Port 1418 is officially registered with IANA as timbuktu-srv2 (Timbuktu Service 2), supporting both TCP and UDP.1 It was part of Timbuktu, a remote control software package that allowed users to access and control computers remotely—a crucial tool in the era before modern remote desktop protocols became standard.
What Timbuktu Was
Timbuktu was developed in the late 1980s and became widely used throughout the 1990s and early 2000s for remote administration of both Windows and Mac systems.2 It was one of the first practical remote desktop solutions, offering features like screen sharing, file transfer, chat, and clipboard sharing across networks.
The software used a multi-port architecture. Port 1418 specifically handled the "Observe" service—the feature that let you watch what was happening on a remote screen without taking control.3
The complete Timbuktu port set was:
- Port 1417 (TCP): Control service
- Port 1418 (TCP): Observe service
- Port 1419 (TCP): Send service
- Port 1420 (TCP): Exchange service
Each port handled a different aspect of the remote connection, allowing granular control over what remote users could do.
Why This Port Matters (Or Doesn't Anymore)
On April 28, 2015, Arris—the company that owned Timbuktu by then—announced the software was being discontinued. Development ended, and sales stopped 90 days later.2
This means port 1418 is now a registered port for abandoned software. The registration remains in IANA's database, but the service it was designed for no longer exists in any actively maintained form.
Security Considerations
Here's the uncomfortable truth: some machines probably still have port 1418 open. Legacy systems that haven't been updated in years. Forgotten servers in back closets. Networks that were configured once and never revisited.
If you find port 1418 open on a modern system, it's worth investigating. Either:
- Someone is running ancient, unsupported software (security risk)
- The port was opened years ago and never closed (unnecessary exposure)
- Something else is using the port unofficially (worth identifying)
Timbuktu had known vulnerabilities even when it was actively maintained.4 Running it now, with no security updates for nearly a decade, would be reckless.
How to Check What's Using This Port
On Linux or Mac:
On Windows:
If something is listening and you don't know what it is, investigate before assuming it's safe.
The Broader Pattern
Port 1418 represents something common in the Internet's nervous system: protocol archaeology. The port registry contains thousands of entries for services that no longer exist, protocols that were superseded, and software that's been abandoned.
These aren't just historical curiosities. They're potential security risks. An attacker scanning for port 1418 knows that any machine responding is either:
- Running outdated software, or
- Misconfigured
Either way, it's worth their attention.
What Replaced Timbuktu
Modern remote desktop tools like VNC, RDP, and Apple's built-in Screen Sharing have made Timbuktu's multi-port architecture obsolete. These newer protocols are actively maintained, widely supported, and far more secure.
If you need remote access to a machine, use those. Don't reach for software that stopped being updated when the iPhone 6 was new.
Frequently Asked Questions About Port 1418
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