Table of contents
Speed
MASSCAN is known for its incredibly fast scanning capabilities, capable of scanning the entire Internet in under 6 minutes. It achieves this speed by sending packets asynchronously and using highly efficient network code.
Scalability
The tool is highly scalable and can be used to scan large network ranges. It supports a range of port scanning methods, which makes it a versatile choice for different network environments.
Customizability
MASSCAN allows users to customize their scanning tasks through extensive configuration options, including the ability to define specific ports, IP ranges, and rate limits, which can be tailored to meet specific project needs.
Cross-Platform
MASSCAN is cross-platform and can be compiled and run on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS, which makes it accessible to a wide range of users.
We have collected here some useful links to help you find out if MASSCAN is good.
Check the traffic stats of MASSCAN on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of MASSCAN on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of MASSCAN's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of MASSCAN on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about MASSCAN on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
Agree re: no need for heap allocation - for others: I recommend reading thru whole masscan source (https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan), it's a pleasure btw - iirc rather few/sparse malloc()s which are part of regular I/O processing flow (there will be malloc()s which depending on config etc. Set up additional data structs but as part of setup). - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
Battleship sounds like a good analogy, but is very different because you don't have other options to "secure your ship" besides obscurity. If you had other options, let's say a sonar or moving your ship, they would definitely be used along with obscurity. Besides, the time to scan the whole board is too time consuming in a battleship game, but scanning the whole internet on the other hand only take a few... - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
It's a nice dream of "owning" the attackers but it doesn't have a real security value. [1] https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
A lot of these seem to use zmap (https://github.com/zmap/zmap) for the initial scan. Often with default parameters such as zmap setting ip id to 54321, having tcp initial window at 65535, having no SACK bit set and masscan with no SACK bit either, tcp initial window at 1024, tcp maximum segment size 1460 (which is strange to put below initial window size!), (older versions having fixed src port 61000 or 60000 from... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
Can I get banned for mass scanning with https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan or does it slow down any other vms from other persons? Source: about 3 years ago
Nope, this doesn't work any more. Shodan checks all ports (so any attackers using data from Shodan already know which ports you have open), and tools like masscan (https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan) let you portscan the entire IPv4 address space in less than 10 minutes. Source: about 3 years ago
The discord user at the time used the tool "Masscan" to scan every 25565 port on the internet, he claims he was able to get the entire internet scanned in just a few minutes with a 512MB buyvm slice. Source: about 3 years ago
Changing the default port does nothing for security. It only prevents some basic brute force or default password scripts. Anyone is able to scan for it in no time anyway (https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan). Source: over 3 years ago
But it should blow away the far-too-common belief that no-one's after you because you're not interesting enough. IPv4 is smaller than we think. It is not difficult to scan the entire ipv4 space in minutes. And every single one of those is going to knock your door on the way past. Source: over 3 years ago
I'm not sure about the article, but the blazingly-fast IP scanner sounds a lot like Masscan. It can scan the entire Internet in 5 minutes and has received a lot of press: https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan is one of many articles about it. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
Here's an except from the masscan docs:. Source: over 3 years ago
Note that there is a legitimate IP port scanner that is also called "masscan" (https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan), but honestly this person could also just be naming itself that to obscure its intentions and make itself seem harmless. I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't even using it. Source: over 3 years ago
Masscan is a tool for scanning large segments of the internet for open ports. I've used it previously and it's not an inherently malicious tool. Source: over 3 years ago
Security researchers (think malware reverse engineering) often make small custom tools in python. A place I worked made a lot of custom tools to scan the internet (similar to massscan). I think you may want to look into cybersecurity vendors that do this kind of network security and research and see if you can help. DM me if I can help you out more. Source: over 3 years ago
"Not hard", to say the least, yeah: https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan. - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
