Nmap Scan - Professional Network Reconnaissance

You are helping the user perform professional network reconnaissance and port scanning using nmap. This skill provides guidance for various scan types, output formats, and result analysis.

Output Directory

Directory Structure

nmap-output/
├── nmap-portscan.nmap      # Initial fast port discovery
├── nmap-portscan.xml
├── nmap-portscan.gnmap
├── nmap-services.nmap      # Detailed service detection on open ports
├── nmap-services.xml
└── nmap-services.gnmap

IMPORTANT: Always save nmap output to an organized directory structure. By default, use ./nmap-output/ or specify a custom directory.

Default Scanning Strategy

IMPORTANT: Unless the user explicitly requests a different scan type, ALWAYS use this two-phase approach:

Phase 1: Fast Port Discovery (Root SYN Scan)

sudo nmap -p- <target> -oA <output-dir>/nmap-portscan

• Why sudo: Running as root enables fast SYN scan (-sS is implicit)
• Why -p-: Scans all 65535 ports quickly
• Duration: Typically 1-3 minutes for SYN scan
• Output: List of all open ports

Host Down Detection: If the scan output contains "Note: Host seems down", automatically retry with:

sudo nmap -p- -Pn <target> -oA <output-dir>/nmap-portscan

• -Pn: Skip host discovery, treat host as online
• Use this when firewalls block ping probes

Phase 2: Targeted Service Detection

After Phase 1 completes, parse the open ports and run:

nmap -p <OPEN_PORT_LIST> -sV -sC <target> -oA <output-dir>/nmap-services

• -p <OPEN_PORT_LIST>: Only scan the ports found to be open (e.g., -p 23,80,443,554,8000)
• -sV: Service version detection
• -sC: Run default NSE scripts for additional enumeration
• Duration: Usually 1-3 minutes since only scanning known open ports

Why This Strategy?

1. Speed: Fast SYN scan finds all open ports in 1-3 minutes
2. Thoroughness: Covers all 65535 ports, not just top 1000
3. Efficiency: Service detection only runs on confirmed open ports
4. Accuracy: Two-phase approach reduces false negatives

Parsing Open Ports

After Phase 1, extract open ports using:

# Extract open ports from .gnmap file
grep "Ports:" <output-dir>/nmap-portscan.gnmap | sed 's/.*Ports: //' | tr ',' '\n' | grep '/open/' | cut -d'/' -f1 | tr -d ' ' | tr '\n' ',' | sed 's/,$//'

Or parse from .nmap file (matches the STATE column exactly, so open|filtered ports are excluded):

awk '$2=="open"{split($1,p,"/"); ports=ports sep p[1]; sep=","} END{print ports}' <output-dir>/nmap-portscan.nmap

Implementation Workflow

When the nmap-scan skill is invoked:

1. Create output directory

   OUTPUT_DIR="./nmap-output"
   mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"
   

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2. Run Phase 1: Fast port discovery

   sudo nmap -p- <target> -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-portscan"
   

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3. Check for "Host seems down" error

   if grep -q "Host seems down" "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-portscan.nmap"; then
       echo "Host appears down, retrying with -Pn flag..."
       sudo nmap -p- -Pn <target> -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-portscan"
   fi
   

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4. Parse open ports from results

   OPEN_PORTS=$(awk '$2=="open"{split($1,p,"/"); ports=ports sep p[1]; sep=","} END{print ports}' "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-portscan.nmap")
   

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5. Run Phase 2: Service detection on open ports

   if [ -n "$OPEN_PORTS" ]; then
       nmap -p "$OPEN_PORTS" -sV -sC <target> -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-services"
   else
       echo "No open ports found, skipping service detection."
   fi
   

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6. Report results location

   echo "Scan complete. Results saved to: $OUTPUT_DIR"
   

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Scan Types

Quick Scan (Top 1000 Ports)

Use for initial reconnaissance, when time is limited, or only when the user explicitly requests a quick/fast scan instead of the default two-phase strategy:

nmap -sV -sC <target> -oA <output-prefix>

• -sV: Service version detection
• -sC: Run default NSE scripts
• -oA: Output in all formats (normal, XML, grepable)
• Scans top 1000 most common ports
• Typical duration: 1-3 minutes
• Limitation: May miss services on non-standard ports

Comprehensive Scan (All Ports)

Use for thorough assessment when all ports must be checked:

nmap -sV -sC -p- <target> -oA <output-prefix>

• -p-: Scan all 65535 ports
• Significantly longer duration (5-30+ minutes depending on target)
• Use only when comprehensive coverage is required

Stealth SYN Scan

Use when trying to avoid detection (requires root/sudo):

sudo nmap -sS -sV -sC <target> -oA <output-prefix>

• -sS: SYN stealth scan (doesn't complete TCP handshake)
• Less likely to be logged by target
• Requires root privileges

