While modern Windows versions are more secure, port 5357 has historically been associated with:
A historic but classic example where an attacker could send a crafted HTTP request with a malicious Range header to execute arbitrary code or trigger a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) via kernel memory corruption. Any open HTTP port powered by http.sys (including 5357) could be used as the entry point. 2. Information Disclosure & Internal Reconnaissance
Port 5357 is commonly utilized by Microsoft Windows operating systems for Web Services Dynamic Discovery (WS-Discovery). This protocol allows devices to automatically discover web-based services on a local network. During a security assessment or penetration test, encountering this open port can provide valuable information about the target host or serve as an entry point for further network exploitation. port 5357 hacktricks
For a second, nothing happened. Then, the terminal flooded with XML data.
Potentially intercepting print jobs, which may contain sensitive company documents. 4. Remediation and Mitigation While modern Windows versions are more secure, port
Additionally, it uses for service discovery via multicasting.
WSDAPI is Microsoft's implementation of the protocol. It allows Windows machines to automatically discover and communicate with network-connected devices like printers, scanners, and file shares without manual configuration. Port 5357 (TCP): Used for HTTP-based communication. Port 5358 (TCP): Used for HTTPS-based communication. Port 3702 (UDP): Used for multicast discovery. Reconnaissance & Enumeration For a second, nothing happened
Isolate critical systems, such as healthcare or industrial endpoints, on dedicated network segments. This ensures that even if a device on a less trusted network is compromised, the attacker cannot pivot to a critical asset via port 5357 .
If the WS-Discovery service is misconfigured or poorly restricted, unauthenticated attackers on the local network can query the endpoint to map internal device configurations. This includes: Computer hostnames Unique Device UUIDs Internal network configurations and interface details B. Exploiting the Underlying HTTP Stack ( http.sys )
WSDAPI (Web Services for Devices) / HTTP Commonly found on: Windows (Windows 7, 8, 10, Server editions) Protocol: HTTP (often REST-like SOAP/XML services)
Some potential vulnerabilities associated with Port 5357 include:
