{
  "port": 6668,
  "protocol": "tcp",
  "service": "IRC (alternate)",
  "oneLiner": "Another plaintext IRC port from IANA's 6665-6669 ircu block.",
  "whatItIs": "6668 carries exactly the same IRC protocol as 6667 and exists because IANA assigned the whole 6665-6669 range to ircu, letting a server offer several entry points. Networks bind it so clients behind a filter that blocks 6667 can still get in, and some run separate listeners per port for load or policy reasons. On a scan it means an IRC daemon, not a distinct protocol.",
  "exposure": {
    "verdict": "careful",
    "note": "Same cleartext exposure as 6667; the TLS port is 6697 per RFC 7194."
  },
  "checkCommand": "printf 'QUIT\\r\\n' | nc -v TARGET 6668",
  "links": [
    {
      "title": "RFC 1459 — Internet Relay Chat Protocol",
      "url": "https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1459.html",
      "kind": "spec"
    },
    {
      "title": "IANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry — 6665-6669 (ircu)",
      "url": "https://www.iana.org/assignments/service-names-port-numbers/service-names-port-numbers.xhtml?search=6668",
      "kind": "iana"
    }
  ]
}