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// Network services

Port 179: BGP

Border Gateway Protocol between routers.

179

How BGP works

Network services
client:179UPDATEroutes client:179UPDATEroutes

The client sends a request to port 179 and the BGP service answers. It travels in clear text: anyone on the path can read it.

Transport
TCP · UDP · SCTP
Exposure risk
6/10 high if reachable from the Internet
Encryption
Clear textreadable on the network
IANA status
Assigned1 registered service
Range
Well-known (0-1023)
Category
Network services
01 Security

Is port 179 dangerous?

Common attacks and weaknesses

  • Session hijacking or resets; route leaks.

How to secure it

  • Allow only configured peers, use TCP-AO or MD5 and RPKI validation.
02 Registry

IANA registry entries for port 179

ServicePortTransportDescriptionReferenceUpdated
bgp 179 TCP, UDP, SCTP Border Gateway Protocol - -

// source: IANA service name and port number registry

03 Check it

Which program uses port 179, and is it reachable?

Linux

sudo ss -ltnup 'sport = :179'      # process listening on 179
sudo lsof -nP -i :179

macOS

sudo lsof -nP -i :179

Windows (PowerShell)

Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 179 -State Listen | Select LocalAddress, OwningProcess
Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 179
netstat -ano | findstr :179

From another machine

nmap -p 179 -sV <host>
sudo nmap -sU -p 179 <host>
nc -zv <host> 179

Block it in the firewall

sudo ufw deny 179/tcp                                         # Linux (ufw)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block 179" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 179 -Protocol TCP -Action Block  # Windows
04 FAQ
What is port 179 used for?

Border Gateway Protocol between routers.

Is port 179 TCP or UDP?

Port 179 is registered for TCP and UDP and SCTP. In practice the service mostly uses TCP.

Is it safe to open port 179?

It is rated 6/10 (high) when exposed to the Internet. Session hijacking or resets; route leaks. Allow only configured peers, use TCP-AO or MD5 and RPKI validation.

How do I check if port 179 is open?

On Linux run "ss -ltnup 'sport = :179'", on macOS "lsof -nP -i :179", and on Windows "netstat -ano | findstr :179" to see the local process. From another machine, "nmap -p 179 <host>" shows whether it is reachable.

05 Related
:53 DNS tcp · udp · moderate risk :135 MS RPC tcp · udp · high risk :123 NTP udp · tcp · moderate risk :67 DHCP server udp · tcp · moderate risk :111 rpcbind tcp · udp · high risk :9100 Raw printing (JetDirect) tcp · udp · high risk :631 IPP / CUPS tcp · udp · high risk :5353 mDNS udp · tcp · moderate risk

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