Methods / L4 / TCP-KILL
L4 · NetworkTCPMulti-vectorEvasiveVolumetric
TCP-KILL stress test
Runs an aggressive multi-stage TCP chain that mixes flag and state patterns to stress every part of your TCP defense at once.
How it works
This method executes a layered TCP chain that combines several segment types and connection states in one run instead of a single flag pattern. By shifting between vectors it probes for gaps where a mitigation handles one TCP behavior well but stumbles on another, pressuring connection tables, scrubbing logic, and upstream capacity together. Use it as a worst-case TCP stress check on infrastructure you control after the single-vector methods pass.
Parameters
rate600k ppsAggregate packet rate across the chain
vectorsmixed flags/statesCombination of TCP segment types cycled in
portany TCP portDestination port on the test target
duration10-600 sLength of the chained run
Run it from the CLI
retro-cli
$ retro run tcp-kill --target 203.0.113.45 --port 443 --duration 120
TCP-KILL FAQ
Is TCP-KILL testing legal?+
Only against infrastructure you own or are authorized to test. RETRO//STRESS requires authorized targets.
What does TCP-KILL stress?+
Runs an aggressive multi-stage TCP chain that mixes flag and state patterns to stress every part of your TCP defense at once.
Can I combine it with other methods?+
Yes, add it as a step in a packet chain to sequence it with other protocols.