Remove / Deprecate ARE (Attack Runtime Engine)

[stephenakq]

This ticket proposes removing the ARE (Attack Runtime Engine) functionality from BeEF as part of a deliberate effort to reduce overall framework complexity.

ARE appears to be legacy, lightly used, and no longer well aligned with BeEF’s current architecture. Its continued presence increases cognitive, architectural, and maintenance complexity without providing commensurate value.

Scope of Work

Server-side

• Remove ARE-specific Ruby classes, helpers, and initialisers
• Remove ARE references from:
  • config.yaml
  • Module loading / dispatch logic
  • API endpoints or handlers (if present)

Client-side

• Remove the beef.are JavaScript namespace and assets
• Eliminate ARE hooks from:
  • Initialisation flow
  • Command execution paths
  • Updater / polling logic

Modules

• Audit command modules for ARE dependencies
• Either:
  • Refactor to use standard execution paths, or
  • Remove deprecated / unused modules

Documentation

• Remove all ARE references from:
  • Wiki
  • README / INSTALL docs
  • Inline comments
• Add a CHANGELOG entry explaining the removal as a complexity-reduction step

Backwards Compatibility

This is a breaking change.

Recommended handling:

• Immediate removal with clear release notes and migration guidance

Acceptance Criteria

• BeEF runs cleanly with no ARE code present
• No references to beef.are remain in JavaScript or Ruby
• Existing non-ARE command modules function normally
• Documentation accurately reflects the simplified architecture

[github-actions]

This issue as been marked as stale due to inactivity and will be closed in 7 days