Port 5402MFTP Protocol

The MFTP (Multicast File Transfer Protocol) is primarily used within the Stratacache OmniCast content delivery system to efficiently distribute files across networks using multicast transmissions. It enables large-scale content distribution, commonly for digital signage or software updates, facilitating simultaneous transfers to multiple endpoints with minimal network overhead..

transport
tcp · udp

2 transports registered

in transit
cleartext

payload readable on path

assignment
official

registered with iana

risk
3/10

caution

lookups
11,040

rank 389 of 993 · top 39%

Technical Details

what runs on :5402

MFTP (Multicast File Transfer Protocol) is a specialized protocol designed to enable the efficient delivery of large files to multiple recipients simultaneously via IP multicast. Unlike unicast transmissions, multicast allows a single data stream to be sent to a group of recipients, reducing bandwidth consumption and improving scalability for large deployments. This makes MFTP especially suitable for environments where the same content needs to be distributed rapidly to many devices, such as digital signage networks, streaming content providers, or large-scale software deployment.

The Stratacache OmniCast platform leverages MFTP to distribute advertisements, media files, software patches, or configuration files to a network of endpoints. The protocol manages session control, error correction, and re-transmission mechanisms to ensure data integrity and reliable delivery, even over unreliable network links. Typical implementations support both TCP and UDP transport layers; TCP is used for control messaging and session establishment, while UDP multicast handles the bulk file transfer for efficiency.

In practical deployments, MFTP supports prioritized content delivery, pause-resume capabilities, bandwidth throttling, and hierarchical distribution. These features enable organizations to optimize content updates based on network conditions and endpoint requirements, making MFTP a robust solution for synchronized, large-scale content distribution scenarios.

Security Information

exposure of :5402

risk score

3/ 10caution

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

file transfer averages 4.1 across 114 ports — this one sits 1.1 below.

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 access controls or authentication mechanisms are not properly configured, malicious actors could gain unauthorized access to the content distribution stream or control interfaces.
  • Data Injection and Manipulation: Without content integrity checks, attackers might inject or alter transmitted files, leading to compromised endpoints.
  • Reflection and Amplification Attacks: Improperly secured multicast transmissions can be abused for denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, especially if network boundaries are not enforced.
  • Data Eavesdropping: Since MFTP is typically unencrypted, intercepted traffic may reveal sensitive content or distribution metadata.

Common Mitigations

  • Access Controls: Enforce strong authentication and authorization mechanisms to restrict who can initiate and receive MFTP transfers.
  • Network Segmentation: Limit multicast traffic to trusted network segments using VLANs and firewalls to prevent unauthorized interception or misuse.
  • Encryption: Employ transit encryption techniques (e.g., VPNs, IPsec tunnels) to secure the data in transit, compensating for the protocol's lack of built-in encryption.
  • Integrity Validation: Utilize file checksums or digital signatures to ensure distributed content has not been tampered with during transit.
  • Monitoring and Logging: Implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual multicast activity, and maintain logs for forensic analysis in case of security incidents.

the 8 most looked-up other ports in file transfer — 114 ports carry that label.

risk mix of the 8 listed

  • caution100%

1 of 8 encrypted