Port 5357 Hacktricks ❲TRUSTED - 2026❳

Port 5357 is often overlooked in port scans, yet it represents a longstanding, practical intersection of convenience and risk. By default it’s used by Microsoft’s Web Services for Devices (WSD) / HTTPAPI stack (WS-Discovery/WSD and related services), exposing device discovery and management endpoints on many Windows hosts and some networked devices. That convenience—automatic discovery and control of printers, scanners, media devices, etc.—is precisely why defenders should treat it with care.

Why port 5357 matters

Threat landscape — practical concerns, not just CVEs

Typical reconnaissance and exploitation techniques

Defensive posture — practical, prioritized steps

Operational guidance for red teams and defenders

A realistic posture Port 5357 embodies a recurring tension in network design: usability-driven discovery vs. the discipline of minimal exposure. In well-run environments, WSD should be an intentional, confined capability: limited to specific subnets, disabled where unnecessary, and logged where used. In under-managed networks it’s a low-effort reconnaissance jackpot for attackers who can already reach local subnets or who can trick users/devices into interacting with malicious peers.

Conclusion Treat 5357 as part of every internal attack-surface assessment. It’s not always a high-severity remote exploit by itself today, but its role in discovery and device management makes it a facilitator for reconnaissance and chaining attacks. The most effective defenses are simple: restrict exposure, disable unused services, segment devices, and watch for unexpected WS-Discovery/HTTPAPI activity.

Port 5357 is primarily associated with Web Services for Devices (WSDAPI)

, a Microsoft implementation used for discovering and communicating with network-connected devices like printers and scanners over HTTP. The Role of Port 5357

On modern Windows systems, Port 5357 (TCP) acts as a local web server for the

. It allows devices to advertise their presence and services on a local network without manual configuration. While useful for seamless hardware integration, it often presents a surface for information gathering during a security assessment. Security Implications and Pentesting According to methodologies found on resources like HackTricks

, every open port is a potential entry point or data source. For Port 5357, the primary risks include: Information Disclosure

: The service can leak metadata such as device hostnames, manufacturer details, and network paths. Attackers use this for fingerprinting

the internal network to identify specific Windows versions or hardware models. Vulnerability Surface

: Historically, this service has been susceptible to memory corruption. For example, Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-063

addressed a critical vulnerability where specially crafted headers could lead to remote code execution. Lateral Movement

: By interacting with WSD, an attacker might identify other vulnerable devices on the subnet that wouldn't otherwise be visible through standard scanning. Practical Assessment Steps

If you encounter Port 5357 during a scan, consider the following: Identify the Process : Use commands like netstat -anb | find "5357"

to verify that the system is actively listening and to confirm it is indeed the Windows WSD service. Service Probing

: Attempt to browse the port via HTTP. While it may not serve a traditional webpage, it may respond with XML data or SOAP responses that reveal device identity. Network Context

: Note that this port is typically open in unmanaged or small office networks where "Network Discovery" is enabled. In highly secured environments, hardening recommendations

suggest blocking this port at the firewall level to prevent unnecessary information leakage. specific Nmap scripts for enumerating WSD services, or are you looking for firewall configuration steps to secure this port?

Port 5357 is primarily associated with Web Services for Devices (WSDAPI) on Windows systems. While HackTricks—a popular cybersecurity resource—doesn't have a dedicated "Port 5357" page, it discusses the relevant underlying protocols and common exploitation methods for similar Windows services. Service Overview: Port 5357 Protocol: HTTP. Service: Web Services for Devices (WSDAPI).

Purpose: Allows Windows to automatically discover and communicate with local network devices like printers and scanners.

Security Context: By default, Windows Firewall often allows traffic to this port on private or domain networks, making it a potential target for unauthenticated remote users. Review: Exploitation & Risks

From a penetration testing perspective, port 5357 is often a "quiet" target used for gathering information or facilitating lateral movement rather than direct RCE (Remote Code Execution).

