GHunt now: https://github.com/mxrch/GHunt
• Star the repository: https://github.com/mxrch/GHunt
• Read the docs & examples: GitHub Docs

Disclaimer: GHunt is intended for educational and legitimate security research purposes only. The authors are not responsible for any misuse.

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