o Added the new --script-args-file option which allows you to specify

the name of a file containing all of your desired NSE script
  arguments.  The arguments may be separated with commas or newlines
  and may be overridden by arguments specified on the command-line
  with --script-args. [Daniel Miller]

CHANGELOG

@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Nmap Changelog ($Id$); -*-text-*-
 
+o Added the new --script-args-file option which allows you to specify
+  the name of a file containing all of your desired NSE script
+  arguments.  The arguments may be separated with commas or newlines
+  and may be overridden by arguments specified on the command-line
+  with --script-args. [Daniel Miller]
+
 o [NSE] Added the script http-vuln-cve2009-3960 that detects and exploits the
   CVE 2009-3960 XML injection vulnerability in Adobe products. [Hani
   Benhabiles]

NmapOps.h

@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ class NmapOps {
 #ifndef NOLUA
   int script;
   char *scriptargs;
+  char *scriptargsfile;
   int scriptversion;
   int scripttrace;
   int scriptupdatedb;

docs/nmap.1

@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 .\"     Title: nmap
 .\"    Author: [see the "Author" section]
 .\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets v1.76.1 <http://docbook.sf.net/>
-.\"      Date: 01/01/2012
+.\"      Date: 01/02/2012
 .\"    Manual: Nmap Reference Guide
 .\"    Source: Nmap
 .\"  Language: English
 .\"
-.TH "NMAP" "1" "01/01/2012" "Nmap" "Nmap Reference Guide"
+.TH "NMAP" "1" "01/02/2012" "Nmap" "Nmap Reference Guide"
 .\" -----------------------------------------------------------------
 .\" * Define some portability stuff
 .\" -----------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1358,6 +1358,13 @@ pairs\&. Names and values may be strings not containing whitespace or the charac
 The online NSE Documentation Portal at
 \m[blue]\fB\%http://nmap.org/nsedoc/\fR\m[]
 lists the arguments that each script accepts\&.
+.RE
+.PP
+\fB\-\-script\-args\-file \fR\fB\fIfilename\fR\fR .\" --script-args-file .\" script arguments from file
+.RS 4
+Lets you load arguments to NSE scripts from a file\&. Any arguments on the command line supersede ones in the file\&. The file can be an absolute path, or a path relative to Nmap\*(Aqs usual search path (NMAPDIR, etc\&.) Arguments can be comma\-separated or newline\-separated, but otherwise follow the same rules as for
+\fB\-\-script\-args\fR, without requiring special quoting and escaping, since they are not parsed by the shell\&.
+.RE
 .PP
 \fB\-\-script\-help \fR\fB\fIfilename\fR\fR\fB|\fR\fB\fIcategory\fR\fR\fB|\fR\fB\fIdirectory\fR\fR\fB|\fR\fB\fIexpression\fR\fR\fB|all\fR\fB[,\&.\&.\&.]\fR .\" --script-help
 .RS 4
@@ -1368,7 +1375,6 @@ script, you would run
 \fBnmap \-\-script\-help ftp\-anon\fR\&. In addition to getting help for individual scripts, you can use this as a preview of what scripts will be run for a specification, for example with
 \fBnmap \-\-script\-help default\fR\&.
 .RE
-.RE
 .PP
 \fB\-\-script\-trace\fR .\" --script-trace
 .RS 4

docs/refguide.xml

@@ -2409,7 +2409,24 @@ The online NSE Documentation Portal at <ulink url="http://nmap.org/nsedoc/"/>
 lists the arguments that each script accepts.
 </para>
 </listitem>
+</varlistentry>
 
+	  <varlistentry>
+        <term><option>--script-args-file <replaceable>filename</replaceable></option>
+        <indexterm significance="preferred"><primary><option>--script-args-file</option></primary></indexterm>
+        <indexterm><primary>script arguments from file</primary><seealso><option>--script-args-file</option></seealso></indexterm></term>
+
+<listitem>
+<para>
+    Lets you load arguments to NSE scripts from a file. Any arguments on the
+    command line supersede ones in the file. The file can be an absolute path,
+    or a path relative to Nmap's usual search path (NMAPDIR, etc.)
+    Arguments can be comma-separated or newline-separated, but otherwise follow
+    the same rules as for <option>--script-args</option>, without requiring
+    special quoting and escaping, since they are not parsed by the shell.
+</para>
+</listitem>
+</varlistentry>
       <varlistentry>
         <term>
           <option>--script-help <replaceable>filename</replaceable>|<replaceable>category</replaceable>|<replaceable>directory</replaceable>|<replaceable>expression</replaceable>|all<optional>,...</optional></option>
@@ -2431,7 +2448,6 @@ lists the arguments that each script accepts.
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
-</varlistentry>
       <varlistentry>
         <term><option>--script-trace</option>
           <indexterm significance="preferred"><primary><option>--script-trace</option></primary></indexterm></term>