Information Disclosure: This is the most common use case. Attackers can query the WSD interface to leak device hostnames, printer names, network paths, and device metadata useful for fingerprinting a target.

Historical Vulnerabilities: A critical vulnerability (MS09-063) previously allowed remote code execution through specially crafted WSD messages on ports 5357/5358. While patched in modern systems, it serves as a reminder of the risks of leaving this API exposed.

Lateral Movement & Relaying: Attackers can abuse these services to force unauthenticated NTLM authentication, which can then be relayed to other services. port 5357 hacktricks

Surface Area: Port 5357 essentially hosts a built-in web server. If not properly managed, it can expose administrative interfaces for printers or IoT devices. Verdict for Pentesters

If you find port 5357 open during a scan, it is rarely a "silver bullet" for immediate access. However, it is a high-value source for reconnaissance in an Active Directory environment. Use tools like nmap with HTTP-enumeration scripts to see what information the device is broadcasting. If you are hardening a system, this port should generally be blocked or restricted to trusted local segments. Penetration Testing: Re: Port 5357 -- Vista SP1 ???

I notice you're asking about "port 5357 hacktricks" — are you looking for security research related to port 5357 (often associated with WSDAPI / Web Services on Devices or Microsoft WER), or specifically for a known article or write‑up from HackTricks?

Just to clarify:

Could you clarify what exactly you’re looking for? For example:

If you’re trying to find if port 5357 is interesting for pentesting:
Yes — it can sometimes be exploited for SSRF, internal host discovery, or NTLM relay if a vulnerable service is listening. Check if the service responds to http://<target>:5357 — some WSD implementations leak system information.

Port 5357: Deep Dive into WSDAPI and Network Discovery In modern Windows environments, port 5357 (TCP) is a frequently encountered service that often appears during internal network scans. While it is a standard component for device discovery, it can provide valuable information for penetration testers or present a security risk if mismanaged. What is Port 5357?

Port 5357 is primarily used by the Web Services for Devices API (WSDAPI), which is Microsoft's implementation of the WS-Discovery protocol. Its core function is to allow devices on a local network—such as printers, scanners, and file shares—to advertise their presence and discover one another without the need for manual configuration or a central server. Service Name: http Protocol: TCP (typically) Associated Port: 5358 (often used as the HTTPS counterpart)

Operating Systems: Primarily Windows Vista and later, including Windows 10, 11, and Windows Server. How WSDAPI Works

The discovery process usually begins with a multicast message over UDP port 3702. Once a device is discovered and a handshake is completed, further communication and data exchange move to TCP port 5357 (HTTP) or TCP port 5358 (HTTPS).

This allows applications like the Windows Print Spooler or Windows Fax and Scan to communicate directly with WSD-enabled hardware. Many network printers from manufacturers like HP, Brother, Canon, and Epson expose a WSD endpoint on this port by default. Penetration Testing and Information Leakage

From a security perspective, port 5357 is often scrutinized for potential information leakage. Even without active exploitation, an open port 5357 can disclose:

Device Metadata: Printer names, hostnames, and network paths.

Fingerprinting: Details about the operating system and service versions.

Lateral Movement: Exposed printer admin pages may allow attackers to intercept print jobs or move through the network. Notable Vulnerabilities

Historically, WSDAPI has been subject to critical vulnerabilities:

CVE-2009-2512 (MS09-063): A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability. Attackers could send a crafted WS-Discovery message with an overly long "MIME-Version" string to execute arbitrary code with service-level privileges.

CVE-2020-0796 (SMBGhost): While primarily an SMBv3 vulnerability, some research has linked WSD-exposed interfaces to broader exploit chains in similar network discovery contexts. Detection and Mitigation

To verify if port 5357 is active on a machine, administrators can use the following command in a Windows Command Prompt:netstat -abno | findstr 5357 Recommended Security Measures

Disable Network Discovery: If the machine is on a public network, disable "Network Discovery" in the Advanced sharing settings of the Control Panel.

