[Proposal] Universal Query Syntax Parser for Uncover: "Write Once, Scan Everywhere"

[hi-unc1e]

Hi ProjectDiscovery team & community 👋

I have an idea and want to share with you~~ And I would like to contribute this feature if you like it.

I'm considering developing a universal query syntax parser for Uncover to unify cross-engine search experiences. Before diving into implementation, I'd love to validate if this aligns with community needs.

Problem Statement

Currently, users must:

1. Learn different syntaxes for each engine (e.g., fofa: "Apache" && country="CN" vs shodan: apache country:CN)
2. Duplicate efforts when running the same semantic query across multiple engines
3. Current use case is like

uncover -shodan 'http.component:"Atlassian Jira"' -censys 'services.software.product=`Jira`' -fofa 'app="ATLASSIAN-JIRA"' -quake 'Jira' -hunter 'Jira' -zoomeye 'app:"Atlassian JIRA"' -netlas 'jira' -criminalip 'Jira'

Proposed Solution

A parser that:

• Allows users to write queries in one preferred syntax (e.g., FOFA-style)
• Auto-translates to other engine-specific syntaxes (Shodan, Zoomeye, Censys, etc.)
• Supports hybrid queries across engines (e.g., merge results from FOFA+Shodan with unified syntax)

Example Use Case:

# User writes in FOFA-like syntax
uncover -q 'app="Apache" && os="Linux" && region="EU"' -es shodan,zoomeye


# Parser converts to:
# Shodan: (apache) os:"Linux" country:"EU"
# Zoomeye: app:"Apache" os:"Linux" continent:"EU"

Request for Feedback

1. Have you encountered similar pain points when switching between search engines?
2. Would a unified syntax layer add value to your workflow?
3. What syntax style would you prefer as the "base" (FOFA/Shodan/Custom)?

(This could also open possibilities for a community-driven query syntax standard!)

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Why This Matters

• Lower Learning Curve: New users adopt faster with consistent syntax
• Cross-Engine Portability: Research/automation workflows become engine-agnostic
• Advanced Scenarios: Syntax-aware query optimization across engines

Looking forward to your thoughts!

[ehsandeep]

@hi-unc1e Great idea! This is something we always thought would be useful—to leverage all engines simultaneously. Currently, users have to use one engine at a time and don’t get the benefit of all engines to maximize target extraction.

FOFA’s syntax format is simple enough to be used as the base format. +1 for the idea! Feel free to take this up, and let us know if you need any input.

[dogancanbakir]

+1 on the idea! Let us know if you need any assistance!