Shodan.io tips and tricks

Shodan is a search engine for the internet of things (IoT). It allows users to search for specific types of internet-connected devices, such as security cameras or industrial control systems, and view information about them, such as their location, their internet protocol (IP) address, and their manufacturer.

This makes it a valuable tool for security researchers, who can use Shodan to identify vulnerable devices and track the spread of malware across the internet.

Shodan was created by John Matherly in 2009, and it has grown to become one of the most widely used search engines for IoT devices. One of the unique features of Shodan is its ability to search for specific keywords in the banners that many IoT devices send out over the internet. This allows users to search for devices using a variety of criteria, such as the type of device, its operating system, and its manufacturer.

In addition to its search capabilities, Shodan also offers a variety of other tools and services. For example, users can set up alerts to be notified when new devices matching their search criteria are added to the internet. They can also use Shodan to track the spread of malware across the internet, by searching for devices that have been infected with a specific strain of malware.

Overall, Shodan is an important tool for security researchers and others interested in the internet of things. It offers a unique way to search for and find internet-connected devices, and provides valuable information about those devices. While it does pose some risks, these are mitigated by the security measures in place to prevent abuse of the platform.

To use filters on Shodan, users first need to register for an account. Once they have done so, they can begin creating filters by clicking on the “Filters” tab on the left-hand side of the screen. This will bring up a list of available filters, which can be added to the search query by clicking on them.

Some examples of filters that can be used on Shodan include:

• os: - This filter allows users to search for devices based on their operating system. For example, a search for os:linux will return results for devices running the Linux operating system.
• geo: - This filter allows users to search for devices based on their geographical location. For example, a search for geo:us will return results for devices located in the United States.
• hostname: - This filter allows users to search for devices based on their hostname, which is the name assigned to the device on the network. For example, a search for hostname:camera will return results for devices with “camera” in their hostname.

Once users have added filters to their search query, they can click the “Search” button to see the results. The results page will show a list of devices matching the search criteria, along with information about each device, such as its IP address and its location.

General Filters

Name	Description	Type
after	Only show results after the given date (dd/mm/yyyy) string	string
asn	Autonomous system number string	string
before	Only show results before the given date (dd/mm/yyyy) string	string
category	Available categories: ics, malware string	string
city	Name of the city string	string
country	2-letter country code string	string
geo	Accepts between 2 and 4 parameters. If 2 parameters: latitude,longitude. If 3 parameters: latitude,longitude,range. If 4 parameters: top left latitude, top left longitude, bottom right latitude, bottom right longitude.	string
hash	Hash of the data property integer	integer
has_ipv6	True/ False boolean	boolean
has_screenshot	True/ False boolean	boolean
hostname	Full hostname for the device string	string
ip	Alias for net filter string	string
isp	ISP managing the netblock string	string
net	Network range in CIDR notation (ex. 199.4.1.0/24) string	string
org	Organization assigned the netblock string	string
os	Operating system string	string
port	Port number for the service integer	string
postal	Postal code (US-only) string	string
product	Name of the software/ product providing the banner string	string
region	Name of the region/ state string	string
state	Alias for region string	string
version	Version for the product string	string
vuln	CVE ID for a vulnerability string	string

HTTP Filters

Name	Description	Type
http.component	Name of web technology used on the website	string
http.component_category	Category of web components used on the website	string
http.html	HTML of web banners	string
http.html_hash	Hash of the website HTML	integer
http.status	Response status code	integer
http.title	Title for the web banners website	string

NTP Filters

Name	Description	Type
ntp.ip	IP addresses returned by monlist	string
ntp.ip_count	Number of IPs returned by initial monlist	integer
ntp.more	True/ False; whether there are more IP addresses to be gathered from monlist	boolean
ntp.port	Port used by IP addresses in monlist	integer

SSL Filters

Name	Description	Type
has_ssl	True / False	boolean
ssl	Search all SSL data	string
ssl.alpn	Application layer protocols such as HTTP/2 (“h2”)	string
ssl.chain_count	Number of certificates in the chain	integer
ssl.version	Possible values: SSLv2, SSLv3, TLSv1,TLSv1.1, TLSv1.2	string
ssl.cert.alg	Certificate algorithm	string
ssl.cert.expired	True / False	boolean
ssl.cert.extension	vNames of extensions in the certificate	string
ssl.cert.serial	Serial number as an integer or hexadecimal string	integer / string
ssl.cert.pubkey.bits	Number of bits in the public key	integer
ssl.cert.pubkey.type	Public key type	string
ssl.cipher.version	SSL version of the preferred cipher	string
ssl.cipher.bits	Number of bits in the preferred cipher	integer
ssl.cipher.name	Name of the preferred cipher	string

Telnet Filters

Name	Description	Type
telnet.option	Search all the options	string
telnet.do	The server requests the client do support these options	string
telnet.dont	The server requests the client to not support these options	string
telnet.will	The server supports these options	string
telnet.wont	The server doesnt support these options	string