Firewall Filtering: Ensure the Windows Firewall is configured to only allow connections on port 5357 from the local network (LAN) and never from the public internet.

Patching: Regularly update Windows systems to mitigate legacy vulnerabilities like MS09-063.

Use Alternative Protocols: In high-security environments, consider replacing WSD with more authenticated protocols like IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) or LPD.

Or perhaps you'd like to explore how to disable this port via Group Policy? PentestPad

Port 5357 – WSDAPI (Web Services for Devices) - PentestPad

The fluorescent lights of the server room hummed in a frequency that always gave Elena a mild headache. She cracked her knuckles, the sound sharp in the quiet room. On her screen, the target was a mid-sized accounting firm—let's call them "Ledger & Sons"—who had failed their annual penetration test.

Her job was simple: find the weakness before the bad guys did.

Elena scanned the IP range. Most ports were what she expected: 443 for the web server, 22 for SSH (hardened, thankfully), and 139/445 for file sharing. But one port glowed like a red thumb on her Nmap output. Port 5357 is often overlooked in port scans,

PORT STATE SERVICE 5357/tcp open wsd

"Web Services for Devices," Elena muttered to herself, opening a new tab in her browser. She navigated to HackTricks, the bible for modern penetration testers. She typed the port number into the search bar.

The page loaded, confirming her suspicion. Port 5357 was used by Windows for WS-Discovery (WSD). It was a protocol designed to help devices find each other on a network—printers announcing their presence, laptops looking for scanners. But as HackTricks noted, it was often the Achilles' heel of lazy network configurations.

"In an Active Directory environment," she read, "if this port is exposed to the internet or an untrusted zone, it can leak a wealth of information without authentication."

Elena leaned forward. The Nmap script scanner (-sV) had identified the service, but she needed more than just a version number. She needed a name.

She pulled up her terminal. According to HackTricks, the best way to interact with this service wasn't a complex exploit script, but a simple, specially crafted UDP packet sent to the multicast address. However, since she was testing from the outside, she had to target the specific IP directly.

If this was a Windows machine, and if it was chatty, she could force it to identify itself.

She typed the command, referencing a specific Python script found in the HackTricks references, a tool designed to send a Probe directive.

python wsd_probe.py target-ip

She hit Enter.

For a second, nothing happened. Then, the terminal flooded with XML data.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <soap:Envelope...> ... <wsa:Address>urn:uuid:56e-etc...</wsa:Address> ... <pub:Computer>LEDGER-DC01</pub:Computer> ...

Elena smirked. "Gotcha."

The machine on Port 5357 had just introduced itself. It wasn't just a workstation; LEDGER-DC01 was a Domain Controller. The most sensitive machine in the entire infrastructure, the keys to the kingdom, was responding to anonymous queries on a port that should have been firewalled.

But the HackTricks page had warned about a darker possibility. Sometimes, this port was tied to the "Network Discovery" feature, which utilized the LLMNR (Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution) and NBNS protocols. While this was technically a different vector, they often overlapped in misconfigurations.

Elena decided to press her luck. She modified her probe, attempting to spoof a request.

If the system was configured poorly—and the fact that 5357 was open to the internet suggested it was—she might be able to see what other devices LEDGER-DC01 trusted.

She crafted a second packet, this time pretending to be a printer looking for a driver share.

The response came back instantly. The server provided a list of workgroups, including one named LEDGER-ADMIN, and detailed endpoint references for network shares that hadn't been mapped during the initial scan.

<xaddr>http://LEDGER-DC01:5357/37482...</xaddr>

It was a small leak, but in cybersecurity, leaks sink ships. With the hostname LEDGER-DC01 confirmed, Elena could now launch a targeted brute-force attack or a password spraying attempt against the VPN portal. She didn't need to guess the username format anymore; she knew the naming convention.

She closed her laptop and rubbed her temples. The headache was still there, but the satisfaction of a successful find dulled the pain.

