Real-Time Certificate Monitoring with GungNear: Instant Domain Discovery

Security professionals and web monitoring enthusiasts have a powerful new tool at their disposal. GungNear, a custom-built solution for Certificate Transparency (CT) log monitoring, offers near-instantaneous notification of new domain certificates.

The tool follows the Unix philosophy of simplicity and focused functionality, specifically targeting CT log scraping with impressive efficiency. While similar to existing tools like “searched out as H” (referenced in the original source), GungNear comes with pre-configured databases and optimizations that set it apart.

What makes GungNear particularly valuable is its speed. The tool can detect and notify users of new domains within seconds of certificate creation – typically under 20 seconds from when a certificate is issued. This provides an unprecedented level of real-time visibility into new web services as they come online.

The system employs intelligent rate limiting through exponential backoffs to prevent being blocked by certificate authorities while maintaining its ability to quickly catch up with new entries. This ensures continuous monitoring without interruption.

Perhaps most impressively, GungNear can detect any new service that uses a legitimate certificate authority-backed certificate, regardless of where it’s deployed. This universal coverage means organizations can maintain complete visibility of their expanding attack surface or monitor competitor activities with remarkable efficiency.

For security researchers, penetration testers, and organizations concerned with their digital footprint, GungNear represents a significant advancement in certificate monitoring technology that combines speed, reliability, and comprehensive coverage.