A hacker's guide to FOFA dorking, packed with powerful queries and tips for bug bounty, red teaming and proactive defense — dork smart, find fast, report big.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This article is intended for educational and ethical hacking purposes only. Perform these dorks only on systems you're authorized to test — such as in bug bounty programs or internal security reviews. Unauthorized access? That's how you summon legal demons, and trust me, they don't sleep.

🧭 Backstory — From Shodan to FOFA

Earlier, I published "Dork Like a Demon: Shodan Edition for Hackers and Bug Bounty Hunters 💀R&quo; on OSINT Team.

FOFA Article Free Link😉

That piece gave hunters the keys to Shodan recon mastery. But Shodan isn't the only player.

Enter FOFA — the sharper, broader sibling that offers:

  • Deeper filters & syntax — chain conditions like a true recon demon.
  • Wider coverage, especially in regions where Shodan snoozes.
  • Fingerprint-rich results — favicon hashes, cert subjects, JS content, and more.

While Shodan focuses on devices and Censys thrives on certificates, FOFA bridges both worlds, often catching assets others miss.

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🥂 Tier 1 — Beginner FOFA Dorks

Login Pages

title="Login" && body="admin"

→ Finds classic login portals mentioning "admin" — quick entry-point recon 🗿.

Admin Panels

title="wp-admin" || path="/admin"

→ Surfaces WordPress/admin dashboards that often hide weak auth or defaults.

Favicon Fingerprinting

domain="target.com" && icon_hash="1234567890"

→ Maps sibling assets sharing the same favicon hash (tech/brand fingerprint).

⚡ Tier 2 — Intermediate FOFA Dorks

JavaScript Secrets

extension="js" && body="api_key"

→ Hunts JS files leaking tokens/keys straight in the source 🗿.

Misconfigured Cloud Buckets

body="NoSuchBucket" || body="AccessDenied"

→ Flags S3-style error pages that betray bucket names and misconfig clues.

Exposed Databases

port="9200" && protocol="http"     # Elasticsearch
port="27017" && protocol="mongodb" # MongoDB

→ Finds internet-facing ES/Mongo instances — high-impact if unauthenticated.

🔥 Tier 3 — Advanced FOFA Dorks (Demon Mode)

Public API Docs with Secrets

title="API Documentation" && body="api_key"

→ Locates public API docs that sometimes ship with hardcoded creds 🗿.

Routers with Default Credentials

title="Router Login" && body="default_password"

→ Targets router logins hinting at factory/default creds — report fast.

MySQL Databases

port="3306" && protocol="mysql"

→ Enumerates internet-exposed MySQL services; banner often reveals version.

Active Cobalt Strike C2 Servers

server="CobaltStrike"

→ Fingerprints potential C2 infra; use for threat intel/deconfliction only.

SSL Certificate Fingerprinting

cert.subject="Oracle Corporation"

→ Expands org-wide asset scope via cert subject matches — great for discovery 🗿.

🫣 Sneak Peek — What FOFA Shows You

Here's a real-world anonymized snapshot I pulled during recon:

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Domain: [Redacted] Location: Pune, India Ports: 80, 443, 22, 3000, 10001 Stack: NGINX, Node.js, OpenSSH Last Update: 2025–08–21

And yes… Port 22 (SSH) wide open 🗿👍 Guess who has to harden this baby now? Ehhhhh🗿🗿

This is exactly the kind of attack surface intelligence FOFA excels at — quick, deep, and revealing.

🛡️ Blue Team Spin

SSH Exposure Check

port="22" && protocol="ssh"

→ Monitor for org IPs exposing SSH to the internet; tighten access controls.

IoT Exposure

title="IP Camera" && body="password"

→ Surface camera/DVR panels with default creds; segment, rotate, lock down 🗿.

⚙️ Automation = Demon Power

Leverage FOFA API, GoFOFA CLI, or Python scripts for:

  • Continuous scanning
  • Recon dashboards
  • Instant alerts

Because while you sleep — attackers don't.

🚀 Final Thoughts

FOFA isn't just another search engine — it's a magnifying glass for the internet's loose screws.

From my Shodan dorking roots to this FOFA mastery, one thing remains:

The best recon isn't loud — it's smart, precise, and just a little bit demonic 🗿🔥.

Stay ethical. Stay ahead. Dork like a demon.

Goodbye Note

"Every search string you craft, every query you refine, pulls back the curtain on the hidden layers of the web. FOFA Dorking isn't just about finding exposed data — it's about sharpening your eye as an ethical hacker, turning curiosity into actionable intelligence, and leaving no digital stone unturned. Keep your hunts sharp, your ethics sharper, and remember: the real power of a hacker lies not in the chaos they can create, but in the security they can strengthen."

~ Aditya Bhatt