Network Enumeration is defined as a process by which gathering information about a target network.
Network Enumeration is used by an attacker to establish an active connection with the victim and try to discover as much data by which a hacker (or cracker) can gain access to a computer or network server in order to deliver a payload or malicious outcome which can be used to exploit the systems further.
Enumeration tools scan ports to gather information. The next stage of enumeration is to fingerprint the operating system.
All of these are done for the purpose of looking more closely at how a network is set up and how data traffic is handled.
Most vulnerability Scanners will also perform network enumeration tasks and a whole lot more, if you are looking for vulnerability scanners go to Network Mapping Tools.
Network Enumeration can be used to Gain information on
- Usernames, Group names
- Hostnames
- Network shares and services
- IP tables and routing tables
- Service settings and Audit configurations
- Application and banners
- SNMP and DNS Details
Enumerations depend on the services that the systems offer
- DNS enumeration
- NTP enumeration
- SNMP Enumeration
- Linux/Windows enumeration
- SMB enumeration
List of network enumerators
- Metasploit Project
- Nmap
- Nessus
- OpenVAS
- SAINT (software)
- Security Administrator Tool for Analyzing Networks
- ZMap (software)
