Port 1241Nessus Scanner

Port 1241 is primarily used by Nessus, a popular vulnerability assessment tool designed to identify and remediate security issues across networked environments. Both TCP and UDP are supported, facilitating flexible communication during scans, plugin updates, and report retrieval. While essential for penetration testing and security auditing, exposure of this port in production environments requires careful control due to its sensitive nature..

transport
tcp · udp

2 transports registered

in transit
cleartext

payload readable on path

assignment
official

registered with iana

risk
4/10

caution

lookups
9,857

rank 481 of 993 · top 48%

Technical Details

what runs on :1241

Port 1241 serves as the default communication endpoint for Nessus Security Scanner. Nessus utilizes this port for client-server interactions, plugin management, and transmitting scan commands from the Nessus Client to the Nessus Server. The scanner can operate over both TCP and UDP, ensuring smooth operation across various network environments and firewall configurations.

Typically, Nessus runs on a dedicated server, with authorized users connecting remotely to manage scans, update vulnerability plugins, and review detailed reports. The communication protocol is proprietary but well-documented, facilitating integration with other security tools and automated workflows. Despite new protocols and management interfaces being introduced over time, port 1241 remains a legacy component in many existing Nessus deployments.

During scanning activities, this port handles a significant volume of data exchange, including vulnerability signatures, scan policies, and results. Ensuring stable connectivity on this port is crucial for the accurate and timely delivery of vulnerability assessment reports. In modern setups, Nessus often prefers encrypted REST API communication over HTTPS, but legacy setups relying on port 1241 are still widespread.

Security Information

exposure of :1241

risk score

4/ 10caution

worth attention. how exposed you are depends on configuration — don't leave it reachable from the internet without a reason.

security averages 3.8 across 216 ports — this one sits 0.2 above.

in transit

cleartext

credentials and payloads are readable by anyone on path

assignment

official

registered with iana for this service — scanners fingerprint it by number

reachable over

tcp · udp

udp is connectionless — source addresses are trivially spoofed and it is a reflection favourite

security overview

Common Vulnerabilities:

  • Unauthorized access if the port is left exposed without authentication controls
  • Interception or manipulation of scan data during transmission due to lack of encryption
  • Exploitation by attackers attempting to gain insights into the security posture of internal assets
  • Potential for Denial of Service (DoS) attacks by flooding port 1241 with malformed traffic, disrupting scanning services

Common Mitigations:

  • Restrict port 1241 access strictly to trusted administrative hosts via firewall or access control lists
  • Transition to encrypted communication channels and disable legacy unencrypted protocol usage when feasible
  • Regularly update Nessus to benefit from improved authentication, encryption, and security hardening
  • Monitor and log all port 1241 activity to detect suspicious behavior or unauthorized access attempts
  • Use strong access credentials and multi-factor authentication for Nessus console access
  • Consider disabling or blocking this port externally; expose only on trusted management networks

the 8 most looked-up other ports in security — 216 ports carry that label.

risk mix of the 8 listed

  • caution100%

3 of 8 encrypted