Is port 9092 (Apache Kafka) dangerous?

Port 9092 is classified as critical risk and should not be exposed to the public internet. It transmits data without encryption, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping and credential theft.

Should port 9092 be open on my firewall?

No, port 9092 should not be open to the public internet. Block it at the firewall and use encrypted alternatives such as SSH, SFTP, or HTTPS instead.

What transport protocol does port 9092 use?

Port 9092 (Apache Kafka) uses the TCP transport protocol and falls under the Messaging category.

:9092 (TCP)

Apache Kafka

Critical Risk

TCP — Messaging

Port Overview

Port Number 9092

Service Name Apache Kafka

Transport Protocol TCP

Category Messaging

Security Risk Critical

Port Range Registered (1024-49151)

What is Port 9092?

Port 9092 is the default port for Apache Kafka brokers, one of the most widely used distributed event streaming platforms for high-throughput data pipelines. Kafka producers and consumers connect to this port to publish and subscribe to message topics. Unsecured Kafka clusters on this port have been exploited for data theft and ransomware injection into message streams.

TCP Messaging Commonly Used

Security Considerations

Port 9092 (Apache Kafka) is classified as critical risk. This port should not be exposed to the public internet. The service transmits data without encryption, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping, credential theft, and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Recommendation: Block this port at the firewall. Use encrypted alternatives (SSH, SFTP, HTTPS) instead.

Related Ports — Messaging

18 MSP 87 ttylink / link 98 TACNews 99 Metagram 119 NNTP 169 SEND 194 IRC 218 MPP

Related Terms

ARP FTP HTTP ICMP IMAP NTP