maigret — Username OSINT Investigation Tool

Introduction

maigret is a Python-based OSINT tool that searches for accounts associated with a given username across thousands of websites. It is a successor to Sherlock with a much larger site database and additional features like profile page parsing and recursive username extraction.

What maigret Does

• Searches for a username across 2500+ websites simultaneously
• Parses found profile pages to extract additional personal information
• Generates reports in HTML, PDF, JSON, CSV, and plain text formats
• Discovers alternate usernames from found profiles and searches those recursively
• Supports proxy and Tor routing for anonymous investigations

Architecture Overview

maigret is built in Python using asyncio and aiohttp for high-concurrency HTTP requests. It maintains a database of site definitions (URL patterns, response indicators) in a JSON-based format. The tool sends requests in parallel, analyzes responses using configurable detection methods (status codes, page content, redirects), and optionally parses profile pages using BeautifulSoup to extract structured data.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install via pip or pipx on any system with Python 3.8+
• Site database updates are pulled from the project repository automatically
• Configure proxy settings via command-line flags or environment variables
• Adjust concurrency limits for rate-limiting-sensitive targets
• Custom site definitions can be added to extend the search database

Key Features

• Database of 2500+ sites, significantly larger than similar tools
• Recursive search: finds alternate usernames from discovered profiles
• Profile page parsing extracts names, bios, links, and other metadata
• Multiple output formats including interactive HTML reports
• Supports tags to filter searches by site category (social, coding, dating, etc.)

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Sherlock — original username checker; maigret has a larger database and adds profile parsing
• WhatsMyName — web-based username enumeration; maigret is CLI-first with richer output
• Holehe — checks if an email is registered on sites; maigret focuses on usernames
• Maltego — commercial OSINT platform; maigret is free and CLI-focused
• SpiderFoot — automated OSINT scanner; maigret specializes in username-based recon

FAQ

Q: How many websites does maigret check? A: The built-in database covers over 2500 websites and is regularly updated by the community.

Q: Can maigret be used through Tor? A: Yes. Use the --tor flag to route all requests through the Tor network for anonymity.

Q: Does maigret respect rate limits? A: You can configure concurrency and delay settings. Some sites may still block aggressive scanning.

Q: Is maigret legal to use? A: maigret queries publicly available information. Legality depends on your jurisdiction and the purpose of the investigation. Always use it responsibly and with proper authorization.

Sources

• https://github.com/soxoj/maigret
• https://maigret.readthedocs.io