// REFERENCE · PORT 69 · UDP

Port 69: TFTP

Port 69 is TFTP, a very simple file transfer protocol with no login at all.

AT A GLANCE
PORT
69 / UDP
SERVICE
TFTP
ALSO CALLED
tftp, trivial file transfer protocol
IF EXPOSED
HIGH RISK IF EXPOSED

What runs on port 69

TFTP servers answer on UDP 69 and hand out or accept files to anyone who asks by name. It exists because it is tiny enough to fit in boot firmware, which is why it is used for network booting (PXE) and for loading configuration onto phones and network gear. There is no authentication or encryption.

On a home network

VoIP desk phones fetch configuration over TFTP, and some routers and switches use it for firmware recovery. A NAS or Pi can run a TFTP server for network booting. Typical home devices do not listen on 69.

If port 69 is reachable from the internet

A TFTP server on the internet lets anyone download any file they can guess the name of, which often includes device configurations containing passwords, and may let them upload files. It should never be exposed.

How to check whether it is open on your network

If you run a TFTP server on a NAS or Pi for booting or phone provisioning, make sure no router rule forwards UDP 69. An outside scan of your public address confirms it.

// RELATED PORTS
21FTPTCPMEDIUM RISK IF EXPOSED67DHCP serverUDPLOW RISK IF EXPOSED5060SIPTCP/UDPMEDIUM RISK IF EXPOSED
ON YOUR PHONE · EXPOSURE CHECK

To find out whether port 69 is open on something in your home, and whether the internet can reach it, the app scans your Wi-Fi from your phone and checks your public address from the outside. It says what it checked and what it could not. Get RECON for iPhone — one-time purchase, no account, nothing leaves the device.

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