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Listeners are the communication channels through which Havoc agents (Demons) connect back to the teamserver. They handle incoming connections from deployed agents and manage bidirectional command and control traffic.

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Listener Types

Havoc Framework supports multiple listener types to accommodate different operational scenarios:

HTTP/HTTPS

Standard web-based listeners for external agent communication with customizable profiles

SMB

Named pipe listeners for internal lateral movement and peer-to-peer communication

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How Listeners Work

Listeners are configured in your Havoc profile (.yaotl file) and automatically start when the teamserver launches. Each listener type serves a specific purpose:

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HTTP/HTTPS Listeners

HTTP/HTTPS listeners bind to network interfaces and handle agent callbacks over HTTP or HTTPS protocols. They support:
  • Multiple callback hosts with rotation strategies
  • Custom headers and URIs for traffic shaping
  • TLS/SSL encryption for secure communications
  • Proxy support for agents behind corporate proxies
  • Customizable response headers for evasion

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SMB Listeners

SMB listeners enable peer-to-peer communication between agents using named pipes. They’re primarily used for:
  • Lateral movement within networks
  • Communication with agents that cannot directly reach the teamserver
  • Establishing parent-child agent relationships
  • Operating in environments with strict egress filtering

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Profile Configuration

Listeners are defined in the Listeners block of your profile: 
Listeners {
    Http {
        Name = "Primary HTTP Listener"
        Hosts = ["teamserver.example.com"]
        PortBind = 443
        PortConn = 443
        Secure = true
        // Additional options...
    }

    Smb {
        Name = "Pivot Listener"
        PipeName = "msagent_pipe"
    }
}

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Operational Considerations

Always use Secure = true for HTTP listeners in production environments to encrypt agent communications with TLS.

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Kill Dates and Working Hours

Both HTTP and SMB listeners support operational security features:
  • KillDate: Automatically terminate agent operations after a specified date/time
  • WorkingHours: Restrict agent callbacks to specific time windows (e.g., business hours)
These features help agents blend in with normal network traffic and prevent discovery after operation completion.

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Listener Management

Listeners can be:
  • Started automatically from your profile at teamserver launch
  • Added dynamically through the Havoc client interface
  • Stopped and restarted without interrupting active agents
  • Edited to update headers, URIs, and other configuration options

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Next Steps

HTTP/HTTPS Configuration

Learn about all HTTP/HTTPS listener options and configuration examples

SMB Configuration

Configure SMB listeners for lateral movement scenarios

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