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// Web

Port 8080: HTTP alternate

Common alternate HTTP port for application servers, proxies and admin consoles (Tomcat, Jenkins, Jira, routers).

http-altweb proxyTomcatJenkins
8080

How HTTP alternate works

Web
browser:8080pw=1234 browser:8080pw=1234

A browser sends an HTTP request to port 8080 and the HTTP alternate server sends the page back. It travels in clear text: anyone on the path can read it, passwords included.

Transport
TCP · UDP
Exposure risk
6/10 high if reachable from the Internet
Encryption
Clear textreadable on the network
IANA status
Assigned1 registered service
Range
Registered (1024-49151)
Category
Web
01 Security

Is port 8080 dangerous?

Common attacks and weaknesses

  • Admin consoles exposed with default credentials (Tomcat manager, Jenkins script console).
  • Development servers published by mistake.
  • Open proxies.

How to secure it

  • Put these services behind a reverse proxy with TLS and authentication.
  • Change default credentials and remove example apps.
  • Do not expose development or admin ports to the Internet.
02 Registry

IANA registry entries for port 8080

ServicePortTransportDescriptionReferenceUpdated
http-alt 8080 TCP, UDP HTTP Alternate (see port 80) - -

// source: IANA service name and port number registry

03 Check it

Which program uses port 8080, and is it reachable?

Linux

sudo ss -ltnup 'sport = :8080'      # process listening on 8080
sudo lsof -nP -i :8080

macOS

sudo lsof -nP -i :8080

Windows (PowerShell)

Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 8080 -State Listen | Select LocalAddress, OwningProcess
Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 8080
netstat -ano | findstr :8080

From another machine

nmap -p 8080 -sV <host>
sudo nmap -sU -p 8080 <host>
nc -zv <host> 8080

Block it in the firewall

sudo ufw deny 8080/tcp                                         # Linux (ufw)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block 8080" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 8080 -Protocol TCP -Action Block  # Windows
04 FAQ
What is port 8080 used for?

Common alternate HTTP port for application servers, proxies and admin consoles (Tomcat, Jenkins, Jira, routers).

Is port 8080 TCP or UDP?

Port 8080 is registered for TCP and UDP. In practice the service mostly uses TCP.

Is it safe to open port 8080?

It is rated 6/10 (high) when exposed to the Internet. Admin consoles exposed with default credentials (Tomcat manager, Jenkins script console). Put these services behind a reverse proxy with TLS and authentication.

How do I check if port 8080 is open?

On Linux run "ss -ltnup 'sport = :8080'", on macOS "lsof -nP -i :8080", and on Windows "netstat -ano | findstr :8080" to see the local process. From another machine, "nmap -p 8080 <host>" shows whether it is reachable.

05 Related
:443 HTTPS tcp · udp · sctp · low risk :80 HTTP tcp · udp · sctp · moderate risk :8443 HTTPS alternate tcp · udp · moderate risk :3000 Dev servers / Grafana tcp · udp · moderate risk :5000 Flask / Docker registry / UPnP tcp · udp · moderate risk :8000 HTTP alternate (dev) tcp · udp · moderate risk :8888 Jupyter / HTTP alternate tcp · udp · high risk :9443 HTTPS alternate (admin) tcp · udp · moderate risk

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