What language is used for NMAP scripting?

• A. Lua
• B. Java
• C. Python
• D. C++

Answer: (A)

Nmap scripting uses Lua. The Nmap Scripting Engine embeds a Lua interpreter and runs scripts written in Lua, which gives these scripts access to Nmap’s APIs for hosts, ports, and scan results while keeping the execution sandboxed and safe. This combination—Lua’s lightweight, embeddable nature plus a rich, restricted environment inside Nmap—makes it ideal for quickly adding discovery, vulnerability checks, and automation without heavy dependencies. Other languages like Java, Python, or C++ aren’t used for NSE scripting. You write and run these Lua scripts with the NSE framework (for example, via --script), leveraging the API that exposes scan data to the scripts.