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// File transfer & sharing

Port 152: Background File Transfer Program

Port 152 is assigned by IANA to bftp (Background File Transfer Program).

152

How bftp works

File transfer & sharing
client:1521/32/33/3bftp client:1521/32/33/3bftp

Files are sent over port 152 in pieces and reassembled on the other side.

Transport
TCP · UDP
Exposure risk
not rated depends on the program listening
Encryption
Unknownnot stated by the registry
IANA status
Assigned1 registered service
Range
Well-known (0-1023)
Category
File transfer & sharing
01 Security

Is port 152 dangerous?

We have no specific security note for port 152. Its risk depends on the program actually listening on it. General advice for file transfer & sharing services:

  • Prefer encrypted protocols (SFTP, FTPS, SMB 3 with encryption).
  • Disable anonymous access and restrict shares or exports to known hosts.
  • Never publish file sharing protocols to the Internet.
02 Registry

IANA registry entries for port 152

ServicePortTransportDescriptionReferenceUpdated
bftp 152 TCP, UDP Background File Transfer Program - -

// source: IANA service name and port number registry

03 Check it

Which program uses port 152, and is it reachable?

Linux

sudo ss -ltnup 'sport = :152'      # process listening on 152
sudo lsof -nP -i :152

macOS

sudo lsof -nP -i :152

Windows (PowerShell)

Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 152 -State Listen | Select LocalAddress, OwningProcess
Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 152
netstat -ano | findstr :152

From another machine

nmap -p 152 -sV <host>
sudo nmap -sU -p 152 <host>
nc -zv <host> 152

Block it in the firewall

sudo ufw deny 152/tcp                                         # Linux (ufw)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block 152" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 152 -Protocol TCP -Action Block  # Windows
04 FAQ
What is port 152 used for?

Port 152 is assigned by IANA to bftp (Background File Transfer Program).

Is port 152 TCP or UDP?

Port 152 is registered for TCP and UDP.

Is it safe to open port 152?

It depends on the program that listens on it. Open it only for a service you know and only to the networks that need it. Prefer encrypted protocols (SFTP, FTPS, SMB 3 with encryption).

How do I check if port 152 is open?

On Linux run "ss -ltnup 'sport = :152'", on macOS "lsof -nP -i :152", and on Windows "netstat -ano | findstr :152" to see the local process. From another machine, "nmap -p 152 <host>" shows whether it is reachable.

05 Related
:445 SMB tcp · udp · critical risk :21 FTP tcp · udp · sctp · high risk :139 NetBIOS Session tcp · udp · high risk :69 TFTP udp · tcp · high risk :2049 NFS tcp · udp · sctp · high risk :873 rsync tcp · udp · high risk :20 File Transfer [Default Data] tcp · udp · sctp :115 Simple File Transfer Protocol tcp · udp

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