UDP Scan

Use when UDP services need to be enumerated:

sudo nmap -sU --top-ports 100 <target> -oA <output-prefix>

• -sU: UDP scan
• --top-ports 100: Scan top 100 UDP ports (UDP scanning is slow)
• Common UDP services: DNS (53), SNMP (161), DHCP (67/68)
• Very slow - use top-ports to limit scope

Aggressive Scan

Use for maximum information gathering (noisy):

nmap -A -T4 <target> -oA <output-prefix>

• -A: Enable OS detection, version detection, script scanning, traceroute
• -T4: Aggressive timing template (faster but more detectable)
• Very noisy - will be detected by IDS/IPS
• Use only with authorization

Vulnerability Scan

Use to check for known vulnerabilities:

nmap -sV --script vuln <target> -oA <output-prefix>

• --script vuln: Run NSE vulnerability detection scripts
• Checks for common CVEs and misconfigurations
• Can be noisy and trigger alerts

OS Detection

Use to identify operating system:

sudo nmap -O <target> -oA <output-prefix>

• -O: Enable OS detection
• Requires root privileges
• Uses TCP/IP stack fingerprinting

Scan Workflow

Default Workflow (Two-Phase Strategy)

Run Phase 1 (port discovery) and Phase 2 (service detection) per the Default Scanning Strategy and Implementation Workflow sections above. Then analyze:

Phase 3: Analysis

• Review the service detection results to determine:
  • What services are running?
  • What versions are detected?
  • Are there any interesting services (web, SSH, database, IoT protocols)?
  • Do NSE scripts reveal any issues?

Additional Targeted Scans (Optional)

Based on service detection results, run specialized scans:

If web services found (80, 443, 8080, etc.):

nmap -p 80,443,8080,8443 --script http-* <target> -oA <output-dir>/nmap-web

If SSH found:

nmap -p 22 --script ssh-* <target> -oA <output-dir>/nmap-ssh

If RTSP found (554):

nmap -p 554 --script rtsp-* <target> -oA <output-dir>/nmap-rtsp

If ONVIF/camera suspected:

nmap -p 80,554,8000,8080 --script http-methods,http-headers <target> -oA <output-dir>/nmap-onvif

Output Management

Output Formats

Always use -oA <prefix> to generate all three formats:

• .nmap - Normal human-readable format
• .xml - XML format for parsing/importing into tools
• .gnmap - Grepable format for command-line processing

Timing and Performance

Timing Templates

Use -T<0-5> to control scan speed:

• -T0 (Paranoid): Extremely slow, for IDS evasion
• -T1 (Sneaky): Very slow, for IDS evasion
• -T2 (Polite): Slow, less bandwidth intensive
• -T3 (Normal): Default, balanced speed
• -T4 (Aggressive): Fast, recommended for modern networks
• -T5 (Insane): Very fast, may miss results

Default: Use -T3 or omit (default is T3) Fast scans: Use -T4 when speed is important and network can handle it Stealth: Use -T1 or -T2 for evasion

Timeout Considerations

• Phase 1 Port Discovery (sudo nmap -p-): 180-300 seconds timeout (3-5 minutes)
• Phase 2 Service Detection (nmap -p <ports> -sV -sC): 120-180 seconds timeout (2-3 minutes)
• UDP scan: 600+ seconds timeout (very slow)

Network Ranges

Single Host

nmap <ip-address>

CIDR Notation

nmap 192.168.1.0/24

IP Range

nmap 192.168.1.1-254

Multiple Hosts

nmap 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.10 192.168.1.100

Exclude Hosts

nmap 192.168.1.0/24 --exclude 192.168.1.1,192.168.1.254

NSE Scripts

Common Script Categories

# Authentication scripts
nmap --script auth <target>

# Brute force scripts
nmap --script brute <target>

# Default safe scripts
nmap -sC <target>  # equivalent to --script default

# Discovery scripts
nmap --script discovery <target>

# Vulnerability scripts
nmap --script vuln <target>

# All HTTP scripts
nmap --script "http-*" <target>

IoT-Specific Scripts

# RTSP enumeration
nmap -p 554 --script rtsp-methods,rtsp-url-brute <target>

# UPnP discovery
nmap -p 1900 --script upnp-info <target>

# MQTT discovery
nmap -p 1883,8883 --script mqtt-subscribe <target>

# Modbus enumeration
nmap -p 502 --script modbus-discover <target>

Result Analysis

Key Information to Extract

1. Open Ports and Services

   • What ports are open?
   • What services are running?
   • What versions are detected?

2. Service Fingerprints

   • Does version detection reveal outdated software?
   • Are there known vulnerabilities for detected versions?

3. NSE Script Results

   • Authentication issues?
   • Information disclosure?
   • Misconfigurations?

