🛡️ Mastering Nmap: From Basic Scans to Vulnerability Detection
Learn Nmap Commands with Real Examples (Beginner to Intermediate Guide)
Are you new to Nmap or looking to improve your network scanning skills? 👨💻
In this blog, I’ll walk you through Nmap basics, useful scanning techniques, and even Nmap scripting for vulnerability detection. This blog complements the video I posted on YouTube channel — if you haven’t seen it yet, check it out for a full walkthrough! 🎥
🔍 What is Nmap?
Nmap (Network Mapper) is a powerful open-source tool used for:
– Scanning networks
– Discovering hosts and services
– Detecting open ports 🔓
– Identifying vulnerabilities
🧰 How to Install Nmap
👉 Linux
sudo apt install nmap
👉 Windows
Download the setup from: https://nmap.org/download.html
🧪 Basic Nmap Commands
✅ 1. Simple Host Scan
nmap <target-ip>
Example:
nmap 192.168.1.1
📌 Scans for open ports on a single host.
✅ 2. Scan Multiple Hosts
nmap 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.2
Example:
nmap 192.168.1.1-50
📌 You can also scan a range.
✅ 3. Scan an Entire Subnet
nmap 192.168.1.0/24
📌 Useful in identifying all live hosts in a local network.
✅ 4. Aggressive Scan
nmap -A <target-ip>
📌 Includes OS detection, version detection, script scanning, and traceroute. ⚠️ Can be noisy — use with caution on live systems.
🔐 Intermediate Level: Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE)
✅ 5. Script Scan Example
nmap --script vuln <target-ip>
📌 Scans the target for common vulnerabilities using default NSE scripts.
✅ 6. Running Specific Script
nmap --script http-enum <target-ip>
📌 Enumerates directories on a web server.
✅ 7. Running Multiple Scripts
nmap --script "ftp*,http*" <target-ip>
📌 Scans using all FTP and HTTP-related scripts.
📂 Save Output to File
✅ 8. Save Scan Result to TXT
nmap -oN result.txt <target-ip>
📌 For documentation or reporting purposes.
🖼️ Sample Scan Output
Starting Nmap 7.93 ( https://nmap.org ) at 2025-05-23
Nmap scan report for 192.168.1.10
Host is up (0.0040s latency).
Not shown: 996 closed tcp ports
PORT STATE SERVICE
22/tcp open ssh
80/tcp open http
443/tcp open https
🔄 Real-World Use Case
Let’s say you want to scan a web server to find possible vulnerabilities:
nmap -p 80,443 --script vuln <target-ip>
📌 This scans ports 80 and 443 with vulnerability scripts. Ideal for finding SSL or HTTP misconfigs.
⚠️ Responsible Usage
🛑 Always get permission before scanning any network you don’t own. Unauthorized scanning is illegal and unethical.
📚 Conclusion
Nmap is more than just a port scanner. With the right knowledge, you can use it to:
✔️ Detect services
✔️ Identify vulnerabilities
✔️ Automate scans
✔️ Generate reports
📽️ Watch the full video here for live demos and deeper explanation:
👉 [Your YouTube Video Link]
