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What ports are safe to pass through a firewall?
Java Security,Windows code security, Windows Server 2003 Security,Internet Explorer 7 Security and Internet Firewalls questions and answers
(Continued from previous question...)
What ports are safe to pass through a firewall?
ALL.
No, wait, NONE.
No, wait, uuhhh... I've heard that all ports above 1024 are safe since they're only dynamic??
No. Really. You CANNOT tell what ports are safe simply by looking at its number, simply because that is really all it is. A number. You can't mount an attack through a 16-bit number.
The security of a ``port'' depends on what application you'll reach through that port.
A common misconception is that ports 25 (SMTP) and 80 (HTTP) are safe to pass through a firewall. *meep* WRONG. Just because everyone is doing it doesn't mean that it is safe.
Again, the security of a port depends on what application you'll reach through that port.
If you're running a well-written web server, that is designed from the ground up to be secure, you can probably feel reasonably assured that it's safe to let outside people access it through port 80. Otherwise, you CAN'T.
The problem here is not in the network layer. It's in how the application processes the data that it receives. This data may be received through port 80, port 666, a serial line, floppy or through singing telegram. If the application is not safe, it does not matter how the data gets to it. The application data is where the real danger lies.
If you are interested in the security of your application, go subscribe to bugtraq8or or try searching their archives.
This is more of an application security issue rather than a firewall security issue. One could argue that a firewall should stop all possible attacks, but with the number of new network protocols, NOT designed with security in mind, and networked applications, neither designed with security in mind, it becomes impossible for a firewall to protect against all data-driven attacks.
(Continued on next question...)
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