Nmap Xmas Scan

In this lesson, we’ll look at the Xmas scan in detail. We’ll also learn how to use custom TCP headers to create more flexible scan types.

What is Nmap’s Xmas scan?

The Nmap Xmas scan is a type of network scan that we can use to identify open TCP ports on a target host. This scan sets the FIN, PSH, and URG flags in the TCP header, which is why we call it a Christmas scan; the flags resemble the lights on a Christmas tree.

We use the -sX flag to perform an Xmas scan. Here’s an example.