Mastering Shodan: A Practical Guide for Ethical Hackers & OSINT Analysts

10.06.2025

Shodan is often called "the search engine for the Internet of Things." Unlike traditional search engines, Shodan lets you discover connected devices, exposed services, and even vulnerable systems across the globe.

Ethical hackers and cybersecurity professionals use it for OSINT (Open Source Intelligence), attack surface mapping, and threat detection.

In this article, we'll break down the most useful filters and tools to help you get the most out of Shodan in real-world investigations.

🔍 Shodan – Device and Service Search

🧠 Most Useful Filters for OSINT

🔌 By service / port

port:22 → Open SSH
port:21 → FTP
port:80 → HTTP
port:443 → HTTPS
port:23 → Telnet (commonly found on insecure IoT)
port:554 → RTSP (cameras)
port:9100 → Exposed printers

🌍 By location

country:ES → Devices in Spain
city:Mexico City
geo:19.4326,-99.1332,30 → Coordinates + radius (km)

🏢 By provider or organization

org:"Movistar"
isp:"Claro"

💻 By software / hardware

product:"GoAhead-Webs"
product:"Dahua DVR"
product:"OpenSSH"
os:"Windows 7"
title:"Router Login"
title:"webcamXP"
http.favicon.hash:-904662927 → Detects systems by unique favicon hash

🔐 Security / vulnerabilities

has_screenshot:true → Show captured web interfaces
ssl.version:TLSv1
vuln:CVE-2021-44228 → Search by specific vulnerability
tag:default → Devices with default configurations

⏱️ By date

after:"2024-01-01"
before:"2024-04-01"

🧱 Other useful filters

hostname:".edu"
org:"University"
net:186.28.0.0/16 → IP range
device:webcam → Filter by device type

🧰 Tools & Additional Resources

🧨 Shodan Exploits

📌 https://exploits.shodan.io/
Displays known exploits related to the services or devices you find. Great for real-time vulnerability awareness.

🖥️ Shodan CLI

📌 https://cli.shodan.io/
Command-line interface for automating queries, scraping results, or integrating with custom scripts.

🗺️ Shodan Maps

📌 https://maps.shodan.io/
A global visual map of internet-connected devices.

📚 Official Documentation

✅ Conclusion

Shodan is not just a search engine — it's a powerful tool for anyone involved in cybersecurity, ethical hacking, or digital investigations. With the right filters and some creativity, you can uncover everything from unsecured webcams to outdated ICS systems.

But remember:
🔒 With great visibility comes great responsibility.
Always use Shodan within the bounds of the law, and never interact with systems you don't have explicit permission to test.

Whether you're doing a quick OSINT sweep, mapping an organization's attack surface, or just exploring the wild side of the internet — Shodan gives you eyes where no one's looking.

Stay curious, stay ethical. 🛡️