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Telnet
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Telnet

Telnet is a plaintext remote access protocol. Attackers grab banners, brute force weak creds, intercept traffic via MITM, then pivot internally using gained shell access

:23 4 guides 2 phases
1 min read Updated: Jul 14, 2026

What is Telnet?

Telnet gives you a remote shell but sends everything — including passwords — in plaintext.

Common security issues

  • Credentials easily sniffed.

  • No encryption.

  • Brute-force login attacks.

  • Still enabled on old gear.

Default ports

  • 23

Enumeration

Grab banners, versions, and NTLM info from Telnet services

1

Exploitation

Guides on brute forcing, weak creds, and MITM attacks on Telnet

3