Port 143: IMAP

Mailbox access, unencrypted or upgraded with STARTTLS. Prefer IMAPS on 993.

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Ports

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Port Lookup

Port 143 at a glance

Port143
ProtocolTCP
ServiceIMAP
Open to the Internet?Only to addresses that need it
See What Is Listeningss -lntup | grep ':143 '
Test From Outsidenc -zv your-server 143
Block with UFWufw deny 143/tcp
Block with nftablesnft add rule inet filter input tcp dport 143 drop

IMAP uses TCP port 143. Mailbox access, unencrypted or upgraded with STARTTLS.

Prefer IMAPS on 993.

Allow port 143 only from the addresses that need it: your office, a VPN or a bastion host. The firewall rule generator builds those rules for nftables, iptables and UFW.

Questions

What is port 143 used for?
IMAP. Mailbox access, unencrypted or upgraded with STARTTLS.
Is it safe to open port 143?
Only to addresses that need it. Prefer IMAPS on 993.
How do I check if port 143 is open?
On the server, ss -lntup | grep ':143 ' shows what is listening. From another machine, nc -zv your-server 143 shows whether the firewall lets it through.
How do I block port 143?
With UFW: ufw deny 143/tcp. With nftables, add a drop rule for dport 143 in your input chain.

Abuse from open ports on your VMs?

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