She opened her report editor and began typing the executive summary.

"Recommendation: Block Port 5357/tcp on the perimeter firewall immediately. The exposed WS-Discovery service allowed for the enumeration of the primary Domain Controller hostname ('LEDGER-DC01') and internal network topology without authentication."

She added a footnote: Reference: HackTricks - Pentesting 5357 Port.

It was a classic case of convenience overriding security. Microsoft had enabled the service by default to make networking "plug and play," but for a hacker, it was a "plug and play" welcome mat. Elena saved the file. Ledger & Sons were going to have a long week of patching ahead of them.

Port 5357 is used by the Web Services for Devices API (WSDAPI), a Microsoft implementation of the WS-Discovery protocol. It allows Windows systems to automatically discover and communicate with network devices like printers, scanners, and cameras over HTTP. Service Summary Service Name: wsdapi Common Banner: Microsoft-HTTPAPI/2.0 Protocol: HTTP over TCP (Port 5357) or HTTPS (Port 5358).

Discovery Mechanism: Often works in tandem with UDP Port 3702 (multicast) for initial discovery before moving to TCP 5357 for communication. Security Risks & Enumeration

While HackTricks does not currently have a dedicated page for "Port 5357," it appears in general Windows enumeration checklists and involves the following risks:

Information Disclosure: WSD can leak metadata including hostnames, device models (e.g., printer types), network paths, and unique device identifiers (GUIDs). Threat landscape — practical concerns, not just CVEs

Legacy Remote Code Execution (RCE): A critical vulnerability (MS09-063 / CVE-2009-2512) allowed unauthenticated RCE via specially crafted WSD headers on Windows Vista and Server 2008.

Fingerprinting: The Microsoft-HTTPAPI/2.0 banner confirms a Windows-based web service is running, which helps attackers identify the target OS.

Lateral Movement: Exposed printer or scanner interfaces can sometimes be accessed without authentication, potentially allowing job manipulation or further reconnaissance within a local network. Mitigation Additional WS-Discovery Functionality - Win32 apps

Port 5357: The Double-Edged Sword of Network Discovery

In the landscape of cybersecurity and penetration testing, open ports are the gateway to potential compromise. While high-profile ports like 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP), and 445 (SMB) garner the most attention, lesser-known service ports often provide the stealthy footholds that attackers exploit. One such vector is TCP port 5357, associated with the Web Services for Devices (WSD) and the Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution (LLMNR) protocol suite. In security resources like HackTricks, this port is highlighted not necessarily for a single catastrophic vulnerability, but as a significant information disclosure vector and a relic of convenience that creates unnecessary network exposure in modern Windows environments.

Port 5357 is utilized by the "Function Discovery Resource Publication" service in Windows. This service allows the computer to publish its presence and discover other devices on the local network without requiring a centralized DNS server. While this is convenient for home users setting up printers or sharing media, in an enterprise environment, it creates a channel where machines broadcast their existence to anyone listening. In the context of penetration testing, as outlined in HackTricks methodology, the first phase of an attack is enumeration. An open port 5357 offers a low-effort, high-yield target for reconnaissance.

When assessing port 5357, the primary risk is information disclosure. By querying this port, an attacker can extract metadata about the target system without authentication. Tools such as ntbscan or custom scripts utilizing the Python impacket library can send a probe to the port and receive a response containing the computer name, workgroup, and operating system version. This is critical intelligence for an attacker; knowing the exact OS version allows them to tailor exploits specifically for that environment, bypassing generic defenses. The enumeration of this port aligns with the HackTricks philosophy of "trust but verify"—assuming a network is secure until an open port reveals that a machine is unnecessarily broadcasting its fingerprint.

