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Mapping IPs, Ports, and Services - Why Attackers Look First

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Mapping IPs, Ports, and Services - Why Attackers Look First

Scanning & DetectionDuration6 min

Introduction​

Understanding the external attack surface starts with identifying the IPs, ports, and services associated with an organization’s public-facing infrastructure. These elements often serve as the entry points for attackers, making their discovery and analysis a cornerstone of External Attack Surface Management (EASM).

This article delves into how mapping IPs, ports, and services strengthens your security posture, what attackers look for, and the steps organizations can take to protect themselves.

Why Mapping Matters​

The Role of IPs, Ports, and Services​

Public-facing IPs, open ports, and the services running on them represent the first layer of exposure for an organization. Attackers use these elements to:

  • Identify potential entry points into the network.
  • Exploit unsecured services or configurations.
  • Launch reconnaissance for larger attacks.

The Importance of Visibility​

Organizations must gain complete visibility into their external assets to:

  • Detect shadow IT or forgotten systems.
  • Identify misconfigured services before attackers do.
  • Monitor changes that could introduce new risks.

What Attackers Look For​

1. Open Ports​

Attackers scan for open ports using tools like Nmap to find:

  • Commonly exploited ports (e.g., 22 for SSH, 3389 for RDP).
  • Exposed services that should not be publicly accessible.

2. Misconfigured or Unsecured Services​

Services running on open ports can expose:

  • Weak authentication protocols (e.g., telnet instead of SSH).
  • Outdated software versions with known vulnerabilities.
  • Default credentials left unchanged after setup.

3. Public IP Ranges​

Attackers use IP ranges to map the digital footprint of an organization, identifying:

  • Unsecured cloud instances.
  • Unused but active IPs left vulnerable.

How EASM Maps and Protects​

1. IP Discovery​

Our system identifies all public IP addresses tied to an organization’s domains, including:

  • Active IPs serving web applications and APIs.
  • Historical IPs still accessible due to legacy configurations.

2. Port Scanning​

We perform non-intrusive scans to detect:

  • Open ports and their associated services.
  • Changes in port configurations over time.

3. Service Fingerprinting​

Using fingerprinting techniques, EASM identifies:

  • Software versions running on each port.
  • Known vulnerabilities tied to these services.
  • Misconfigurations that attackers might exploit.

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Common Risks in Mapped Services​

Examples of Exploitable Weaknesses​

  1. Exposed Databases
    • Publicly accessible SQL or NoSQL databases with no authentication.
  2. Outdated Encryption Protocols
    • Use of TLS 1.0 or SSL 1.0, exposing sensitive data to interception.
  3. Weak SSH Configurations
    • SSH servers allowing root login or using outdated keys.
  4. Forgotten Cloud Instances
    • Instances left running without proper monitoring or patching.

Best Practices for Securing Mapped Assets​

Organizations can reduce their attack surface by:

✅ Closing unnecessary ports to minimize entry points.

✅ Regularly updating software to patch known vulnerabilities.

✅ Enforcing strong encryption protocols (e.g., TLS 1.2 or higher).

✅ Monitoring IPs and ports for changes that may introduce risk.

✅ Decommissioning unused IPs and cloud instances.

Conclusion​

Mapping IPs, ports, and services provides essential visibility into an organization’s attack surface, helping security teams stay ahead of attackers. By identifying and addressing risks tied to open ports, misconfigured services, and unsecured IPs, organizations can significantly reduce their exposure.

In the next article, we’ll examine common misconfigurations that attackers exploit and how to prevent them.

Frequently Asked Questions

AI-Powered Insights
Can I ask follow-up questions about vulnerabilities?

Absolutely! The 'Dig Deeper' chat is interactive, allowing you to:

  • Request more details about how a vulnerability works.
  • Ask for additional remediation methods.
  • Clarify attack vectors and potential risks.

This ensures security teams get deeper insights beyond just a vulnerability description.

What is the 'Dig Deeper' chat, and how does it help?

The 'Dig Deeper' AI chat provides instant expert-level insights on detected issues.

  • It explains vulnerabilities in a clear, actionable way.
  • It helps users understand why an issue is risky and how attackers might exploit it.
  • It suggests remediation steps tailored to the asset and issue type.

This allows security teams to quickly grasp risks and respond effectively without deep security expertise.

Access & Security
Does this tool comply with security frameworks like NIST or CIS?

Yes, the EASM tool aligns with frameworks such as NIST, CIS, and ISO 27001 by identifying security gaps in publicly accessible infrastructure. While it does not enforce compliance, it helps security teams detect misconfigurations and vulnerabilities that could impact regulatory requirements.

Scanning & Detection
What sources does the scanner use to find vulnerabilities?

The scanner leverages multiple intelligence sources to detect vulnerabilities, including:

  • Public vulnerability databases (CVE, NVD, MITRE, etc.).
  • Security research feeds and threat intelligence sources.
  • Passive reconnaissance techniques such as OSINT and fingerprinting.

By combining these sources, the scanner provides real-time risk assessments without intrusive scans.

Does the scanner perform active exploitation or just passive mapping?

The scanner performs only passive mapping, meaning it identifies vulnerabilities but does not exploit them.

This approach:

  • Avoids system disruptions while gathering security intelligence.
  • Provides safe, real-world attacker perspectives without breaching legal boundaries.
  • Ensures compliance with ethical scanning practices.

Organizations can use these findings to proactively patch weaknesses before attackers do.

How does the EASM scanner find subdomains?

The scanner discovers subdomains using:

  • DNS enumeration (brute-force, dictionary-based, wildcard resolution).
  • Certificate transparency logs that expose registered subdomains.
  • Passive DNS records and web crawling to identify related assets.

This helps map the full attack surface, including shadow IT and forgotten subdomains.

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