docs/scripting.xml

@@ -191,8 +191,8 @@ Black Hat Briefings in 2010.</para>
       execute by providing categories, script file names, or the name of
       directories full of scripts you wish to execute.  You can customize 
 	  some scripts by providing arguments to them via the
-	  <option>--script-args</option><indexterm><primary><option>--script-args</option></primary></indexterm>
-          option.
+	  <option>--script-args</option><indexterm><primary><option>--script-args</option></primary></indexterm> and <option>--script-args-file</option><indexterm><primary><option>--script-args-file</option></primary></indexterm>
+          options.
           The <option>--script-help</option><indexterm><primary><option>--script-help</option></primary></indexterm>
           shows a description of what each selected script does.
           The two remaining options,
@@ -702,6 +702,20 @@ Nmap script database, but should be used cautiously since Nmap may contain explo
           </listitem>
         </varlistentry>
 
+        <varlistentry>
+          <term>
+            <indexterm><primary><option>--script-args-file</option></primary></indexterm>
+            <option>--script-args-file <replaceable>filename</replaceable></option>
+          </term>
+          <listitem>
+            <para>This option is the same as
+            <option>--script-args</option> except that you pass the
+            arguments in a file rather than on the command-line.  See
+            <xref linkend="nse-args"/> for a detailed
+            explanation.</para>
+          </listitem>
+        </varlistentry>
+
         <varlistentry>
           <term>
             <indexterm><primary><option>--script-help</option></primary></indexterm>
@@ -971,6 +985,15 @@ http://nmap.org/nsedoc/scripts/afp-showmount.html
       the <varname>whois</varname> table in the example below.
       </para>
       
+      <para>Rather than pass the arguments on the command line with
+      <option>--script-args</option>, you may store them in a file
+      (separated by commas or newlines) and specify just the file name
+      with <option>--script-args-file</option>.  Options specified
+      with <option>--script-args</option> on the command-line take
+      precedence over those given in a file.  The filename may be
+      given as an absolute path or relative to Nmap's usual
+      search path (NMAPDIR, etc.)
+
       <para>Here is a typical Nmap invocation with script arguments:
 <informalexample>
 <indexterm><primary><option>--script-args</option></primary><secondary>example of</secondary></indexterm>

nmap.cc

@@ -629,6 +629,8 @@ void parse_options(int argc, char **argv) {
       {"script_updatedb", no_argument, 0, 0},
       {"script-args",required_argument,0,0},
       {"script_args",required_argument,0,0},
+      {"script-args-file",required_argument,0,0},
+      {"script_args_file",required_argument,0,0},
       {"script-help",required_argument,0,0},
       {"script_help",required_argument,0,0},
 #endif
@@ -657,6 +659,8 @@ void parse_options(int argc, char **argv) {
               o.chooseScripts(optarg);
       } else if (optcmp(long_options[option_index].name,"script-args")==0){
               o.scriptargs=strdup(optarg);
+      } else if (optcmp(long_options[option_index].name,"script-args-file")==0){
+              o.scriptargsfile=strdup(optarg);
       } else if (optcmp(long_options[option_index].name, "script-trace") == 0) {
               o.scripttrace = 1;
       } else if (optcmp(long_options[option_index].name, "script-updatedb") == 0){

nse_main.cc

@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ static void open_cnse (lua_State *L)
   setbfield(L, -1, "scripthelp", o.scripthelp);
   setsfield(L, -1, "script_dbpath", SCRIPT_ENGINE_DATABASE);
   setsfield(L, -1, "scriptargs", o.scriptargs);
+  setsfield(L, -1, "scriptargsfile", o.scriptargsfile);
   setsfield(L, -1, "NMAP_URL", NMAP_URL);
 }
 

nse_main.lua

@@ -1044,6 +1044,19 @@ do -- Load script arguments (--script-args)
     end
   end
   nmap.registry.args = parse_table("{"..args.."}", 1);
+  -- Check if user wants to read scriptargs from a file
+  if cnse.scriptargsfile ~= nil then --scriptargsfile path/to/file
+    local t, path = cnse.fetchfile_absolute(cnse.scriptargsfile)
+    assert(t == 'file', format("%s is not a file", path))
+    local argfile = assert(open(path, 'r'));
+    local argstring = argfile:read("*a")
+    argstring = gsub(argstring,"\n",",")
+    local tmpargs = parse_table("{"..argstring.."}",1)
+    for k,v in pairs(nmap.registry.args) do
+      tmpargs[k] = v
+    end
+    nmap.registry.args = tmpargs
+  end
 end
 
 -- Update Missing Script Database?