Nmap Advanced Port Scans

Nmap Port Scan Types and Commands

Port Scan Type Example Command
TCP Null Scan sudo nmap -sN 10.10.214.83
TCP FIN Scan sudo nmap -sF 10.10.214.83
TCP Xmas Scan sudo nmap -sX 10.10.214.83
TCP Maimon Scan sudo nmap -sM 10.10.214.83
TCP ACK Scan sudo nmap -sA 10.10.214.83
TCP Window Scan sudo nmap -sW 10.10.214.83
Custom TCP Scan sudo nmap --scanflags URGACKPSHRSTSYNFIN 10.10.214.83
Spoofed Source IP sudo nmap -S SPOOFED_IP 10.10.214.83
Spoofed MAC Address sudo nmap --spoof-mac SPOOFED_MAC 10.10.214.83
Decoy Scan nmap -D DECOY_IP,ME 10.10.214.83
Idle (Zombie) Scan sudo nmap -sI ZOMBIE_IP 10.10.214.83
Fragment IP data into 8 bytes sudo nmap -f 10.10.214.83
Fragment IP data into 16 bytes sudo nmap -ff 10.10.214.83

These scan types rely on setting TCP flags in unexpected ways to prompt ports for a reply. Null, FIN, and Xmas scans provoke a response from closed ports, while Maimon, ACK, and Window scans provoke a response from open and closed ports.

Nmap Options and Their Purposes

Option Purpose
--source-port PORT_NUM specify source port number
--data-length NUM append random data to reach given length
Option Purpose
--reason explains how Nmap made its conclusion
-v verbose
-vv very verbose
-d debugging
-dd more details for debugging
Nmap Live Host Discovery
Nmap Post Scan Commands