PyRIT Shell - Interactive Command Line

PyRIT Shell - Interactive Command Line#

PyRIT Shell provides an interactive REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) for running AI red teaming scenarios with fast execution and session-based result tracking.

Quick Start#

Start the shell:

pyrit_shell

With startup options:

# Set default database for all runs
pyrit_shell --database InMemory

# Set default log level
pyrit_shell --log-level DEBUG

# Load initializers at startup
pyrit_shell --initializers openai_objective_target

# Load custom initialization scripts
pyrit_shell --initialization-scripts ./my_config.py

Available Commands#

Once in the shell, you have access to:

Command

Description

list-scenarios

List all available scenarios

list-initializers

List all available initializers

run <scenario> [options]

Run a scenario with optional parameters

scenario-history

List all previous scenario runs in this session

print-scenario [N]

Print detailed results for scenario run(s)

help [command]

Show help for a command

clear

Clear the screen

exit (or quit, q)

Exit the shell

Running Scenarios#

The run command executes scenarios with the same options as pyrit_scan:

Basic Usage#

pyrit> run foundry_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target

With Strategies#

pyrit> run encoding_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target --strategies base64 rot13

pyrit> run foundry_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target -s jailbreak crescendo

With Runtime Parameters#

# Set concurrency and retries
pyrit> run foundry_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target --max-concurrency 10 --max-retries 3

# Add memory labels for tracking
pyrit> run encoding_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target --memory-labels '{\"experiment\":\"test1\",\"version\":\"v2\"}'

Override Defaults Per-Run#

# Override database and log level for this run only
pyrit> run encoding_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target --database InMemory --log-level DEBUG

Run Command Options#

--initializers <name> ...       Built-in initializers to run before the scenario (REQUIRED)
--initialization-scripts <...>  Custom Python scripts to run before the scenario (alternative)
--strategies, -s <s1> <s2> ...  Strategy names to use
--max-concurrency <N>           Maximum concurrent operations
--max-retries <N>               Maximum retry attempts
--memory-labels <JSON>          JSON string of labels
--database <type>               Override default database (InMemory, SQLite, AzureSQL)
--log-level <level>             Override default log level (DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL)

Session History#

Track and review all scenario runs in your session:

# Show all runs from this session
pyrit> scenario-history

# Print details of the most recent run
pyrit> print-scenario

# Print details of a specific run (by number from history)
pyrit> print-scenario 1

# Print all runs
pyrit> print-scenario

Example output:

pyrit> scenario-history

Scenario Run History:
================================================================================
1) foundry_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target --strategies base64
2) encoding_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target --strategies rot13
3) foundry_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target -s jailbreak
================================================================================

Total runs: 3

Use 'print-scenario <number>' to view detailed results for a specific run.

Interactive Exploration#

The shell excels at interactive testing workflows:

# Start shell with defaults
pyrit_shell --database InMemory --initializers openai_objective_target

# Quick exploration
pyrit> list-scenarios
pyrit> run encoding_scenario --strategies base64
pyrit> run encoding_scenario --strategies rot13
pyrit> run encoding_scenario --strategies morse_code

# Review and compare
pyrit> scenario-history
pyrit> print-scenario 1
pyrit> print-scenario 2

Shell Benefits#

  • Fast Execution: PyRIT modules load once at startup (typically 5-10 seconds), making subsequent commands instant

  • Session Tracking: All runs are stored in history for easy comparison

  • Interactive Workflow: Perfect for iterative testing and debugging

  • Persistent Context: Default settings apply across multiple runs

  • Tab Completion: Command and argument completion (if supported by your terminal)

Tips#

  1. Set defaults at startup to avoid repeating options:

    pyrit_shell --database InMemory --log-level INFO

  2. Use short strategy aliases with -s:

    pyrit> run foundry_scenario --initializers openai_objective_target -s base64 rot13

  3. Review history regularly to track what you’ve tested:

    pyrit> scenario-history

  4. Print specific results to compare outcomes:

    pyrit> print-scenario 1  # baseline run
pyrit> print-scenario 3  # modified run

Exit the Shell#

pyrit> exit

Or use quit or q.

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