It's likely they were also hitting NAT limits of their firewall, as evidenced by their other devices taking a performance hit. They'd likely see a lot of improvement if they directly connected to the internet, just like all those millions of compromised routers and firewall that make up so many botnets already do. Also, if you scan naรฏvely and willy-nilly then you are going to get blocklisted and throttled. This... Source: almost 4 years ago
I'm attempting to help a school consolidate their IP space. They have been using a /8 for several decades and have thousands of devices spread out over the entire range with random "easy to remember" IP addresses like "10.25.25.25". I am trying to use the Masscan utility (https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan) to find as many of the used IPs as possible so that we can begin to break up the /8 into smaller... Source: about 4 years ago
The numbers above demonstrate that it is theoretically possible to mass scan the entire internet. Effective free-to-use tools can be used to perform mass scans, converting this academic opportunity into practice. ZMap, Masscan, and others promise to scan the entire public IPv4 address space in some ten minutes or so on a typical desktop computer with a gigabit Ethernet connection. Researchers proved that the time... - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago
Masscan with the right setup (namely hardware + drivers but also connection obviously) can scan the entire IPv4 space (+ all ports) in ~5 minutes. Source Code: https://github.com/robertdavidgraham/masscan Article from PoC || GTFO with more internal details on how it works: https://www.alchemistowl.org/pocorgtfo/pocorgtfo15.pdf (Page 66) [Note: PDF is both a valid PDF + valid ZIP file with source code]. - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago
That is almost a contradiction in terms. If there is a flaw in SSH (and there have been flaws), you are a sitting duck. SSH broadcasts it's version number, so hackers can know all the servers that are running vulnerable software the instant a vulnerability comes out. (Moving to a different port doesn't help, as anyone can scan the entire internet in 5 minutes.). Source: over 4 years ago
OP already said this, but they are correct, it's actually fairly trivial to find machines running minecraft servers if they are open to the internet, with tools like masscan you can iterate over thousands of IP addresses in minutes. Source: over 4 years ago
MASSCAN, a network scanning tool, has gained significant attention in the cybersecurity community for its unparalleled speed and efficiency in scanning large-scale networks. Its ability to scan the entire IPv4 address space within a matter of minutes has positioned MASSCAN as a formidable competitor among network scanning tools, rivalling names like Nmap, ZMap, and Advanced IP Scanner.
One of MASSCAN's standout features is its impressive packet transmission rate. On a standard Linux setup, it can handle up to 1.6 million packets per second. However, its potential truly shines in an optimized environment: with eight 10-Gigabit network interface cards and the PF_RING driver, MASSCAN can surpass 100 million packets per second. This scalability makes it a preferred choice for researchers and cybersecurity experts aiming to conduct expansive network scans quickly.
Public sentiment around MASSCAN is a mixed bag. On the positive side, its speed and efficiency are frequently lauded, especially in discussions about its ability to scan the entire Internet rapidly. The tool's extensive use in network security research is highlighted by cybersecurity experts who employ MASSCAN for tasks like enumeration of public IPs and identifying open ports across vast address ranges.
However, there is a cautious undertone in discussions regarding its implications on network security and potential misuse. Critics point out that while MASSCAN itself is not inherently malevolent, its functionality can be leveraged for malicious purposes, such as unauthorized scanning of networks, which can lead to the identification of vulnerable systems. In various technical forums, there are frequent concerns about its potential to contribute to security breaches, especially when used naively or irresponsibly. This duality is encapsulated by opinions highlighting its efficiency as also a potential threat to privacy if left unchecked.
The potential risks of using MASSCAN include being blocklisted or throttled if inappropriate scanning practices are followed. Users frequently discuss the importance of obeying network use policies and employing strategies such as using exclude files to minimize unintended disruption. There are also considerations about the impact on network devices, particularly when high-speed scanning leads to network congestion or device overload.
In the landscape of network scanning tools, MASSCAN holds a significant edge due to its speed. However, other tools like Nmap and Zenmap offer comprehensive feature sets including scriptable interaction with network services, which many users value for more detailed analysis tasks. Therefore, while MASSCAN might be the tool of choice for high-speed, large-scale scans, other tools provide complementary features for different phases of network security assessments.
In conclusion, MASSCAN stands as a quintessential tool for rapid network discovery, acknowledged for its potent performance and broad application in cybersecurity. Nevertheless, responsible and informed use remains crucial to mitigate the risks associated with high-paced network scanning.
Do you know an article comparing MASSCAN to other products?
Suggest a link to a post with product alternatives.
Is MASSCAN good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss MASSCAN here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.
