explaingit

jakejarvis/awesome-shodan-queries

7,418Audience · researcherComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

TLDR

A curated reference list of Shodan search queries for security researchers, showing how to find specific types of internet-connected devices, from webcams and printers to industrial control systems, that are publicly exposed with little or no protection.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Shodan Queries))
    What it does
      Find exposed devices
      Security awareness
    Device categories
      Industrial systems
      Webcams and cameras
      Network storage
      Remote desktops
    Who uses it
      Security researchers
      Ethical hackers
      Curious learners
    Requirements
      Shodan account
      Responsible use only
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Search Shodan for internet-connected industrial control systems, such as gas station pump controllers or electricity meters, that are publicly accessible without a password.

USE CASE 2

Use the query list to audit your own organization's internet exposure by searching for devices matching your IP ranges or vendor names.

USE CASE 3

Build a security awareness presentation by using these queries to demonstrate how many real-world systems are reachable with no protection.

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Requires a free Shodan account to run most queries at full depth.

In plain English

Shodan is a search engine that scans the internet and indexes connected devices, from home routers and security cameras to industrial machinery and hospital equipment. Unlike a typical web search, Shodan reveals what devices are publicly accessible and what software they are running. This repository is a curated list of search queries someone has gathered over time to find specific types of devices on Shodan, organized by category. The queries cover a wide range of device types: industrial control systems (gas station pump controllers, wind turbine farms, electricity meters), remote desktop interfaces left open to the internet, network storage devices, webcams, printers, and home appliances. Many of the results these queries return are devices that have been left without any password protection, meaning anyone who finds them can view their dashboards or controls without logging in. The intent behind the list is awareness rather than mischief. The author explicitly notes that users should not attempt to log into any systems they find, even with default credentials, both for legal and ethical reasons. The project is tagged under responsible disclosure ideas and asks users to report vulnerabilities through proper channels. For non-technical readers, this repository is a reference guide for security researchers and curious people who want to see the scale of the problem: how many real-world systems, from hospital X-ray machines to traffic lights, are publicly reachable on the internet with little or no protection. The number of such devices is sobering. The list requires a free Shodan account for most queries to work in full. No code is involved, the repository is a plain markdown document with searchable snippets and screenshots showing example results. It has been starred over 7,000 times, reflecting broad interest in the security and internet-of-things community.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I want to use the awesome-shodan-queries list to find publicly exposed industrial control systems on Shodan. Walk me through creating a free Shodan account and running one of the queries from the list.
Prompt 2
Help me adapt the webcam query patterns from this list to search for a specific camera manufacturer's devices that are accessible without a password.
Prompt 3
I'm preparing a security talk on IoT exposure. Help me pick 3-5 striking example queries from this list, one industrial system, one consumer device, and one surprising category, and explain what each result means.
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