- Do not expose remote administration directly: use a VPN or a zero-trust access proxy.
- Require MFA or key-based authentication and lock out brute-force attempts.
- Log every login and alert on new source addresses.
Port 222: Berkeley rshd with SPX auth
Port 222 is assigned by IANA to rsh-spx (Berkeley rshd with SPX auth).
222
How rsh-spx works
Remote accessThe client opens a session to port 222: each command typed is sent to the server, which runs it and returns the output.
- Transport
- TCP · UDP
- Exposure risk
- not rated depends on the program listening
- Encryption
- Unknownnot stated by the registry
- IANA status
- Assigned1 registered service
- Range
- Well-known (0-1023)
- Category
- Remote access
Is port 222 dangerous?
We have no specific security note for port 222. Its risk depends on the program actually listening on it. General advice for remote access services:
IANA registry entries for port 222
| Service | Port | Transport | Description | Reference | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rsh-spx | 222 | TCP, UDP | Berkeley rshd with SPX auth | - | - |
// source: IANA service name and port number registry
Which program uses port 222, and is it reachable?
Linux
sudo ss -ltnup 'sport = :222' # process listening on 222
sudo lsof -nP -i :222macOS
sudo lsof -nP -i :222
Windows (PowerShell)
Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 222 -State Listen | Select LocalAddress, OwningProcess Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 222 netstat -ano | findstr :222
From another machine
nmap -p 222 -sV <host> sudo nmap -sU -p 222 <host> nc -zv <host> 222
Block it in the firewall
sudo ufw deny 222/tcp # Linux (ufw) New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block 222" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 222 -Protocol TCP -Action Block # Windows
What is port 222 used for?
Port 222 is assigned by IANA to rsh-spx (Berkeley rshd with SPX auth).
Is port 222 TCP or UDP?
Port 222 is registered for TCP and UDP.
Is it safe to open port 222?
It depends on the program that listens on it. Open it only for a service you know and only to the networks that need it. Do not expose remote administration directly: use a VPN or a zero-trust access proxy.
How do I check if port 222 is open?
On Linux run "ss -ltnup 'sport = :222'", on macOS "lsof -nP -i :222", and on Windows "netstat -ano | findstr :222" to see the local process. From another machine, "nmap -p 222 <host>" shows whether it is reachable.
Other remote access ports
:22 SSH tcp · udp · sctp · moderate risk :3389 RDP tcp · udp · critical risk :23 Telnet tcp · udp · critical risk :5900 VNC tcp · udp · critical risk :5985 WinRM (HTTP) tcp · udp · high risk :5986 WinRM (HTTPS) tcp · udp · high risk :10000 Webmin tcp · udp · high risk :89 SU/MIT Telnet Gateway tcp · udp