Port 5357 Hacktricks Jun 2026

If network discovery is not a business requirement (especially on critical servers), disable the following Windows services: Open services.msc . Locate . Change the Startup type to Disabled and stop the service. Locate Function Discovery Resource Publication . Change the Startup type to Disabled and stop the service. Windows Firewall Configuration

From an attacker's perspective, port 5357 is a goldmine for initial reconnaissance and lateral movement. Here is how a penetration tester or an attacker would approach it.

Port 5357 is the default TCP port for the protocol, a Microsoft implementation of the Devices Profile for Web Services (DPWS) . It was introduced in Windows Vista and is active by default in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10, especially when Network Discovery is enabled. port 5357 hacktricks

If the service requires authentication or can be forced to authenticate back to an attacker-controlled machine, it can be abused in NTLM relay operations.

Running an aggressive service scan against a target machine frequently reveals the port associated with wsdapi . If network discovery is not a business requirement

A typical result for an open port 5357 is:

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

: If network discovery is not required, this service can be disabled by turning off "Network Discovery" in the Windows Sharing settings or blocking the port via Windows Defender Firewall . How to block TCP port 445 in Windows - ManageEngine

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

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

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