Security Basics mailing list archives

Re: Hidden Ports


From: <vrsnet () pandora be>
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 15:08:30 +0100


Eduardo Sorensen wrote:
Can a port scanner not see a port that is opened?

The question is: can a backdoor be on a machine, and with nmap -p 1-,
for example, you couldn't see it?


Yes, this is quite common these days.  Rootkits like SucKIT can monitor
all IP sessions on a host, and only open up the backdoor port when a
certain trigger arrives via one of the already-open services.  For
example,
if an attacker sends a certain string of bytes to the HTTP server on port
80 (even if the string is invalid HTTP).  Some tools also look for
connections to ports in certain order (eg, the same host contacts port
80, port 22 and then port 443 within a few seconds).  Unless the trigger
is received, then the backdoor isn't listening, and thus wouldn't show
up in a portscan.

There may be other more innovative triggers, too.  It's a hard problem.
If
you think you might have a backdoor, you shouldn't depend solely on
portscanners like nmap to detect it.  Anti-virus, tripwire and tools like
chkrootkit are also necessary.

David

--
David J. Bianco

For windows users this could be a usefull tool to detect rootkits
http://www.haxorcitos.com/ficheros/RKDetectorv0.61.zip



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