Internet TCP port 79 is primarily used by the Finger protocol, a service in the Internet suite of protocols. This protocol is used for user information lookup on a remote machine. It provides a simple directory service for users and was commonly used on Unix-based systems. However, due to security concerns, its usage has significantly declined in modern systems.
TCP port 79, also known as the Finger protocol, has been exploited in the past by hackers to gather information about system users. This port was designed to provide access to user profile information, but hackers have used it to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. They would send a query to port 79 and the server would respond with the requested user information. This could include details like a user's login name, phone number, and even their last login time. In some cases, hackers have also used this port to execute arbitrary commands on the server. This has led to serious security breaches, including data theft and system damage.
