WHATPORT(99) whatport.net WHATPORT(99)
99

Metagram Relay

IANA-registered as Metagram Relay; historically also squatted by backdoors.

TCP IANA registry

Description

Port 99 is registered as metagram, Metagram Relay, an early message-relay service registered by Geoff Goodfellow. There is no published specification and no implementation in current use, so the registration is the only firm fact. Because it sits just under 100 and is normally closed, it has repeatedly been used as a listening port by hobby backdoors and hand-rolled admin shells. Anything open on 99 deserves a banner grab, not an assumption.

Exposed to the internet?

Expose with care

No legitimate modern service claims this port; an unexplained listener on 99 is worth investigating rather than firewalling and forgetting.

Check it yourself

$ nc -vz TARGET 99

See also

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Corrections or a missing port? Reply @rimrocksystems.