Awesome Censys Queries
A curated collection of fascinating and bizarre Censys Search queries for discovering exposed devices and services.
What is Awesome Censys Queries?
Awesome Censys Queries is a curated collection of search queries for the Censys Search platform, a tool for discovering devices and services exposed on the internet. It helps security professionals and researchers find specific types of systems—like industrial controllers, IoT devices, or misconfigured servers—using targeted search syntax. The repository organizes queries by category and provides direct links to live results.
Security researchers, penetration testers, threat intelligence analysts, and network administrators who use Censys for reconnaissance, vulnerability discovery, or monitoring exposed assets. It's also valuable for educators and students learning about internet-wide scanning and device fingerprinting.
It saves significant time by providing pre-built, tested queries for discovering niche or hard-to-find devices, eliminating the need to craft complex search syntax from scratch. The community-driven nature ensures the collection stays updated with new discoveries and techniques.
Overview
A collection of fascinating and bizarre Censys Search Queries
Use Cases
Best For
- Finding exposed industrial control systems (ICS) like gas station pumps or wind turbines
- Discovering internet-connected IoT devices such as Roombas, lawn mowers, or environmental monitors
- Identifying command-and-control (C2) servers for malware like Cobalt Strike or Metasploit
- Locating misconfigured services like open directories, databases, or admin dashboards
- Researching specific device types or vendors across the public internet
- Learning Censys search syntax through practical, real-world examples
Not Ideal For
- Enterprises requiring automated, continuous asset monitoring and alerting
- Internal network security assessments or scanning private IP address spaces
- Detailed vulnerability scanning beyond identifying exposed services
- Users without a Censys Search account or limited to the free tier
Pros & Cons
Pros
Organized into categories like Industrial Control Systems and IoT Devices, providing ready-to-use searches that save time crafting complex syntax from scratch.
Each query includes a clickable link to live Censys Search results, enabling immediate exploration and reducing manual entry effort.
Offers practical advice, such as using 'services.truncated: false' to exclude honeypots, helping users refine searches for more accurate results.
Many entries include screenshots and external links, like references to security alerts or vendor pages, aiding in context and verification.
Actively welcomes submissions via GitHub issues, ensuring the repository evolves with new queries and community-driven insights.
Cons
Advanced queries using regex or specific features require a paid Censys subscription, limiting accessibility for users on the free tier.
As a static list, queries may not reflect the latest Censys data or internet changes, requiring manual updates and verification.
The project only provides queries; users must manually execute them in Censys, lacking built-in automation for scanning or alerting.
Queries are tailored for Censys Search and cannot be directly used with other tools like Shodan without significant modification.
Frequently Asked Questions
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