Port 4189Path Computation Element Communication Protocol

PCEP carries path-computation requests and responses between routers and path computation elements in traffic-engineered networks.

inNetwork Services

transport: tcp
in transit: cleartext
assignment: official
risk: 6/10
lookups: 0

also known as pcep

Technical Details

what runs on :4189

PCEP uses TCP, with port 4189 as its default service port. A PCC typically establishes a TCP session to a PCE; the protocol begins with Open and Keepalive messages and then carries messages such as path computation requests and replies, reports, updates, and notifications. Each PCEP message has a common header containing its version, message type, and total length, which frames messages over the TCP byte stream. PCEP traffic is not encrypted by default; TLS for PCEP is specified as an option in RFC 8253.

Security Information

exposure of :4189

risk score

6/ 10risk

treat as sensitive. widely scanned and regularly exploited when reachable — restrict it to known sources.

network services averages 2.6 across 1,511 ports — this one sits 3.4 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

every listening transport is another surface to filter at the edge

security overview

PCEP exposes network path-computation and, in stateful deployments, path-management functions; access can reveal topology or traffic-engineering information and may allow an authorized peer to affect network paths. The base protocol does not encrypt traffic, and TLS is optional, so restrict access to trusted control-plane peers and use appropriate authentication and transport protection. This is not normally a service that should be reachable from the public internet.

Record

iana registry entry

port: :4189
service: Path Computation Element Communication Protocol
transport: TCP
encryption: cleartext
assignment: iana registered
risk: 6/10risk
category: Network Services
usage: PCEP is used by routers (PCEP clients, or PCCs) to request paths from a Path Computation Element (PCE), commonly in MPLS traffic-engineered networks and some Segment Routing deployments. It is generally encountered on service-provider or enterprise network control planes, rather than as a public-facing application service.
lookups: 0rank 993
added: 2026-10-04
updated: 2026-10-04
references: IANA service name registry — port 4189

Something wrong?

This record is maintained by the engineers who use port 4189. Every field on it is editable — change what's wrong, say how you know, and a reviewer publishes it, usually within a minute. Last touched 2026-10-04.

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risk mix of the 8 listed

caution100%

0 of 8 encrypted

Port :4189Path Computation Element Communication Protocol

Technical Details

Security Information

Related Ports

Port 4189Path Computation Element Communication Protocol