Port / TCP
6697IRC over TLS
IRC inside TLS, the default secure port on essentially every modern network.
If it is internet-facing: Port 6697 is routine where it is expected. Its risk lives in the service configuration behind it, not the port itself.
Exposure
Internet-facing
Transport
Encrypted by default
Risk if public
Low
Exposure verdict
Port 6697 is meant to answer from the internet, and it protects the session itself. What remains is authentication strength, patch level, and rate limiting.
The session is protected from the first byte, so there is no plaintext phase for an on-path attacker to strip or read.
Registered with IANA on request, but bindable by any unprivileged user. Registration records intent — it does not reserve the port, so collisions between products are common.
Grouped with the other messaging & media ports so a rule written for one can be checked against its neighbours.
What actually goes wrong
1 note- Client certificates (CertFP) authenticate to services without sending a password at all.
Recommended firewall rule
Allow it, and harden the service
This port is expected to answer from anywhere, so the firewall is not where its security comes from.
ufw
sudo ufw allow 6697/tcpiptables
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 6697 -j ACCEPTCheck what is really there
Listening locally
sudo ss -tlpn 'sport = :6697'The bind address is the answer that matters: 127.0.0.1 is local-only, 0.0.0.0 and :: mean every interface.
Listening (macOS)
sudo lsof -nP -iTCP:6697 -sTCP:LISTENmacOS ships lsof rather than ss; this names the owning process and user.
From outside
nmap -sV -Pn -p 6697 <host>A version probe confirms whether IRC over TLS is actually what answers, rather than trusting the number. Only scan hosts you are authorised to test.
Reachability
nc -vz <host> 6697The quick yes/no when you only need to know whether a path exists through the firewall.