ScanCannon v1.3

A Bash script for efficient credential attack surface enumeration and general reconnaissance of massive network ranges.

ScanCannon handles the enumeration of extremely large networks (such as The Internet) at high of speeds as the infrastructure can handle, specifically looking for credentials-based attack surfaces. It uses masscan to quickly identify open ports, then calls nmap to gain detailed information on the systems and services listening on those ports, thus compensating for the lack of acureacy in masscan. Final artifact is an array of flat text files full of IPs, hostnames, and interesting services that you can easily load up into the next tool in your killchain.

Table of Contents

• What is ScanCannon?
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Quick Start
• Configuration
• Usage Examples
• Progress Tracking
• Understanding Output
• Safety & Legal Considerations
• Troubleshooting
• FAQ
• Known Issues
• License

What is ScanCannon?

Features

• High-speed network enumeration using masscan for initial discovery
• Detailed service detection using nmap for discovered hosts
• Comprehensive output formats including flat files for easy import into other tools
• Automatic domain/subdomain discovery from scan results
• Service categorization for common credential attack vectors (SSH, FTP, HTTP, SMB, etc.)
• Advanced progress tracking with real-time visual feedback, ETA calculations, and phase monitoring
• Automatic cleanup and file organization
• Cross-platform support (Linux, MacOS, WSL2)

Target Services

ScanCannon focuses on these high-value services for security assessment:

TCP Services:

• 21 - FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
• 22 - SSH (Secure Shell)
• 23 - Telnet
• 53 - DNS (Domain Name System)
• 80 - HTTP (Web servers)
• 135 - MSRPC (Microsoft RPC)
• 139 - NetBIOS Session Service
• 443 - HTTPS (Secure web servers)
• 445 - Microsoft-DS (SMB/CIFS)
• 990 - SFTP (Secure FTP)
• 1701 - L2F (Layer 2 Forwarding)
• 1723 - PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol)

UDP Services (with -u flag):

• 53 - DNS (Domain Name System)
• 161 - SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
• 500 - ISAKMP (Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol)

This focused approach dramatically reduces scan time while ensuring all high-value attack surface services are discovered.

Prerequisites

Required Software

• Root/Administrator privileges (required for raw packet manipulation)
• Masscan v1.0.3+ - High-speed port scanner
• Nmap v7.0.1+ - Network discovery and security auditing
• Standard Unix tools: dig, whois, wget, awk, sed

Installation Commands

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install masscan nmap dnsutils whois wget

CentOS/RHEL/Fedora:

sudo yum install masscan nmap bind-utils whois wget
# or for newer versions:
sudo dnf install masscan nmap bind-utils whois wget

macOS (with Homebrew):

brew install masscan nmap wget

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/johnnyxmas/ScanCannon.git
   cd ScanCannon

2. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x scancannon.sh

3. Verify prerequisites:

   # The script will automatically check for required tools
   sudo ./scancannon.sh

Quick Start

Basic Usage

# Scan a single network
sudo ./scancannon.sh 203.0.113.0/24

# Scan multiple networks from file
echo "203.0.113.0/24" > targets.txt
echo "198.51.100.0/24" >> targets.txt
sudo ./scancannon.sh targets.txt

# Include UDP scanning (slower but more comprehensive)
sudo ./scancannon.sh -u 203.0.113.0/24

Command Syntax

sudo ./scancannon.sh [-u] [CIDR_range | targets_file]

Options:

• -u : Perform UDP scan on common ports (53, 161, 500) using nmap (significantly slower)

Input Formats:

• CIDR range: 192.168.1.0/24, 10.0.0.0/16
• Targets file: Text file with one CIDR range per line

Configuration

Basic Configuration

The main configuration is handled through scancannon.conf:

# Key settings you may want to adjust:
rate = 5000.00           # Packets per second (start low!)
excludefile = exclude.txt # Networks to exclude from scanning
# Only scan ports that ScanCannon actually uses - much more efficient!
ports = 21,22,23,53,80,135,139,443,445,990,1701,1723

Exclusion List

Edit exclude.txt to add networks you want to skip:

# Add networks to exclude (one per line)
192.168.0.0/16    # Private networks
10.0.0.0/8        # Private networks
172.16.0.0/12     # Private networks
127.0.0.0/8       # Loopback

Automatic Network Configuration

ScanCannon automatically prompts for network adapter configuration every time you run it. This ensures optimal performance by helping masscan achieve maximum scanning speed. The script will:

1. Detect network interfaces and let you choose which one to use
2. Automatically configure adapter-ip and adapter-mac settings
3. Find your default gateway and configure router-mac settings
4. Update scancannon.conf with the detected settings

# Every time you run ScanCannon:
sudo ./scancannon.sh 192.168.1.0/24

# You'll always see:
=== Network Adapter Configuration ===
For optimal performance, ScanCannon can automatically configure your network adapter settings.
This helps masscan achieve maximum scanning speed by bypassing the kernel network stack.