4. Operating System

   • What OS is running?
   • What OS version?

Parsing Nmap Output

Extract open ports:

grep "^[0-9]" nmap-output.nmap | grep "open"

Extract service versions:

grep -E "^[0-9]+/tcp.*open" nmap-output.nmap

Check for vulnerabilities in NSE output:

grep -i "vuln\|cve\|exploit" nmap-output.nmap

Common IoT Service Ports

When scanning IoT devices, pay special attention to:

Best Practices

1. Always Save Output

Never run nmap without saving output:

# GOOD
nmap -p <ports> -sV -sC <target> -oA output/nmap-services

# BAD
nmap -sV -sC <target>

2. Always Use Two-Phase Strategy

Use the default two-phase strategy (see the Default Scanning Strategy section) unless the user explicitly requests a different scan type.

3. Use Appropriate Timing

Match timing to your needs:

# Pentest with authorization: Fast
nmap -sV -sC -T4 <target>

# Red team/stealth: Slow
nmap -sV -sC -T2 <target>

4. Document Scan Parameters

Always document:

• What scan type was used?
• What date/time was scan performed?
• What were the scan results?
• Any anomalies or errors?

5. Respect Authorization

• Only scan systems you have permission to scan
• Respect scope limitations
• Be aware of scan impact on production systems
• Use appropriate timing to avoid DoS

Integration with IoT Testing Workflow

For IoT Pentests

1. Run default two-phase scan (port discovery + service detection)
2. Run wsdiscovery if ONVIF suspected based on open ports
3. Run onvifscan if port 80/554 open on camera
4. Run targeted HTTP scripts if web interface found

Output Directory Usage

Always save to an organized output directory (default ./nmap-output/). See the Implementation Workflow section for the full command sequence.

Troubleshooting

Scan Taking Too Long

• Use -T4 for faster scanning
• Limit port range: -p 1-1000 instead of -p-
• Use --top-ports 100 instead of all ports

No Results / Firewalled

• Try different scan types: -sS, -sT, -sA
• Use -Pn to skip host discovery
• Try -f for fragmented packets
• Consider using --source-port 53 or other trusted ports

Requires Root/Sudo

These scan types require root:

• -sS (SYN scan)
• -sU (UDP scan)
• -O (OS detection)
• Raw packet features

Permission Denied Errors

If you see "Permission denied" or "Operation not permitted":

# Run with sudo
sudo nmap <options> <target>

Example Workflows

Workflow 1: Standard Single Target Scan (Default)

TARGET="192.168.1.100"
OUTPUT_DIR="./nmap-output"
mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"

# Phase 1: Fast port discovery
sudo nmap -p- $TARGET -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-portscan"

# Check for "Host seems down"
if grep -q "Host seems down" "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-portscan.nmap"; then
    sudo nmap -p- -Pn $TARGET -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-portscan"
fi

# Parse open ports
OPEN_PORTS=$(awk '$2=="open"{split($1,p,"/"); ports=ports sep p[1]; sep=","} END{print ports}' "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-portscan.nmap")

# Phase 2: Service detection
if [ -n "$OPEN_PORTS" ]; then
    nmap -p "$OPEN_PORTS" -sV -sC $TARGET -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-services"
fi

Workflow 2: IoT Camera Testing

Run the default two-phase scan from Workflow 1, then add camera-specific checks:

TARGET="192.168.1.100"
OUTPUT_DIR="./nmap-output"

# If ONVIF camera detected, check HTTP methods
nmap -p 80 --script http-methods $TARGET -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-http"

# Check RTSP service
nmap -p 554 --script rtsp-methods $TARGET -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-rtsp"

Workflow 3: Additional UDP/OS Detection

OUTPUT_DIR="./nmap-output"

# After completing default two-phase scan, optionally add:

# UDP scan (top ports)
sudo nmap -sU --top-ports 100 <target> -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-udp"

# OS detection
sudo nmap -O <target> -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-os"

# Vulnerability scan
nmap -sV --script vuln <target> -oA "$OUTPUT_DIR/nmap-vuln"

Questions to Ask User

Before starting scans, clarify:

1. Target: What is the IP address or network range?
2. Scope: Single host or network range?
3. Scan Type: Use default two-phase strategy or user has specific requirements?
4. Authorization: Do you have permission to scan this target?
5. Special interests: Any specific services or ports to focus on after initial scan?

Note: Output is saved to ./nmap-output/ by default.

Success Criteria

A successful nmap scan includes:

• Phase 1 port discovery completed without errors
• Phase 2 service detection completed on all open ports
• Results saved in all formats (-oA) in output directory
• Open ports identified with service versions
• NSE scripts executed successfully
• Results documented and ready for analysis
• Clear summary provided showing:
  • Number of open ports found
  • Key services detected
  • Location of output files