OSSEC (Open Source HIDS SECurity) is a free, open-source host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS).
Publisher’s description
What is OSSEC HIDS?
OSSEC HIDS is an open-source cleaners & uninstaller program for Windows from OSSEC. It ranks 1st by popularity among cleaners & uninstallers in this catalogue. It is written in C.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 32-bit as EXE (NSIS). The main installer is 1.7 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. It needs Windows 10 or newer. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 3.7.0, released on August 1, 2022. 2 versions are listed since October 6, 2021, each with links to its own installer files. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 73,436 times. The source code on GitHub (ossec/ossec-hids) has 5,068 stars. Similar programs include CCleaner 7, Windows Memory Cleaner and IObit Uninstaller.
Project description on GitHub: “OSSEC is an Open Source Host-based Intrusion Detection System that performs log analysis, file integrity checking, policy monitoring, rootkit detection, real-time alerting and active response.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Small download (1.7 MB)
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- Installation needs administrator rights
- No update for more than a year
In short: OSSEC HIDS is an open-source cleaners & uninstaller tool for 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is OSSEC HIDS safe to download?
- The file is served by updates.atomicorp.com; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
862B31FD64C70C760278A0D5408032E26DC6814A1AE24D64B5F3AE0EE2B343A4· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the ossec/ossec-hids repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Security policy10
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Fuzzing10
- Licence declared10
- No binaries in the repository8
- Signed releases8
- Static code analysis7
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge2
- Code review0
- Restricted token permissions0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Branch protection0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 2 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7.0Latest | August 1, 2022 | 1.7 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3.6.0 | October 6, 2021 | 1.6 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id OSSEC.OSSECAgent -echoco install ossec-agent -yossec-agent-win32-3.7.0-24343.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- OSSEC
- Category
- Cleaners & uninstallers
- Licence
- GNU General Public License (version 2)
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/ossec/ossec-hids
- Written in
- C
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Version
- 3.7.0
- Released
- August 1, 2022
- Added to the catalogue
- October 6, 2021
- Versions listed
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 73,436
- Downloads on ExeAtlas
- 1
- GitHub stars
- 5,068
- GitHub forks
- 1,076
- Website
- ossec.net
- winget ID
- OSSEC.OSSECAgent
- Chocolatey package
- ossec-agent
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to OSSEC HIDS
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Free63K ↓ -
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CCEnhancer4.5.7CCEnhancer is a small tool which adds support for over 1,000 new programs into the popular program CCleaner. The tool uses the winapp2.ini system built into CCleaner to easily add new rules and definitions for programs.Free167.6K ↓ - RegistryChangesView1.31A tool to take a snapshot of Windows Registry and compare with another Registry snapshots.Free23.1K ↓
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O&O RegEditor16.1.6660Enables easy and efficient editing of the Windows Registry, supported by a portable version that requires no installation.Proprietary23.4K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is OSSEC HIDS free?
Yes. OSSEC HIDS is open-source software under the GNU General Public License (version 2) licence.
Is OSSEC HIDS safe to download?
The download comes from updates.atomicorp.com; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install OSSEC HIDS with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can OSSEC HIDS be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Which Windows versions does OSSEC HIDS support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for 32-bit.
Does OSSEC HIDS run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of OSSEC HIDS?
The versions page lists all 2 versions with links to their official installer files, back to October 6, 2021.
What are alternatives to OSSEC HIDS?
CCleaner 7, Windows Memory Cleaner, IObit Uninstaller, Geek Uninstaller and Revo Uninstaller Pro. The alternatives page compares them.
