Common attacks and weaknesses
- Directory listings and source code served by quick test servers.
- Debug pages leaking settings.
Port 8000: HTTP alternate (dev)
Common port for development web servers (Django, Python http.server) and some appliances.
8000
How HTTP alternate (dev) works
WebA browser sends an HTTP request to port 8000 and the HTTP alternate (dev) server sends the page back. It travels in clear text: anyone on the path can read it, passwords included.
- Transport
- TCP · UDP
- Exposure risk
- 5/10 moderate if reachable from the Internet
- Encryption
- Clear textreadable on the network
- IANA status
- Assignedcommon use differs from the registry
- Range
- Registered (1024-49151)
- Category
- Web
Is port 8000 dangerous?
How to secure it
- Bind dev servers to localhost and stop them after use.
Unofficial use. The IANA assignment below differs from what is usually found on this port in practice.
IANA registry entries for port 8000
| Service | Port | Transport | Description | Reference | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| irdmi | 8000 | TCP, UDP | iRDMI | - | - |
// source: IANA service name and port number registry
Which program uses port 8000, and is it reachable?
Linux
sudo ss -ltnup 'sport = :8000' # process listening on 8000
sudo lsof -nP -i :8000macOS
sudo lsof -nP -i :8000
Windows (PowerShell)
Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 8000 -State Listen | Select LocalAddress, OwningProcess Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 8000 netstat -ano | findstr :8000
From another machine
nmap -p 8000 -sV <host> sudo nmap -sU -p 8000 <host> nc -zv <host> 8000
Block it in the firewall
sudo ufw deny 8000/tcp # Linux (ufw) New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block 8000" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 8000 -Protocol TCP -Action Block # Windows
What is port 8000 used for?
Common port for development web servers (Django, Python http.server) and some appliances.
Is port 8000 TCP or UDP?
Port 8000 is registered for TCP and UDP. In practice the service mostly uses TCP.
Is it safe to open port 8000?
It is rated 5/10 (moderate) when exposed to the Internet. Directory listings and source code served by quick test servers. Bind dev servers to localhost and stop them after use.
How do I check if port 8000 is open?
On Linux run "ss -ltnup 'sport = :8000'", on macOS "lsof -nP -i :8000", and on Windows "netstat -ano | findstr :8000" to see the local process. From another machine, "nmap -p 8000 <host>" shows whether it is reachable.
Other web ports
:443 HTTPS tcp · udp · sctp · low risk :80 HTTP tcp · udp · sctp · moderate risk :8080 HTTP alternate tcp · udp · high risk :8443 HTTPS alternate tcp · udp · moderate risk :3000 Dev servers / Grafana tcp · udp · moderate risk :5000 Flask / Docker registry / UPnP tcp · udp · moderate risk :8888 Jupyter / HTTP alternate tcp · udp · high risk :9443 HTTPS alternate (admin) tcp · udp · moderate risk