Port 8448Matrix Federation Protocol

Matrix homeservers use TCP 8448 for HTTPS federation with other Matrix servers.

transport: tcp
in transit: encrypted
assignment: official
risk: 4/10
lookups: 0

also known as Matrix server-to-server API

Technical Details

what runs on :8448

Matrix federation is an HTTP-based server-to-server API, normally served over TLS on TCP 8448. Requests use Matrix federation endpoints such as /_matrix/federation/v1/; the API exchanges JSON, and federation requests are authenticated with Matrix server signatures rather than a shared password. Port 8448 is the traditional default, but a homeserver can publish a different federation endpoint, commonly on 443, through server discovery. This port is specifically for federation, not the ordinary client API.

Security Information

exposure of :8448

risk score

4/ 10caution

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

web services averages 3.1 across 221 ports — this one sits 0.9 above.

in transit

encrypted

payloads are protected on the wire

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

Federation is designed to be reachable by remote Matrix servers, so exposing it is expected when a homeserver participates in public federation. It is not an administrative interface, but it adds an internet-facing application surface: keep homeserver software updated and monitor for abuse or resource-exhaustion attempts. If federation is not wanted, disable it or restrict access rather than exposing an unused listener.

Record

iana registry entry

port: :8448
service: Matrix Federation Protocol
transport: TCP
encryption: tls / encrypted
assignment: iana registered
risk: 4/10caution
category: Web Services Voice and Chat
usage: A Matrix homeserver may listen on TCP 8448 to exchange messages, room state, and other federation data with remote homeservers. Many deployments instead expose federation through a reverse proxy on port 443, using Matrix server discovery to direct peers there.
lookups: 0rank 993
added: 2026-10-14
updated: 2026-10-14
references: IANA service name registry — port 8448

Something wrong?

This record is maintained by the engineers who use port 8448. 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 2026-10-14.

01edit any field on a page of its own
02a model checks it for accuracy and spam
03clean and confident goes live immediately

edit this record →back to the registry

Related Ports

all 221 in web services →

the 8 most looked-up other ports in web services — 221 ports carry that label.

port	service	proto	category	risk	views
:8888	Sun Answerbook & Alt HTTP	TCP	Web Services	caution	123.9k
:8000	Intel Remote Desktop / Alternate HTTP Port	TCP	Web Services	safe	84.3k
:8888	NewsEDGE	TCPUDP	Web Services	caution	83.3k
:8888	HTTP Alternative Port	TCP	Web Services	caution	76.5k
:8888	GNUmp3d Streaming HTTP	TCP	Web Services	caution	76.3k
:9080	Groove RPC	TCPUDP	Web Services	caution	70.8k
:8881	Atlasz Secure Server	TCP	Web Services	caution	67.6k
:80	HTTP	TCPUDP	Web Services	caution	67.3k

risk mix of the 8 listed

safe13%
caution88%

0 of 8 encrypted

Port :8448Matrix Federation Protocol

Technical Details

Security Information

Related Ports

Port 8448Matrix Federation Protocol