Editing Nmap (section)

{{short description|Network scanner}}
{{Distinguish|mmap}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Nmap Security Scanner
| logo = 
| screenshot = Nmap-behind-31c3.png
| screenshot size = 260px
| caption = Nmap scan results
| author = [[Gordon Lyon]] (''Fyodor'')
| developer = 
| released = {{Start date and age|1997|09|df=yes}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|P348|P548=Q2804309}}                                             | latest release date    = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}|df=yes}}
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]], [[Lua (programming language)|Lua]]
| operating system = [[Cross-platform]]
| platform = 
| language = [[English language|English]]
| genre = [[Network security]]
| license = NPSL<ref>{{cite web|title=Nmap Public Source License|url=https://svn.nmap.org/nmap/LICENSE|access-date=2021-12-15}}</ref> or modified [[GNU General Public License#Version 2|GPLv2]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Nmap license|url=https://svn.nmap.org/nmap/COPYING|access-date=2019-01-21|archive-date=2018-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720051328/https://svn.nmap.org/nmap/COPYING|url-status=dead}}</ref> or [[proprietary software license|proprietary]]
| website = {{URL|https://nmap.org/}} 
}}
'''Nmap''' ('''Network Mapper''') is a [[network scanner]] created by [[Gordon Lyon]] (also known by his [[pseudonym]] ''Fyodor Vaskovich'').<ref>{{cite news |title=Matrix mixes life and hacking |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3039329.stm |newspaper=[[BBC News]] |access-date=2018-10-28 |date=2003-05-19}}</ref> Nmap is used to discover [[Host (network)|hosts]] and [[Web service|services]] on a [[computer network]] by sending [[Network packet|packets]] and analyzing the responses.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Joshi|first=Sagar|date=2021-02-25|title=What is Nmap And Why You Should Use It?|url=http://thehackreport.com/what-is-nmap-and-why-you-should-use-it/|access-date=2021-03-01|website=The Hack Report|language=en-US}}</ref>

Nmap provides a number of features for probing computer networks, including host discovery and service and [[operating system]] detection. These features are extensible by [[scripting language|scripts]] that provide more advanced service detection,<ref name="Nmap Scripting Engine">{{cite web |url=https://nmap.org/book/nse.html#nse-intro |title=Nmap Scripting Engine: Introduction |website=Nmap.org |access-date=2018-10-28}}</ref> vulnerability detection,<ref name="Nmap Scripting Engine"/> and other features. Nmap can adapt to network conditions including [[Network latency|latency]] and [[network congestion|congestion]] during a scan.

Nmap started as a [[Linux]] utility<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nmap.org/book/history-future.html |title=The History and Future of Nmap |website=Nmap.org |access-date=2018-10-28}}</ref> and was ported to other systems including [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[macOS]], and [[BSD]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nmap.org/book/inst-other-platforms.html |title=Other Platforms |website=Nmap.org |access-date=2018-10-28}}</ref> It is most popular on Linux, followed by Windows.<ref name="Nmap Installation for Windows">{{cite web |url=https://nmap.org/install/inst-windows.html |title=Nmap Installation for Windows |website=Nmap.org |access-date=2018-10-28}}</ref>