Nmap Cheat Sheet: The Ultimate Guide for Cybersecurity Enthusiasts 

 Introduction

When it comes to network reconnaissance and penetration testing, no tool is as popular and powerful as Nmap (Network Mapper).
Whether you’re a cybersecurity beginner or a seasoned professional, mastering Nmap commands can help you uncover vulnerabilities, map networks, and strengthen security defenses.

Nmap (short for Network Mapper) is an open-source security scanner widely used for:

• Network discovery

• Port scanning

• Service and version detection

• OS fingerprinting

• Vulnerability assessment

It’s an essential tool in the cybersecurity engineer’s toolkit and comes pre-installed in Kali Linux.

 Nmap Cheat Sheet

Here’s a categorized breakdown of the most used Nmap commands:

 Basic Scanning

nmap <target>

Scans a target IP or domain.

nmap 192.168.1.1

 Scan Multiple Targets

nmap 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.5
nmap 192.168.1.1-50
nmap -iL targets.txt

• Range scan

• From a file

 Port Scanning

nmap -p 80 192.168.1.1
nmap -p 1-1000 192.168.1.1

• Specific port

• Range of ports

nmap -F 192.168.1.1

• Fast scan (top 100 ports)

 Service & Version Detection

nmap -sV 192.168.1.1

Detects services running on open ports.

 OS Detection

nmap -O 192.168.1.1

Attempts to determine the target’s operating system.

 Stealth Scans

nmap -sS 192.168.1.1

Performs a SYN scan (stealthy & fast).

nmap -Pn 192.168.1.1

Disables host discovery (useful when ICMP is blocked).

 Scan Entire Subnet

nmap 192.168.1.0/24

Scans an entire subnet.

 Aggressive Scan

nmap -A 192.168.1.1

Performs OS detection, version detection, script scanning, and traceroute.

 Script Scanning

nmap --script vuln 192.168.1.1

Runs vulnerability detection scripts.

 Output Options

nmap -oN result.txt 192.168.1.1
nmap -oX result.xml 192.168.1.1

Saves results in normal or XML format.

🛠️ Pro Tips

 Use -T4 for faster scans
 Combine with grep for filtering results
 Always have legal authorization before scanning

 Why Use This Nmap Cheat Sheet?

This cheat sheet saves time and makes you efficient while running penetration tests.

• Quick access to all major commands

• Helps in CTF challenges & bug bounty

• Perfect for cybersecurity students and professional
  
  
   Bookmark this page, share it with your hacker friends, and keep practicing!