Would you like to automatically configure network adapter settings? [y/N]: y

# If multiple interfaces exist:
Multiple network interfaces found:
  [1] eth0 - IP: 192.168.1.100, MAC: aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff
  [2] wlan0 - IP: 10.0.0.50, MAC: 11:22:33:44:55:66
Select interface [1-2]: 1

# Configuration is automatically applied to scancannon.conf
# Answer 'N' if you want to keep existing settings or configure manually

Manual Network Configuration (Advanced)

If you prefer manual configuration or need to customize settings, you can edit scancannon.conf directly:

# Network adapter settings for maximum performance:
adapter-ip = 192.168.1.100    # Your machine's IP address
adapter-mac = aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff  # Your network card's MAC address
router-mac = 11:22:33:44:55:66   # Your router's MAC address

Why These Settings Matter:

• adapter-ip: Your machine's IP address on the scanning interface

  • Masscan uses this to craft packets with the correct source IP
  • Must match the IP of the interface you're scanning from

• adapter-mac: Your network card's MAC address

  • Used for raw packet transmission to bypass kernel networking
  • Improves performance by avoiding OS network stack overhead

• router-mac: Your default gateway's MAC address

  • Required for masscan to send packets directly to the router
  • Enables maximum scanning speed by bypassing ARP lookups

When These Settings Help:

• High-speed scans (>10,000 pps) - significantly improves performance
• Large network ranges - reduces packet loss and improves accuracy
• Dedicated scanning systems - maximizes hardware utilization
• Virtual machines - may be required for proper packet transmission

Manual Detection Commands:

# Linux - Get IP, MAC, and gateway:
ip addr show                    # Your IP and MAC
ip route show                   # Default gateway IP
arp -a | grep $(ip route | grep default | awk '{print $3}')  # Gateway MAC

# macOS - Get IP, MAC, and gateway:
ifconfig                        # Your IP and MAC
netstat -rn                     # Default gateway IP
arp -a | grep $(netstat -rn | grep default | awk '{print $2}')  # Gateway MAC

Important: Masscan requires MAC addresses in dash format (aa-bb-cc-dd-ee-ff), not colon format (aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff). The automatic configuration handles this conversion, but if configuring manually, ensure you use dashes.

Usage Examples

Example 1: Basic Network Scan

# Scan a single /24 network
sudo ./scancannon.sh 203.0.113.0/24

# If results folder exists, you'll be prompted:
# [D] Delete existing results and start fresh
# [M] Merge new results with existing
# [C] Cancel and exit

Example 2: Multiple Networks

# Create targets file
cat > my_targets.txt << EOF
203.0.113.0/24
198.51.100.0/24
192.0.2.0/24
EOF

# Scan all networks
sudo ./scancannon.sh my_targets.txt

Example 3: Include UDP Scan

# Scan with UDP enumeration (DNS, SNMP, VPN)
sudo ./scancannon.sh -u 203.0.113.0/24

Example 4: Large Network Scan

# For larger networks, start with lower rate
# Edit scancannon.conf: rate = 1000.00
sudo ./scancannon.sh 203.0.113.0/16

Progress Tracking

ScanCannon v1.3 includes comprehensive progress tracking to provide real-time feedback during long-running scans:

Visual Progress Features

• Animated spinner with Unicode characters for active feedback
• Progress bar showing completion percentage with visual blocks
• Phase tracking displaying current operation (Masscan, TCP enumeration, etc.)
• ETA calculations based on historical performance data
• Elapsed time tracking in minutes and seconds
• Target information showing current CIDR range being processed

Progress Display Example

⠋ [████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 65% TCP enumeration (192.168.1.0/24)
[Phase 8/12] TCP enumeration (192.168.1.0/24) | ETA: 14:32:15 | Elapsed: 5m23s

Progress Phases

ScanCannon tracks progress through these main phases:

1. Initialization - Script startup and configuration
2. TLD Download - Updating domain name lists
3. Packet Filter Setup - Configuring network rules
4. Masscan Scanning - High-speed port discovery (per CIDR)
5. UDP Scanning - DNS/SNMP/VPN enumeration (if -u flag used)
6. TCP Enumeration - Detailed nmap scanning (per CIDR)
7. Service Analysis - Categorizing discovered services (per CIDR)
8. Domain Resolution - Processing discovered domains (per CIDR)
9. Finalizing Results - Cleanup and report generation

Progress Files

• scancannon_progress.tmp - Real-time progress data for external monitoring
• Progress information persists across interruptions for status checking
• Automatically cleaned up on completion or cancellation

Benefits

• Better planning - Know how long scans will take
• Monitoring capability - Track progress from external scripts
• User experience - Clear feedback prevents "is it working?" confusion
• Debugging aid - Identify which phase is taking longest

