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rexd Daemon Control
Port 10017 has historically been associated with the 'rexd' remote execution daemon service, notably present on UNIX variants like AIX, NeXT, and HP-UX systems. This service enables the execution of commands on remote hosts, facilitating remote administration and automation. As a control port, it may manage or trigger functions related to remote code execution, although in modern systems, its use is rare and largely deprecated due to security concerns..
The rexd (Remote Execution Daemon) is a legacy UNIX service primarily designed to permit command execution on a remote UNIX system. Originally, it facilitated remote job automation, enabling users to remotely initiate shell commands or scripts seamlessly across UNIX variants such as IBM AIX, NeXTSTEP, and HP-UX. This daemon operates using ONC RPC (Open Network Computing Remote Procedure Call) mechanisms to process remote requests.
Historically, rexd functioned by listening for incoming RPC requests, authenticating users, and spawning shells or executing specific commands as requested. The control port, such as 10017, was used within certain implementations or extended configurations of these UNIX platforms to manage service startup or provide privileged access for rexd operations. Communication protocols vary, but in many cases rexd would leverage dynamically assigned ports, with specific control functions bound to static ports like 10017.
Over time, reliance on rexd diminished due to its limited security capabilities and the availability of better alternatives like SSH. Most modern operating systems either disable rexd by default or have completely phased it out. Still, on segmented legacy networks, these ports may remain open or responsive, maintaining backward compatibility with older administrative tools.