Fast and Clear TLS Audits with Nmap

Nmap is not just for port scanning. With the right flags, it reveals how a system negotiates encrypted connections, what ciphers it trusts, and whether its certificates are strong or expired. For modern infrastructure, checking TLS configuration is not optional. Weak ciphers, outdated protocols, and misconfigured certificates can open critical vulnerabilities.

The key is leveraging Nmap’s ssl-enum-ciphers and --script ssl-cert features. ssl-enum-ciphers runs a methodical sweep through available TLS protocols and ciphers, listing their strength and status. It flags insecure suites like RC4 or SSLv3, helping you enforce TLS 1.2+ or TLS 1.3 across your environment. ssl-cert inspects certificates, pulling details like issuer, expiration dates, and Subject Alternative Names, so you can spot outdated or mismatched certs before they break production.

A focused TLS scan looks like this:

nmap --script ssl-enum-ciphers -p 443 target.com
nmap --script ssl-cert -p 443 target.com

These scans can target multiple hosts, and combined with -Pn and --open flags, they quickly zero in on services actually listening with TLS enabled. Add -sV to grab service versions alongside the encryption details.

For deep audits, run them against staging and production. Compare outputs to your desired TLS policy. Remove support for legacy protocols like TLS 1.0 and SSL 2.0, and confirm that all certificates chain to a trusted root and use at least 2048-bit keys.

Fast, clear TLS audits with Nmap make it easier to catch mistakes before attackers exploit them. You can automate these scans, integrate them into CI/CD pipelines, and enforce policy without slowing down deployments.

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