Nmap Scan

Scan with nmap command

Actions4

Overview

This node performs network scanning using the nmap command-line tool. It supports multiple scan operations, including a full port scan of a target host or network range. The "All Ports Scan" operation specifically scans all ports (-p-) on the specified target(s), which is useful for comprehensive security audits, vulnerability assessments, or network inventory tasks.

Typical use cases include:

Security professionals auditing open ports on hosts.
Network administrators discovering services running on devices.
IT teams verifying firewall rules and network exposure.

For example, scanning a subnet like 192.168.0.0/24 to identify all open ports on each device can help detect unauthorized services or misconfigurations.

Properties

Name	Meaning
Target Network Range / Host / IP (`network_range`)	The IP address, host, or CIDR range to scan (e.g., `192.168.0.0/24`).
Options:
- Aggressive Mode (`aggressive_mode`)	Numeric value controlling scan speed; higher values (like 5) make the scan faster (-T5).
- Check Top Ports (`top_ports`)	Number of top ports to check in some scan types (e.g., 1000).
- Host Discovery (`host_discovery`)	Boolean to enable host discovery; if disabled, skips pinging hosts for faster scans (-Pn).
- Put Result in Field (`ports_field`)	Name of the output JSON field where port scan results will be stored (default: `ports`).

Output

The node outputs an array of items with JSON data containing the scan results. For the "All Ports Scan" operation:

The scan results are parsed and placed into a JSON field named as per the ports_field property (default "ports").
This field contains detailed information about the scanned ports on the target(s), such as port numbers, states (open/closed), and possibly service info.
No binary data output is produced by this node.

Example output snippet (simplified):

{
  "ports": [
    {
      "port": 22,
      "state": "open",
      "service": "ssh"
    },
    {
      "port": 80,
      "state": "open",
      "service": "http"
    }
  ]
}

Dependencies

Requires the nmap command-line tool installed and accessible in the environment where n8n runs.
Optionally uses sudo privileges if a local sudo password credential is provided, allowing execution of privileged commands.
No external API keys or online services are required.
Uses internal utility classes for shell command execution and parsing nmap output.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:
- nmap not installed or not in PATH: The node will fail to execute the scan command.
- Insufficient permissions: Some scans require elevated privileges; providing a sudo password may be necessary.
- Invalid target input: Malformed IP addresses or ranges will cause errors.
- Long scan times: Scanning all ports on large networks can be time-consuming; consider adjusting aggressive mode or limiting targets.
Error messages:
- Errors from the underlying shell command execution are wrapped and thrown as node operation errors.
- If sudo password is incorrect or missing when required, the scan will fail.
Resolutions:
- Ensure nmap is installed and accessible.
- Provide correct sudo credentials if needed.
- Validate target inputs before running scans.
- Adjust options like aggressive mode or host discovery to optimize performance.