Shodan

What is Shodan?

Shodan (short for "Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network"), is a search engine that allows users to discover internet-connected devices and systems. Unlike traditional search engines like Google, which index websites, Shodan indexes devices, including servers, routers, webcams, industrial control systems, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices. It collects data by scanning the internet and cataloging publicly available devices and services that are directly accessible over the internet.

Accessing Shodan

To access shodan, simply visit https://www.shodan.io/

You will have to sign-up if you don’t have an account registered in Shodan.

Once you’re logged in, you can perform numerous types of search based on your needs. Below are some searches I did in Shodan, just for illustration purposes.

1. I searched for devices which has Windows XP operating system. Yes it’s shocking that there are people who is still utilizing this very old operating system. The number shown as per below is 43,572 devices. Keep in mind the number is only of those devices which are connected to the internet right now (excluding those which are not)

   
   

   

The 2nd device that’s from the result, is showing a device in Tokyo with all it information such as the IP address, what’s the server running on it etc. Also notice that eol-product is

shown below of that

2. Below search is for devices with Windows 7 operating system, which should not be used anymore due to a lot of vulnerabilities in it.

                                      Total number of Windows 7 being used

As I scrolled through the results, i found a screenshot of a login page, of one of the

Windows 7 devices.

4) The next i searched for cameras by keying-in title:camera, as per below

As i scrolled through, i found some results with the camera being visible to me

One of the cameras in a parking lot shown in Tokyo,Japan.

Another one shown on what looks to be like a residence in Okayama, Japan.

5) This next one is by me searching the result only with a screenshot from Italy. By keying-in webcam has_screenshot:true country:IT

This result came up which is in Milan, Italy

There are a lot type of searches that I can perform in Shodan but i’d just like to end it here for now. And also a very important note, i have not subscribed to Shodan and it does of course come with some limitations. For instance i can’t go over more than 2 pages of results, i can’t just click on the available options on the top, such as Monitor, Images, Maps etc

Conclusion:

Shodan is a powerful tool that gives users insight into the world of internet-connected devices. While it is primarily used by security professionals to detect vulnerabilities, its capabilities have made it a valuable resource for both ethical hackers and cybercriminals. Understanding how Shodan works and taking steps to secure your internet-connected devices is essential to protecting against potential attacks.