Elevated Risk
IP 173.239.240.234 is a high-risk address associated with port scanning reconnaissance activity detected across automated honeypot sensors, with a threat level of 8 out of 10 and 318 total abuse reports in the system. This US-based IP, operating within the Latitude.sh network (ASN AS396356), has been flagged primarily for scanning behavior targeting Cisco ASA firewall interfaces, representing a significant reconnaissance threat to exposed network infrastructure.
The data indicates sustained abusive activity with recent detection occurring through 20 automated honeypot sensors, placing the current confidence score at 70%. First and last reported dates both fall within March 2026, suggesting concentrated activity within a short timeframe. The network operator Latitude.sh provides services from the United States, and the IP has accumulated substantial report volume historically, though current activity frequency registers at zero out of ten. The combination of high total report accumulation against low recent frequency may indicate intermittent deployment patterns or shifting infrastructure by the responsible actor.
Port scanning constitutes a critical preliminary phase in the attack lifecycle, allowing threat actors to identify accessible services, map network topology, and catalogue potential entry points before launching targeted exploitation attempts. The specific Cisco ASA port scan pattern observed against this IP suggests deliberate reconnaissance of perimeter security devices, which are frequently deployed as primary firewall and VPN gateway solutions in enterprise environments. Successful identification of vulnerable or misconfigured ASA interfaces could enable subsequent unauthorized access, credential attacks, or exploitation of known vulnerabilities in Cisco security appliances.
Site operators should implement defensive measures including strict firewall rules limiting inbound access to essential services only, with particular attention to Cisco ASA management interfaces which should never be exposed to untrusted networks. Implementing IP-based access control lists restricting management access to authorized source ranges provides an additional hardening layer. Monitoring for port scan patterns using tools such as fail2ban or intrusion detection systems helps identify and automatically block reconnaissance activity in real time. Regular audit of exposed services and implementation of VPN-based management access rather than direct exposure further reduces the attack surface available to scanning actors operating from this address.