Toolman

Port 1433 — Microsoft SQL Server

TCP registered

What runs on port 1433

The default port for MS SQL Server.

Security considerations

Never expose a database directly to the internet. Put it behind a VPN or a private network.

Checking whether something is listening

# Linux / macOS — what is bound to the port
sudo lsof -i :1433
sudo ss -lntp | grep :1433

# Windows
netstat -ano | findstr :1433
Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 1433

# is it reachable from outside?
nc -zv example.com 1433
curl -v telnet://example.com:1433

Freeing the port

# find the process, then stop it
sudo lsof -ti :1433 | xargs kill        # Linux / macOS
netstat -ano | findstr :1433            # note the PID, then:
taskkill /PID <pid> /F                    # Windows

Should this port be open to the internet?

No. Port 1433 should never be reachable from a public address. Bind it to localhost or a private network, and reach it through a VPN or bastion host if remote access is genuinely needed. Internet-wide scanners find newly exposed instances of this service within minutes.

Quick reference

Port1433
ProtocolTCP
ServiceMicrosoft SQL Server
RangeRegistered (1024–49151) — any user process may bind

Frequently asked questions

What is port 1433 used for?

The default port for MS SQL Server.

Is it safe to open port 1433?

Never expose a database directly to the internet. Put it behind a VPN or a private network.

How do I check if port 1433 is open?

Locally, sudo lsof -i :1433 on macOS or Linux, or netstat -ano | findstr :1433 on Windows. From outside, nc -zv host 1433 tells you whether anything answers.

Why do I get "address already in use" on port 1433?

Another process is bound to it — often a previous run of your own program that did not exit cleanly. Find it with lsof -ti :1433 and stop it, or configure your application to use a different port.

Can I change the port this service uses?

Almost always yes, in the service's configuration. Moving off a default port reduces automated scan noise, but it is obfuscation rather than security — a real attacker scans all 65,535.

Other common ports

All port numbers