Python Keylogger (Educational & Authorized Use Only)

🔗 Overview

This project is an educational example demonstrating how keyboard and mouse event listeners can be implemented in Python for authorized, ethical, and research‑oriented purposes only.

It consists of a small set of scripts that capture keystrokes and monitor mouse position, storing the output in a local text file.

This code must only be used with explicit permission from the device owner and strictly for legitimate purposes, such as cybersecurity training, usability testing, or academic study.

🤖 Introduction

A keylogger is a tool designed to record user input from a keyboard. While keyloggers are commonly associated with malicious activity, they also serve legitimate uses, including:

• Security research and threat‑analysis training;

• Forensic investigations (with proper legal authorization);

• Monitoring and debugging user interfaces;

• Accessibility and usability studies.

Because keyloggers can collect sensitive information, it is essential that this project is used only in controlled, fully authorized environments. Unauthorized use is illegal and unethical.

🖥️ Project Structure

keylogger/
│
├── main.py
│   The primary script responsible for listening to keystrokes and
│   forwarding them to the log file.
│
├── log.txt
│   The text file where all logged keyboard events are stored.
│   It is generated and updated by main.py.
│
└── listen.py
    A helper script used to track the current mouse position on the screen.

You can execute it by typing, on your command line shell, in case you are running some Linux distro:

python3 main.py

Or, in caso you are using Windows:

python main.py

🫂 Contributing

Contributions are welcome under the terms of the MIT License, which allows modification, redistribution, and commercial use with proper attribution.

Ethical guidelines for contributing:

• Do not submit features that facilitate covert, unlawful, or harmful surveillance;

• Focus on improvements related to:

  • Logging transparency;

  • Security, auditing, and consent mechanisms;

  • Code clarity and reliability;

  • Cross‑platform compatibility;

  • Testing and documentation;

• Clearly label any experimental or sensitive features;

• Ensure all additions comply with privacy laws and ethical best practices.

To contribute:

1. Fork the repository;

2. Create a descriptive branch for your feature or fix;

3. Submit a pull request with a detailed explanation of your changes.

⚠️ Watch Out!

Ethical and Legal Disclaimer

This tool is provided strictly for educational, research, and ethical cybersecurity purposes only. It is intended to help students, security professionals, and developers better understand input‑logging mechanisms in controlled and fully authorized environments.

Unauthorized or malicious use of keyloggers or any similar monitoring tools is illegal, unethical, and may result in severe consequences, including:

• Violation of privacy laws;
• Criminal prosecution;
• Civil liability;
• Permanent damage to professional reputation.

By using this project, you agree to operate it only with explicit permission from the system owner and in compliance with all applicable local, state, federal, and international laws. Misuse of this software is solely the responsibility of the user.