The gist

Maigret is an open-source OSINT tool that collects a dossier on a person using only their username. It automates searching thousands of websites for social media accounts and other online profiles, solving a common reconnaissance problem for cybersecurity professionals and investigators. It operates without requiring API keys, making it broadly accessible.

What it does

Searches for a username across more than 3,000 websites.
Extracts publicly available information and links from profile pages.
Performs recursive searches using usernames and IDs discovered during a scan.
Generates reports in multiple formats, including PDF, HTML, JSON, and CSV.
Provides a self-hosted web interface for browsing results as an interactive graph.
Summarizes findings with an optional AI analysis mode via an OpenAI-compatible API.

How it works

A user provides a username via the command-line interface. Maigret queries its database of sites, scrapes public profile pages for data, and outputs the findings. It can be installed as a Python package, run as a standalone executable, or deployed via Docker. The tool is open-source and free, with options to export structured reports.

Best for

Maigret is best for OSINT analysts, penetration testers, and researchers who need to quickly discover a person's online presence across a vast number of platforms starting with just a single username.

Watch out for

Site integrations can break over time and require maintenance, potentially leading to failed checks for some websites. The tool's effectiveness can be limited by anti-bot measures like CAPTCHAs and Cloudflare, though it includes experimental bypass features.