Essential Ports for Hackers: A Guide to Know

Every hacker should have a basic understanding of essential ports. These ports are entry points into a system that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access or perform other malicious activities. In this article, we’ll explore some of the top ports that every hacker should know.

1. Port 21: FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is commonly used for transferring files over the internet. It’s a standard protocol, which means that many systems have it enabled by default. Attackers can exploit this port to gain unauthorized access to sensitive files.
2. Port 22: SSH (Secure Shell) is a secure protocol used for remote access to a system. This port is often used by system administrators to manage remote servers. However, attackers can also exploit this port to gain unauthorized access to a system.
3. Port 23: Telnet is an unencrypted protocol used for remote access to a system. It’s considered insecure because all data, including login credentials, is sent in plaintext. Attackers can exploit this port to intercept sensitive information.
4. Port 25: SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used for sending emails. Attackers can exploit this port to intercept email traffic and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
5. Port 80: HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is used for web browsing. This port is commonly used by web servers to serve web pages. Attackers can exploit this port to perform various types of web-based attacks, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection.
6. Port 135: This port is used by the Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) protocol. Attackers can exploit this port to perform remote code execution and gain unauthorized access to a system.
7. Port 139: This port is used by the NetBIOS protocol, which is used for file and printer sharing in Windows systems. Attackers can exploit this port to gain unauthorized access to shared files and printers.
8. Port 445: This port is used by the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, which is used for file and printer sharing in Windows systems. Attackers can exploit this port to gain unauthorized access to shared files and printers.

In conclusion, knowing the essential ports that hackers commonly exploit can help system administrators and security professionals secure their systems. It’s important to regularly monitor these ports and ensure that they’re only accessible by authorized users. By being aware of these ports, you can better protect your systems from unauthorized access and malicious activities.