Daytime Service Detection Scanner
This scanner detects the use of Daytime Service in digital assets. It identifies the presence of the Daytime Protocol which can reveal system information, helping to reduce the attack surface.
Short Info
Level
Single Scan
Single Scan
Can be used by
Asset Owner
Estimated Time
10 seconds
Time Interval
N/A (Single Scan Only)
Scan only one
Domain, Subdomain, IPv4
Toolbox
The Daytime Service is a legacy protocol defined by RFC 867, used to provide the current date and time in ASCII format. It is utilized in network devices that need to synchronize time or provide device status logs. Though largely obsolete, some systems continue to use it for backward compatibility and historical reasons. Administrators who maintain legacy systems or those in environments that require extensive time-tracking still use this service. However, its utility has sharply decreased with the advent of more secure and precise time protocols like NTP. Given its deprecated status, it is primarily found in older or unsecured network devices.
This scanner detects the presence of the Daytime Service, focusing on UDP port 13. By identifying this service, it highlights potential security risks associated with exposing system information. Recognizing the Daytime Protocol can aid in determining if the server inadvertently reveals current system data to unauthorized users. Such vulnerability is considered low-risk but significant in security audits, as it could form the basis of more severe configurations mishaps if left unmitigated.
The scanner works by sending a request in hexadecimal format to a device presumed to support the Daytime Protocol, particularly monitoring for responses on UDP port 13. The response is expected to contain the current date and time; this interaction confirms if the service is active. It uses regex pattern matching to interpret the returned ASCII formatted response, assessing response length to ensure it reflects expected data patterns, hence signifying positive detection.
If exploited, the Daytime Service can expose valuable system information, like server uptime and device operating times, to unauthorized users. Such data can inadvertently inform potential attackers of optimal times for launching attacks, or when systems are less likely to be monitored. Continuous exposure of this data might also serve as intelligence for social engineering schemes or be combined with other data to create more sophisticated attack vectors.
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