Is there a way to disguise your PC characteristics from tools like NMAP and others on the internet? For instance if the OS you are using is Ubuntu is there a way to make it show up as something else. Are firewalls able to block PC's based on there characteristics rather then just there IP address. Lets say I tried to log into a system and the firewall ID my PC characteristics and blocked me so I changed IP addresses and am still blocked due these identifiers. Is that possible? and is there a way to change those characteristics?
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5Tools like nmap actively collect information about the remote system by sending data to the system and analyzing the replies. It therefore needs to have access in the first place. Since the PC is typically located behind some router doing NAT such access is not given in the first place, no matter if additional protections are done on the PC or not. It is thus very unlikely that tools like nmap are used here in the first place. This means that your question is based on wrong ideas on how things work and should be closed as long as it is based on these wrong assumptions.– Steffen UllrichCommented Jan 30, 2022 at 5:39
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2Note that there is also passive fingerprinting of OS, TLS stack, applications ... which just analyses traffic send anyway. And there is also active browser level fingerprinting, doable by a web server visited with a browser. But you specifically ask for tools like NMAP which do active fingerprinting at the network level and do not cover the mentioned techniques.– Steffen UllrichCommented Jan 30, 2022 at 5:41
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1@SteffenUllrich: đź‘Ť You comment is far more than comment. I suggest you post it as an answer.– mentallurgCommented Jan 30, 2022 at 11:42
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@SteffenUllrich : So if I have services open on my PC. Someone else cannot run an NMAP scan on my PC if I am behind NAT? So essentially anyone who has a server open to the public is using there private IP? So how would that work for companies using a reverse proxy or a VPN, are they protected from scans like that and if so why wouldn't every company use a reverse proxy or a VPN?– RideboardsCommented Feb 3, 2022 at 21:38
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@SteffenUllrich: Also why doesn't an NMAP scan go through NAT? NAT is just a forwarder, so when the packets get forwarded why can't they just be forwarded back to the persons public IP address?– RideboardsCommented Feb 3, 2022 at 21:46
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1 Answer
IP addresses are considered dynamic, so changing them doesn't prevent you from being identified.
The more exposed the computer, the more amount of signatures and fingerprints is given to OS analysis tools like Nmap. You may stop unused services, close all incoming traffic, put the station behind NAT and network firewalls, use WAF or other tool and techniques to reduce its visibility down to zero.
Yet, a welcome banner from a known opened service or headers sent by clients, like browsers, widgets or apps may disclose your computer's identity and OS specifications. Things like cookies from your previous visits can also expose you. Even a single clue may lead to total disclosure.
Try cleaning up cookies and other app residues, use safe browsing, HTTP header filters, use one carefully analyzed app at a time while closing all others.
Best way to keep totally different profile is probably to have separate computers (or VM's) for each.
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Every IP address on the internet is dynamically assigned? The IP address is one of the primary identifiers, changing it does help from being identified along with other methods. Commented Jan 31, 2022 at 22:15
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@dcom-launch Not every address is dynamic. As I mentioned they are "considered" that way, specially for the users, because that's how 99.99% of users are addressed on the internet, hence the question. Therefore, other measures are taken into account to detect a user which Rideboards should know and evade.– MTGCommented Feb 6, 2022 at 7:17