Re: Nmap 2.30BETA20 Released

[Andrew Brown <atatat () atatdot net>]

> > i'd also like to suggest that you distribute the "massive" services
> > file that i've been maintaining for a year or so at
> >
> >     http://www.graffiti.com/services
> >
> > as the nmap-services file.
>
> Not necessarily a good or desireable thing.  Even with the not-so-complete
> nmap services file, I usually find it reporting on services that aren't
> really running, simply because they're above 1023, or because someone
> decided to run a non-"standard" service on a privledged port.  In fact,
> I'd almost like to see all the services on non-privledged ports be removed
> from the services file nmap uses.  At least all except 6660-6670, 8000,
> 8080, 12345, and other such common or critically important high ports. 

scanning only ports below 1024 makes a certain amount of sense.
scanning below 1024 and, "oh, just these few" is arrogant.  maybe you
are, but *most* people aren't running a chat server or web server on
some non-standard ports.

nmap could easily be changed to accept "-p priv" so that it would only
scan privileged ports...

> Idealy nmap would have a module to verify each servce it finds, so that
> (for example) an open port 443 wouldn't be reported as ssl / http if it
> isn't acting like a websserver.

verifying that port 25 is an smtp server is relatively easy, likewise
with 21 being ftp control, 22 being an ssh server, and 23 being a
telnet server.  the daytime and time services are likewise very easy
to detect since they just spew; they don't accept.

verifying that port 443 is actually an https server is decidedly
non-trivial, not the least of which is because it waits for the client
to say something before dropping you.  it would require at least a
minimal ssl stack, and some crypto tools, neither of which belong in
the world's best port scanner.

-- 
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