312-50V11 · Question #557
An NMAP scan of a server shows port 69 is open. What risk could this pose?
The correct answer is A. Unauthenticated access. Port 69 is used by TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol), which has no built-in authentication, allowing any host to read or write files without credentials.
Question
An NMAP scan of a server shows port 69 is open. What risk could this pose?
Options
- AUnauthenticated access
- BWeak SSL version
- CCleartext login
- DWeb portal data leak
How the community answered
(19 responses)- A89% (17)
- C5% (1)
- D5% (1)
Why each option
Port 69 is used by TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol), which has no built-in authentication, allowing any host to read or write files without credentials.
TFTP operates on UDP port 69 and was intentionally designed as a minimal protocol with no username, password, or authentication mechanism of any kind. An open TFTP service exposes files stored in its root directory to any network host that can reach the port, making unauthenticated access to sensitive files (such as device configuration files) the primary risk. This is why TFTP should never be exposed on untrusted networks.
TFTP does not use SSL or TLS at all, so weak SSL version is not a relevant risk for this protocol.
Cleartext login implies credentials are transmitted unencrypted, but TFTP has no login or credential exchange process whatsoever.
TFTP is not a web-based protocol and does not expose a web portal, so a web portal data leak is not applicable.
Concept tested: TFTP protocol risks and unauthenticated access
Source: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc1350
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