CAP File Documentation

Overview

Feature Value
File Extension .cap
Format Type Binary
Primary Use Network Packet Capture
MIME Type application/vnd.tcpdump.pcap
Developed by Various network tools' developers
Supported by Wireshark, Tcpdump, and many other network analysis tools
Compression None by default, can be compressed using external tools
Encryption Not natively supported, can be encrypted using external tools
Includes Timestamps Yes
Payload Data Can capture entire packet content
Filtering Capability Dependent on the tool used for capture
Editable Yes, with appropriate tools
Operating Systems Multi-platform (Windows, Linux, MacOS)
Typical File Size Varies widely based on capture duration and network traffic volume
Capture Mode Can operate in promiscuous mode
Metadata Stored Yes (e.g., network protocol version, capture length)
Real-Time Analysis Supported by some tools
Multi-Interface Capture Supported by some tools
File Signature Varies (depends on the specific CAP format version/type)
Use Cases Network troubleshooting, security analysis, application debugging