Pikachu is a vulnerable web application platform designed for learning web security and penetration testing.
The platform addresses the need for a safe, controlled environment where security learners can practice identifying and exploiting common web vulnerabilities. It implements this by providing a deliberately vulnerable PHP-based web application containing multiple vulnerability types including brute force attacks, cross-site scripting, SQL injection, remote code execution, file inclusion, unsafe file uploads and downloads, privilege escalation, directory traversal, XML external entity attacks, server-side request forgery, and insecure URL redirects. Each vulnerability type includes different variations and scenarios with hints available to guide learners through exploitation and understanding.
Pikachu suits developers and security professionals who are learning penetration testing and need a practice environment. The platform works best for those who want to understand vulnerabilities by creating them in code, exploiting them, and then fixing them. It requires a standard PHP, MySQL, and web server setup, making it accessible to anyone comfortable with basic infrastructure deployment. The README notes that the project is now in a dormant state and recommends that users transition to a newer Java and Spring-based alternative for continued development and modern technology practices.
The project shows minimal ongoing development activity, with the maintainer explicitly marking the platform as dormant in the README and directing users toward a successor project built on contemporary frameworks. No recent updates or active maintenance are evident in the repository.
