Port 6697IRC over SSL
Port 6697 is commonly used to deliver encrypted Internet Relay Chat (IRC) communications over SSL/TLS. It provides an additional security layer to safeguard chat messages against eavesdropping and interception during transit. While unofficial, this port is broadly adopted by modern IRC servers aiming to protect user privacy and credentials through encryption..
- transport
- tcp
- in transit
- encrypted
- assignment
- unofficial
- risk
- 4/10
- lookups
- 16,365
single transport
payload protected on the wire
used by convention
caution
rank 181 of 993 · top 18%
Technical Details
what runs on :6697Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is an established text-based communication protocol allowing real-time messaging via IRC servers and clients. Traditionally, IRC operates without encryption over default ports like 6667, which exposes transmitted data to potential interception.
To address security concerns, IRC over SSL/TLS encapsulates the communication channel with encryption, ensuring confidentiality and integrity for user credentials, messages, and commands. Port 6697 is widely recognized as the default port for SSL-secured IRC traffic, providing a familiar destination for clients supporting encrypted connections.
Implementing IRC over port 6697 typically involves configuring IRC daemons to support SSL/TLS encryption and generating valid server certificates. Clients must also support SSL/TLS, often verifying server certificates or allowing manual overrides for self-signed ones. This setup significantly enhances the security posture over plaintext IRC communications.
Security Information
exposure of :6697risk 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
encrypted
payloads are protected on the wire
assignment
unofficial
used by convention, not registered — what answers here varies by deployment
reachable over
tcp
every listening transport is another surface to filter at the edge
security overview
Common vulnerabilities associated with IRC over SSL include:
- Use of outdated or weak SSL/TLS protocols susceptible to downgrade attacks or cryptographic flaws (e.g., SSLv2, SSLv3)
- Misconfiguration leading to acceptance of self-signed or invalid certificates without proper validation, enabling man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks
- Disclosure of IRC network information or metadata if encryption is improperly implemented
- Exploitation of IRC-specific vulnerabilities like message flooding, hijacking of sessions, or abuse of server trust
Mitigations for these vulnerabilities involve:
- Enforcing modern TLS versions (TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3) and disabling deprecated protocols
- Using valid, trusted certificates issued by recognized Certificate Authorities or properly managing self-signed certificates
- Regularly updating IRC server/client software to patch security flaws
- Implementing rate limiting, authentication controls, and channel protections within IRC servers
- Monitoring network connections and employing intrusion detection to detect abnormal activities or flooding attacks
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risk mix of the 8 listed
- caution100%
3 of 8 encrypted