Port 614 is officially assigned to SSLshell (registered as "sshell") for both TCP and UDP protocols. IANA reserved this port in October 19981 for a secure shell service that uses SSL/TLS encryption.
What SSLshell Is
SSLshell was an early attempt to provide encrypted remote shell access over the Internet. While conceptually similar to SSH (Secure Shell), which became the dominant standard on port 22, SSLshell took a different approach by building shell access on top of SSL/TLS protocols.
The service never achieved widespread adoption. Today, SSH on port 22 is the universal standard for secure remote access, leaving port 614 as one of those officially-assigned ports that rarely sees actual traffic.
The Well-Known Port Range
Port 614 sits in the well-known port range (0-1023), which IANA reserves for system services and widely-recognized protocols. Ports in this range require special privileges to bind on Unix-like systems—you need root access to run a service on port 614.
This range represents the Internet's original service directory. When the port system was designed, these 1,024 addresses were meant for established, standardized protocols. Port 614's assignment shows that SSLshell was once considered important enough to deserve this privileged space.
Why Port 614 Matters (Even Though Nobody Uses It)
SSLshell's obscurity makes it historically interesting. It represents a path not taken—an alternate history where SSL/TLS became the foundation for remote shell access instead of SSH's custom protocol.
The port's continued registration also demonstrates something about Internet infrastructure: once assigned, port numbers rarely get reclaimed. Port 614 remains SSLshell's address even though the protocol faded into irrelevance decades ago.
Security Considerations
An open port 614 on a modern system is unusual. If you find it listening, investigate immediately:
- Legitimate use: Some custom implementations or legacy systems might use it for SSL-wrapped shell access
- Malware: Attackers sometimes exploit officially-assigned but rarely-monitored ports for backdoors
- Misconfiguration: A service might be binding to the wrong port
The port's obscurity makes it attractive for hiding unauthorized access. Security scanners may flag it precisely because legitimate SSLshell deployments are so rare.
How to Check What's Listening
On Linux or macOS:
On Windows:
If you find something listening on port 614, determine what process owns it and whether it belongs there.
The Ghost Port Phenomenon
Port 614 exemplifies a broader pattern in Internet infrastructure: the gap between official assignments and actual usage. Thousands of ports have formal registrations with IANA, yet most see little or no traffic. They exist as bureaucratic artifacts—placeholders for services that failed, never launched, or were superseded by better alternatives.
SSLshell's fate wasn't unique. The early Internet saw many competing protocols for similar purposes. SSH won the secure shell competition. Port 614 became a monument to what didn't survive.
Related Ports
- Port 22 — SSH (Secure Shell), the protocol that SSLshell lost to
- Port 23 — Telnet, the unencrypted predecessor both SSH and SSLshell aimed to replace
- Port 443 — HTTPS, the most successful use of SSL/TLS that SSLshell was built on
Frequently Asked Questions About Port 614
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