Nmap Cheatsheet – a quick reference guide

Nmap has a multitude of options and when you first start playing with this excellent tool it can be a bit daunting.

So here is a quick start guide.

Start by heading over to the download page, here you can get the latest release (5.00) of the Linux version or the nmap windows version.

Install the Linux version is as easy as:

tar zxvf nmap-5.00.tar.gz
cd nmap-5.00
./configure
make
make install <- need to do this as root, as it will install the binaries into the bin folders.

Nmap for Windows is just a matter of running the nmap exe

1. Nmap Range of IP addressess:

nmap 192.168.0.1-10

2. Nmap Range of ports:

nmap -p 1-1024 192.168.1.1

3. Nmap service version detection:

nmap -sV 192.168.1.1

4. Nmap OS version detection:

nmap -A 192.168.1.1

5. Nmap external script checks

nmap -sC 192.168.1.1

6. Nmap scan without ping check (sometimes ping is blocked but you still want to scan)

nmap -PN 192.168.1.1

7. Nmap scan only scanning known ports (fast scan)

nmap -F 192.168.1.1

The nmap gui for those who dislike the command line is Zenmap – it is relatively new and has some powerful features for those who are afraid of a little command line kung fu.

The above commands are just a taste of the power of nmap. Check out the full set of features by running nmap with no options. A new book is also available by Fyodor.