Furthermore, the existence of this service suggests a broader security misconfiguration: the reliance on legacy discovery protocols. Port 5357 often works in tandem with UDP port 5355 (LLMNR) and UDP port 5353 (mDNS). The presence of port 5357 signals to an attacker that the network may be reliant on legacy broadcasting mechanisms. This opens the door to more complex attacks, such as LLMNR/NBT-NS poisoning (via tools like Responder). If a system is broadcasting its existence on port 5357, it is highly likely listening for name resolution requests on associated ports, allowing an attacker to intercept traffic and potentially capture password hashes by spoofing legitimate server responses.

From a defensive perspective, the mitigation strategies for port 5357 are straightforward but frequently overlooked in corporate governance. The standard recommendation is to disable the "Function Discovery Resource Publication" service and "SSDP Discovery" service on machines that do not require device broadcasting. In a hardened Active Directory environment, workstations should rely on the Domain Name System (DNS) rather than peer-to-peer discovery. Closing this port reduces the attack surface by silencing the machine on the local network segment, making it invisible to casual scanners.

In conclusion, port 5357 serves as a prime example of how convenience features can evolve into security liabilities. It is rarely the point of initial exploitation, but it acts as a signpost, directing attackers toward vulnerable hosts and legacy configurations. Security frameworks and knowledge bases like HackTricks emphasize the enumeration of such ports because security is often about eliminating small data leaks that cumulatively paint a complete picture of the target network. By understanding and securing port 5357, administrators can remove a vital reconnaissance tool from the attacker’s arsenal, reinforcing the principle that a secure network is often a silent network.

Port 5357 is used by the Web Services for Devices API (WSDAPI), a Microsoft implementation of WS-Discovery. This service allows devices on a local network—like printers, scanners, and file shares—to advertise and discover services without a central server.

The "HackTricks" approach to this port typically involves information disclosure and enumeration rather than direct, modern exploits. 🛠️ Feature: Service Information Enumeration

The primary "feature" of an open port 5357 is its ability to leak metadata about the host and its connected peripherals.

Device Fingerprinting: By querying this port, an attacker can discover hostnames, network paths, and unique device metadata.

WSD Address Discovery: WSDAPI typically listens on TCP 5357/5358 after receiving broadcast messages on UDP 3702. Capturing these broadcasts reveals a target's UUID (Universally Unique Identifier), which is required to trigger certain legacy vulnerabilities.

Infrastructure Recon: An open 5357 often signals a Windows environment where "Network Discovery" is enabled for "Private" or "Domain" firewall profiles. ⚠️ Potential Vulnerabilities

While modern Windows versions are more secure, port 5357 has historically been associated with:

Remote Code Execution (RCE): Older versions (Windows Vista and Server 2008) were vulnerable to memory corruption (CVE-2009-2512) via malformed WSD headers.

Unauthorized Interface Access: Poorly secured WSD services can expose web-based admin pages for printers or scanners, potentially allowing attackers to view or submit print jobs.

Lateral Movement: The metadata gathered from WSD can help an attacker identify other internal targets, such as workstations and shared resources, within the same subnet. 🛡️ Best Practices

Filter Public Profiles: Port 5357 should never be open to the internet and should ideally be filtered even on public local networks.

Network Segmentation: Keep WSD-enabled devices on a separate VLAN to limit the reach of an information leak.

Port 5357 – WSDAPI (Web Services for Devices) - PentestPad

According to HackTricks, a website known for providing detailed guides on penetration testing and cybersecurity:

git clone https://github.com/ianling/wsdpy
cd wsdpy
python3 wsdump.py 10.10.10.5

This sends a Probe message and lists all advertised devices, their types, scopes, and metadata addresses.

Example output:

Device: http://10.10.10.5:5357/wsd/3f8c2a1b-...
Type: Printer
Friendly Name: HP LaserJet M402dw
Metadata URL: http://10.10.10.5:5357/wsd/3f8c2a1b/metadata

Related searches (suggested terms): port 5357 WSD, WSD SOAP GetDeviceInformation, disable WSD Windows, nmap http-wsd-discover

# Using wsd-client tools (if installed)
wsdd – discover

Do not run intrusive exploitation against systems you don’t own or have permission to test.