Understanding Output

ScanCannon creates organized output in the results/ directory:

results/
├── 203_0_113_0_24/                    # Per-network results
│   ├── masscan_output.bin             # Binary masscan results
│   ├── masscan_output.txt             # Text masscan results
│   ├── hosts_and_ports.txt            # Discovered hosts:ports
│   ├── nmap_files/                    # Individual nmap scans
│   ├── gnmap_files/                   # Greppable nmap output
│   ├── nmap_xml_files/                # XML nmap output
│   ├── interesting_servers/           # Categorized services
│   │   ├── ssh_servers.txt            # SSH servers found
│   │   ├── http_servers.txt           # Web servers found
│   │   ├── ftp_servers.txt            # FTP servers found
│   │   └── ...                        # Other services
│   ├── resolved_subdomains.txt        # Discovered domains
│   └── resolved_root_domains.csv      # Domain details with WHOIS
├── all_interesting_servers/           # Combined results
│   ├── all_ssh_servers.txt            # All SSH servers
│   ├── all_http_servers.txt           # All web servers
│   └── ...                            # Other combined lists
├── all_subdomains.txt                 # All discovered domains
├── all_root_domains.csv               # All domain details
└── dead_networks.txt                  # Unresponsive networks

Key Output Files

• hosts_and_ports.txt - Quick reference of responsive hosts
• interesting_servers/ - Ready-to-use target lists for specific services
• resolved_subdomains.txt - Discovered domains for further enumeration
• nmap_files/ - Detailed service information for each host

Safety & Legal Considerations

⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING ⚠️

ScanCannon can easily cause Denial of Service conditions, even from a single source.

Rate Limiting Guidelines

Network Type	Recommended Rate	Notes
Home/SOHO	1,000-5,000 pps	May crash consumer routers
Small Business	5,000-10,000 pps	Monitor for connectivity issues
Enterprise	10,000-20,000 pps	Test incrementally
ISP/Large Scale	20,000+ pps	Can damage infrastructure

Best Practices

1. Start Low: Begin with rate = 1000 and increase gradually
2. Test First: Scan a small subnet before large networks
3. Monitor Impact: Watch for network degradation
4. Legal Compliance: Only scan networks you own or have permission to test
5. Backup Configs: Save working configurations before changes

Legal and Ethical Use

• Only scan networks you own or have explicit written permission to test
• Respect rate limits and network capacity
• Follow responsible disclosure for any vulnerabilities found
• Comply with local laws and regulations

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"ERROR: masscan is not installed"

# Install masscan using your package manager
sudo apt install masscan  # Ubuntu/Debian

"ERROR: This script must be run as root"

# Run with sudo
sudo ./scancannon.sh 192.168.1.0/24

"No IPs are up; skipping nmap"

• Check if the target network is actually reachable
• Verify your network configuration in scancannon.conf
• Try a lower scan rate
• Check firewall rules

Scan seems to hang or is very slow

• Reduce the rate setting in scancannon.conf
• Check network connectivity
• Verify target networks are responsive

"sed: command a expects \ followed by text" (macOS)

• This indicates a BSD sed vs GNU sed compatibility issue
• The script should automatically handle this, but if you see this error, it has been fixed
• Try running the script again - it should work properly on the second run

Managing Existing Results

• When you run ScanCannon and a results/ folder already exists, you'll be prompted with three options:
  • [D] Delete: Removes all existing results and starts fresh
  • [M] Merge: Combines new results with existing ones (rescanning same subnets will overwrite files)
  • [C] Cancel: Exits without making changes
• Choose based on whether you want to preserve previous scan data or start clean

"cleanup: command not found" when pressing Ctrl+C

• This was a function ordering issue that has been fixed
• The cleanup function is now properly defined before it's called by the interrupt handler
• Ctrl+C should now properly clean up temporary files and restore network settings

"bad MAC address" error from masscan

• Masscan requires MAC addresses in dash format (aa-bb-cc-dd-ee-ff), not colon format (aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff)
• The automatic configuration now handles this conversion automatically
• If configuring manually, convert colons to dashes: aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff → aa-bb-cc-dd-ee-ff

FAQ

Don't nmap and masscan do the same thing? Why use both?

Masscan sacrifices accuracy for speed and may miss responses due to its aggressive scanning approach. ScanCannon uses masscan to quickly identify which IP addresses have listening services, then uses nmap's more reliable scanning against only those responsive hosts. This gives you both speed and accuracy.

Doesn't Tool X do all of this and more? Why use this one?

Most enumeration tools try to be comprehensive "one-stop shops" but end up being mediocre at everything. ScanCannon focuses on doing network enumeration exceptionally well and outputs to standard, widely-compatible file formats that work with other specialized tools.

Why do I need root privileges?

Both masscan and nmap require raw socket access for SYN scanning and OS detection, which requires root privileges on Unix systems.

Can I pause and resume scans?

Currently, ScanCannon doesn't support pause/resume functionality. For large scans, consider breaking them into smaller CIDR ranges.

How do I scan IPv6 networks?

ScanCannon currently focuses on IPv4 networks. For IPv6 scanning, use nmap directly or consider other specialized tools.

Known Issues

• International TLD Detection: Domain detection for international TLDs (like .co.uk, .io, etc.) may not work reliably due to varying WHOIS output standards

License

This project is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

You are free to:

• Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
• Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material

Under the following terms:

• Attribution — You must give appropriate credit to all contributors, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made
• NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes

For the full license text, see LICENSE.

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ScanCannon v1.3 by J0hnnyXm4s

"Efficient credential attack surface enumeration and general reconnaissance of massive network ranges"