
The -host-timeout 10s option tells the tool to ignore the host after the specified period of time.Īlthough the command # nmap -p-host-timeout 120s -O -sV -oX nmap.xml 1.1/24 This might mean that it spends most of the scan time on a handful of computers. For example, if a host is switched off during a scan, Nmap will still try to query all its ports. Nmap needs a long time to scan a large network and check UDP ports in the process, but other factors also affect the duration of the scan. Additionally, Nmap supports the ScRipT KIdd|3 ( -oS) format, which is designed for a very special target group ( Figure 2).įigure 2: Very special: Nmap output format in leetspeak. The advantage of XML files is that they are easier to evaluate with other programs later on. Nmap supports output to standard text files ( -oN), grep-optimized text files ( -oG), and XML format ( -oX). In this case, it is useful to redirect the output to files. For a few scanned hosts, this might be okay, but not for a complete network scan. Nmap outputs its results on the console by default.

Mixed forms such as open | filtered or closed | filtered mean that Nmap cannot detect the exact status of the port. These are ports that are probably protected by a firewall, which simply rejects the request with a DROP. Additionally, Nmap interprets some ports as filtered. Nmap flags open ports as open and ports that immediately respond to requests with a RST as closed. Such scans take a long time and might cause a lot of unwanted "noise" on the target machine. The -A option also involves numerous scripts in the OS and version detection scan and returns the traceroute. The file containing the hosts is passed in by using the Nmap -sL option. If you want Nmap to parse the hosts from a file, you need a single entry per line, but again, larger ranges are permitted. The commands in the first three lines of Listing 1 are functionally identical. An even easier approach is to specify IP address ranges (e.g., in CIDR notation ). To scan a network, you can either pass in the IP address of each computer directly in the call to Nmap or pass in a file. Nmap's ability to scan entire networks is especially useful if you do not (or no longer) know what services individual computers offer. Some scans are not successful unless you have the necessary privileges (see the box titled "With Privileges"). Nmap allows you to investigate individual computers as well as entire networks, and it distinguishes between privileged and unprivileged users.
#Zenmap alternative download#
To build Nmap, download and unpack the source tarball, then execute the standard installation steps with administrative rights. It is usually not the latest typically, you will need to build the latest version from source. The nmap -version command quickly tells you which version is installed. Most popular Linux distributions offer Nmap through their package repositories. Apart from the scanner, the Nmap suite includes other helpful tools, such as the Zenmap graphical user interface, the Ncat data transfer and debugging tool, the Ndiff comparison tool, and the Nping packet generator. Nmap also includes a scripting engine and many LUA scripts for automating tasks and extending the functionality of the tools. Packaged in a cron job, Nmap notifies administrators when a service fails or a computer in the network suddenly offers new services installed by an attacker or overzealous user. It uses a variety of approaches to discover computers on a network, and it also provides quite accurate information about operating systems, active services, and service vulnerabilities. Nmap has appeared in 12 movies, including "The Matrix Reloaded," "Die Hard 4," and "The Bourne Ultimatum." Nmap has been developed since 1996 by Gordon "Fyodor" Lyon of Insecure.Org. The port scanner, which is implemented in C++ is GPLv2 licensed and runs on all major operating systems.

Nmap (Network Mapper) discovers computers, services, and vulnerabilities on a network.
