Port 3389 — RDP
TCP registered
What runs on port 3389
Windows Remote Desktop.
Security considerations
A primary ransomware entry vector. Put it behind a VPN, require network level authentication, and never expose it directly.
Checking whether something is listening
# Linux / macOS — what is bound to the port
sudo lsof -i :3389
sudo ss -lntp | grep :3389
# Windows
netstat -ano | findstr :3389
Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 3389
# is it reachable from outside?
nc -zv example.com 3389
curl -v telnet://example.com:3389
Freeing the port
# find the process, then stop it
sudo lsof -ti :3389 | xargs kill # Linux / macOS
netstat -ano | findstr :3389 # note the PID, then:
taskkill /PID <pid> /F # Windows