- Prefer encrypted protocols (SFTP, FTPS, SMB 3 with encryption).
- Disable anonymous access and restrict shares or exports to known hosts.
- Never publish file sharing protocols to the Internet.
Port 152: Background File Transfer Program
Port 152 is assigned by IANA to bftp (Background File Transfer Program).
152
How bftp works
File transfer & sharingFiles are sent over port 152 in pieces and reassembled on the other side.
- Transport
- TCP · UDP
- Exposure risk
- not rated depends on the program listening
- Encryption
- Unknownnot stated by the registry
- IANA status
- Assigned1 registered service
- Range
- Well-known (0-1023)
- Category
- File transfer & sharing
Is port 152 dangerous?
We have no specific security note for port 152. Its risk depends on the program actually listening on it. General advice for file transfer & sharing services:
IANA registry entries for port 152
| Service | Port | Transport | Description | Reference | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bftp | 152 | TCP, UDP | Background File Transfer Program | - | - |
// source: IANA service name and port number registry
Which program uses port 152, and is it reachable?
Linux
sudo ss -ltnup 'sport = :152' # process listening on 152
sudo lsof -nP -i :152macOS
sudo lsof -nP -i :152
Windows (PowerShell)
Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 152 -State Listen | Select LocalAddress, OwningProcess Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 152 netstat -ano | findstr :152
From another machine
nmap -p 152 -sV <host> sudo nmap -sU -p 152 <host> nc -zv <host> 152
Block it in the firewall
sudo ufw deny 152/tcp # Linux (ufw) New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block 152" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 152 -Protocol TCP -Action Block # Windows
What is port 152 used for?
Port 152 is assigned by IANA to bftp (Background File Transfer Program).
Is port 152 TCP or UDP?
Port 152 is registered for TCP and UDP.
Is it safe to open port 152?
It depends on the program that listens on it. Open it only for a service you know and only to the networks that need it. Prefer encrypted protocols (SFTP, FTPS, SMB 3 with encryption).
How do I check if port 152 is open?
On Linux run "ss -ltnup 'sport = :152'", on macOS "lsof -nP -i :152", and on Windows "netstat -ano | findstr :152" to see the local process. From another machine, "nmap -p 152 <host>" shows whether it is reachable.
Other file transfer & sharing ports
:445 SMB tcp · udp · critical risk :21 FTP tcp · udp · sctp · high risk :139 NetBIOS Session tcp · udp · high risk :69 TFTP udp · tcp · high risk :2049 NFS tcp · udp · sctp · high risk :873 rsync tcp · udp · high risk :20 File Transfer [Default Data] tcp · udp · sctp :115 Simple File Transfer Protocol tcp · udp