In the world of bug bounty hunting, understanding how IP addresses and ranges work is crucial for effective reconnaissance and avoiding legal pitfalls. Here’s a simplified breakdown of how different companies can share the same IP ranges and what it means for your scanning efforts:
1. IP Allocation by Regional Authorities
IP addresses are managed by Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) like ARIN (North America) or RIPE (Europe). These RIRs distribute large blocks of IP addresses to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), data centers, and major organizations.
2. IP Blocks and CIDR Notation
IP addresses are grouped into ranges or "blocks," often represented in CIDR notation (e.g., 192.0.2.0/24). This range includes multiple addresses (from 192.0.2.0 to 192.0.2.255) and can be assigned to ISPs, hosting providers, or large companies.
3. Dedicated vs. Shared IP Ranges
4. Different Companies Within the Same Range
In shared environments, different companies or clients can have IP addresses within the same larger range. For example:
5. Reassignment and Dynamic Use of IPs
IP addresses can be reassigned by ISPs. If a company no longer needs its IPs, the ISP can reallocate them to a different customer. This dynamic nature means you could see different companies using the same IP range at different times.
6. BGP Announcements and Routing
Using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), ISPs and organizations announce their IP blocks to the internet. Even if an IP block is shared among multiple customers, the ISP announces the entire block, routing traffic to the specific company's network correctly.
Implications for Bug Bounty Hunters:
Conclusion:
While IP ranges are typically dedicated to a single organization, shared environments can lead to different companies having IPs in the same block. Understanding IP allocation and management is key to effective and ethical network reconnaissance. Stay informed and hunt smart!
1. IP Allocation by Regional Authorities
IP addresses are managed by Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) like ARIN (North America) or RIPE (Europe). These RIRs distribute large blocks of IP addresses to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), data centers, and major organizations.
2. IP Blocks and CIDR Notation
IP addresses are grouped into ranges or "blocks," often represented in CIDR notation (e.g., 192.0.2.0/24). This range includes multiple addresses (from 192.0.2.0 to 192.0.2.255) and can be assigned to ISPs, hosting providers, or large companies.
3. Dedicated vs. Shared IP Ranges
- Dedicated Ranges: Large organizations, such as Google or AWS, typically have dedicated IP ranges used exclusively for their services.
- Shared or Suballocated Ranges:ISPs or hosting providers may break down their assigned blocks into smaller ranges for different customers. For instance:
- IPs 192.0.2.1 to 192.0.2.10 might belong to Company A.
- IPs 192.0.2.11 to 192.0.2.20 might belong to Company B.
This is common in shared hosting or cloud environments.
4. Different Companies Within the Same Range
In shared environments, different companies or clients can have IP addresses within the same larger range. For example:
- Company A: Servers at 198.51.100.10 and 198.51.100.11
- Company B: Servers at 198.51.100.12 and 198.51.100.13
While they are in the same block (198.51.100.0/24), each company has its dedicated IPs within that range.
5. Reassignment and Dynamic Use of IPs
IP addresses can be reassigned by ISPs. If a company no longer needs its IPs, the ISP can reallocate them to a different customer. This dynamic nature means you could see different companies using the same IP range at different times.
6. BGP Announcements and Routing
Using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), ISPs and organizations announce their IP blocks to the internet. Even if an IP block is shared among multiple customers, the ISP announces the entire block, routing traffic to the specific company's network correctly.
Implications for Bug Bounty Hunters:
- When scanning an IP range (e.g., for security research), be mindful that different IPs could belong to different companies sharing the same hosting provider or ISP.
- Tools like Shodan can help identify which services or devices are active in a specific IP range, but understand the context of shared ranges.
Conclusion:
While IP ranges are typically dedicated to a single organization, shared environments can lead to different companies having IPs in the same block. Understanding IP allocation and management is key to effective and ethical network reconnaissance. Stay informed and hunt smart!
