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Credentialed Pre-Port Discovery: Don't Probe the Host, Ask it

medrapid7Published 2026-09-09

<p style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-size: undefined;">If your scan engine already holds credentials for a host, it can ask that host which ports are open instead of probing for them.</span></p><p style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-size: undefined;">Every scan begins with the same question: which ports on this host are open? Everything after it, from identifying services to checking

MITRE ATT&CK techniques

Indicators of compromise

Original source: https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/pt-credentialed-pre-port-discovery-asking-host