Registered port (1024–10000) Standard/Low risk

Port 5913 AOC-ACARS

Quick answer

Port 5913 has a different IANA assignment for each transport protocol: TCP aoc-acars; UDP aoc-acars; SCTP ads-c.

TransportTCP / UDP / SCTP
RiskStandard/Low
Typical useApplication services

What is port 5913 used for?

Port 5913 carries a different IANA service on each transport protocol: TCP aoc-acars; UDP aoc-acars; SCTP ads-c. It sits in the registered range, the block used by databases, application servers and developer tooling. Port conflicts here are common when several local services start at once. The same port is also registered under ads-c.

Each transport reaches a different service on this number, so match the protocol to the service you are diagnosing. A TCP check says nothing about a UDP listener on the same port, and the reverse is also true. Both transports still bind to the same number, which is why two processes can collide even when they use different protocols.

Use the commands below to confirm whether port 5913 is actually in use before you change firewall rules. Blocking the port stops new inbound traffic at the firewall, but it does not stop a local process from listening, and it does not remove the service from the machine.

Source: IANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry. Registered assignee: [Eivan_Cerasi].

Check and block port 5913

Copy-ready commands for the protocols assigned to this port. Run the check first, then block only what should not be reachable.

Check on Linux

sudo ss -tlpn 'sport = :5913' sudo ss -ulpn 'sport = :5913' sudo ss -Slpn 'sport = :5913'

Check on Windows

Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 5913 -State Listen -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 5913 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Block with UFW

sudo ufw deny 5913/tcp sudo ufw deny 5913/udp

Block with iptables

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5913 -j DROP sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 5913 -j DROP sudo iptables -A INPUT -p sctp --dport 5913 -j DROP

These commands are examples for a typical host. Check the listener before you change firewall rules, and persist iptables rules with iptables-save or netfilter-persistent. On Windows, use Windows Defender Firewall or New-NetFirewallRule for persistent blocks. The iptables rules here cover IPv4; mirror them with ip6tables if IPv6 is enabled. UFW and the built-in Windows cmdlets cover TCP and UDP only; this port also lists SCTP, so use nftables, iptables or the vendor's diagnostic tool for those protocols. SCTP and DCCP handling also depends on kernel support, including their diagnostic modules, so a missing result may mean the module is not loaded rather than that nothing is listening.

Is port 5913 safe to expose?

Standard/Low

This port is not on our curated list of services with a widely exploited profile. Exposure is only safe when the listening service is intended, patched and protected by a firewall. Keep the listening service patched and remove it if unused. A default-deny firewall policy with explicit allow rules is still the safest baseline.

Where port 5913 is usually used

Most traffic on port 5913 falls into these scenarios. The demo below is a safe way to confirm the listener before you change anything.

Demo

Probe the port

Confirm something is listening before you debug the client. This checks a TCP handshake on the port.

nc -vz 127.0.0.1 5913

Common problems with port 5913

Connection refused or timed out

Refused usually means the host is reachable but nothing is listening on port 5913. A timeout more often means a firewall drop, a wrong host or a service bound to a different interface.

Port already in use

Find the process holding the port with sudo ss -tlpn 'sport = :5913' or sudo lsof -i :5913. Stop that process or configure it to bind another port; killing it without identifying it can take down a production service.

Firewall rule did not survive a reboot

UFW and Windows Firewall keep rules across restarts. Raw iptables rules do not: save them with iptables-save or the netfilter-persistent package, and re-apply after upgrades that reset the ruleset.

The port is blocked but still reachable

A firewall rule filters inbound traffic; it does not close the listener. Confirm with the check command above and bind the service to 127.0.0.1 when only local clients need it.

Port 5913 at a glance

Port number5913
Service nameaoc-acars
Aliasesads-c
Transport protocolTCP / UDP / SCTP
Assignments by protocol
  • TCP aoc-acars — Airline operational communications applications using ACARS
  • UDP aoc-acars — Airline operational communications applications using ACARS
  • SCTP ads-c — Automatic Dependent Surveillance
CategoryApplication services
RangeRegistered port (1024–10000)
Risk levelStandard/Low
Registered assignee[Eivan_Cerasi]
Registry descriptionAirline operational communications applications using ACARS
SourceIANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry

Frequently asked questions

What is port 5913 used for?

Port 5913 (AOC-ACARS). The IANA registry assigns a different service on each transport protocol: TCP aoc-acars; UDP aoc-acars; SCTP ads-c.

How do I check if port 5913 is open?

On Linux run `sudo ss -tlpn 'sport = :5913'` and `sudo ss -ulpn 'sport = :5913'` and `sudo ss -Slpn 'sport = :5913'`. On Windows run `Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 5913 -State Listen -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue` and `Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 5913 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue` in PowerShell. If the port is open, the output shows a process listening on port 5913; empty output usually means nothing is bound to it. UFW and the built-in Windows cmdlets cover TCP and UDP only; SCTP needs nftables, iptables or the vendor's diagnostic tool.

How do I block port 5913?

With UFW run `sudo ufw deny 5913/tcp` and `sudo ufw deny 5913/udp`. With iptables run `sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5913 -j DROP` and `sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 5913 -j DROP` and `sudo iptables -A INPUT -p sctp --dport 5913 -j DROP`. Persist the iptables rules with your distribution's netfilter-persistent or iptables-save tooling so they survive a reboot. UFW covers TCP and UDP only; use iptables or nftables for SCTP.

Is port 5913 safe to expose?

This port is not on our curated list of services with a widely exploited profile. Exposure is only safe when the listening service is intended, patched and protected by a firewall. Nevertheless, keep the listening service patched and remove it if unused. A default-deny firewall policy with explicit allow rules is still the safest baseline.

Primary data: IANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry.

Last reviewed 2026-10-30 · Methodology · About · Privacy