Masscan
Masscan is a free and open-source network scanner created by Robert David Graham. Its primary purpose is to scan the Internet quickly and efficiently. Think of it as a speedy way to find out which devices on a network have specific ports open (like those used for web servers, email, or file sharing).
Here's a straightforward analogy: Imagine you have a large apartment building and want to discover which apartments have open front doors. Masscan is like someone who can quickly run through the building, checking each door and making a list of the open ones.
Key features of Masscan:
Speed: It's designed for speed and can scan the entire Internet in minutes.
Asynchronous Transmissions: It sends out many scan requests without waiting for a response to each one, making it much faster than traditional scanners.
Large-scale scanning: It can handle vast numbers of targets, making it suitable for scanning the entire Internet or large corporate networks.
Flexibility: You can configure it to scan specific ports, IP address ranges, or the entire Internet.
Command-line interface: It's used via the command line, similar to the popular Nmap scanner.
Why is Masscan used?
Security auditing: To find vulnerable systems with open ports that attackers could exploit.
Network reconnaissance: To map out devices and services on a network.
Research: To study the distribution of devices and services across the Internet.
Important Note:
While Masscan is a powerful tool, using it responsibly and ethically is crucial. Always obtain proper authorization before scanning any network. Unauthorized scanning can be illegal and have serious consequences.
ThreatNG and Masscan would make a powerful combination for security professionals. Here's how ThreatNG complements Masscan and enhances its capabilities:
1. Contextualizing Masscan Results:
Masscan excels at quickly identifying open ports and services across various IP addresses. However, it doesn't provide much context for its findings.
ThreatNG steps in by enriching Masscan's output with its extensive intelligence repositories. For example:
Identifying the software and versions running on discovered ports: Helps prioritize vulnerabilities based on their severity and exploitability.
Linking open ports to specific business units or departments: Allows for more efficient remediation efforts.
Correlating Masscan findings with Dark Web data: Reveals if discovered services have been compromised or are being discussed in malicious communities.
2. Expanding the Scope of Investigations:
Masscan focuses primarily on network scanning.
ThreatNG broadens the scope by incorporating various investigation modules:
Domain Intelligence: Uncovers valuable information about the target's domain names, DNS records, certificates, and associated infrastructure. This complements Masscan's network-level view with a deeper understanding of the target's online presence.
Social Media Analysis: Identifies potential security risks or brand reputation issues from social media activity.
Sensitive Code Exposure: This feature detects exposed code repositories, credentials, and other sensitive information that attackers could exploit. It helps identify vulnerabilities that Masscan might miss.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: Discovers the organization's cloud assets and SaaS applications, assesses their security posture, and identifies potential misconfigurations.
3. Prioritizing and Managing Vulnerabilities:
Masscan provides a raw list of open ports and services.
ThreatNG helps prioritize these findings based on their risk level and potential impact:
Risk Scoring: Assigns risk scores to identified vulnerabilities based on customizable criteria, allowing security teams to focus on the most critical threats.
Reporting: Generates comprehensive reports summarizing findings, highlighting critical vulnerabilities, and providing actionable recommendations.
Collaboration Tools: Facilitates collaboration among security teams, IT staff, and management through role-based access controls and evidence questionnaires.
Example Scenario:
Masscan discovers an open port 22 (SSH) on a server. ThreatNG can then:
Use Domain Intelligence to identify the server's owner, purpose, and associated domain names.
Check its intelligence repositories for known vulnerabilities affecting the identified SSH version.
Search the Dark Web for any mentions of the server or its IP address in connection with malicious activities.
Analyze Social Media for any discussions or complaints about the server's security.
Use Risk Scoring to evaluate the risk levels of the organization and its associated third parties. This assessment should consider various factors, such as the organization's assets' criticality, known vulnerabilities, and the potential consequences of a breach. By analyzing these elements, you can effectively gauge the overall risk posture and prioritize actions to mitigate potential threats.
Generate a report with prioritized findings and recommendations for remediation.
By combining Masscan's rapid scanning capabilities with ThreatNG's comprehensive analysis and risk management features, security professionals can gain a holistic view of their attack surface and proactively address potential threats.
