Shodan
Search engine for Internet connected devices
Shodan is the world's first search engine for internet-connected devices. It continuously scans the internet and indexes open ports, services, banners, SSL certificates, and device metadata. You can search for specific devices, services, vulnerabilities, or network ranges — making it invaluable for security research and attack surface monitoring.
For OpenClaw agents, Shodan enables network security monitoring skills. Your agent can check if your servers have unexpected open ports, monitor your IP ranges for new exposures, look up known vulnerabilities on your infrastructure, or build security dashboards that alert on changes to your attack surface.
Tags: security
Category: Security
Use Cases
- Monitor your public-facing servers for unexpected open ports or services
- Check IP addresses for known vulnerabilities before allowing access
- Build an attack surface monitoring skill that alerts on infrastructure changes
Tips
- The $49 lifetime Membership is excellent value for occasional security research
- Use the /shodan/host/{ip} endpoint for quick infrastructure checks
- Monitor your own IPs by setting up Shodan alerts for your network ranges
Known Issues & Gotchas
- Free tier is very limited — only basic host lookups, no search API
- The one-time $49 Membership is good value but doesn't include high-volume API access
- Scan data can be days to weeks old — not real-time for all services
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shodan legal to use?
Yes. Shodan indexes publicly accessible information — it only scans what's already exposed to the internet. Using Shodan to look up your own infrastructure or research is perfectly legal. Don't use it to exploit vulnerabilities.
What's the difference between the free account and paid Membership?
Free accounts can only look up individual hosts. The $49 one-time Membership unlocks search queries, filters, and network monitoring. The API subscription ($59/mo+) adds higher rate limits and bulk queries.
How current is Shodan's data?
Shodan continuously scans the internet, but re-scan frequency varies by port and service. Popular ports (80, 443) are scanned more frequently. Data can be days to weeks old for less common services.