Suspicious curl User Agents (Scanning Log Examples + Fix)
See real curl and wget user agents in server logs. Detect automated reconnaissance scripts instantly and learn how to block automated command line tools.
Log Signature Detected: If you're seeing "192.168.1.15 - - [02/Apr/2026:10:05:12 +0000] "GET /admin HT..." in your logs, your server may be under a Vulnerability Scan attack.
Real Log Example
192.168.1.15 - - [02/Apr/2026:10:05:12 +0000] "GET /admin HTTP/1.1" 403 153 "-" "curl/7.68.0"
192.168.1.15 - - [02/Apr/2026:10:05:13 +0000] "GET /wp-login.php HTTP/1.1" 404 209 "-" "Wget/1.20.3 (linux-gnu)"
192.168.1.15 - - [02/Apr/2026:10:05:14 +0000] "POST /api/v1/auth HTTP/1.1" 401 45 "-" "python-requests/2.25.1"Think your server is currently experiencing a Vulnerability Scan?
Don't guess. Paste your actual server logs into our Neural Engine to instantly verify if this attack is active.
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What Is a Vulnerability Scan?
Security analysts and DevOps teams monitoring infrastructure like Nginx, Apache HTTP Server, Node.js, AWS, and WordPress must be able to quickly identify and triage these malicious log patterns to prevent data breaches.
Requests using curl or wget often indicate automated scripts accessing your server.
Attackers use these tools to test endpoints, find vulnerabilities, or bypass browser protections. This is a manual, targeted version of a broader Nikto vulnerability scan logs.
While not always malicious, repeated access attempts to sensitive paths like /admin from command-line utilities are highly suspicious.
How to Detect Suspicious curl User Agents (Scanning Log Examples + Fix) in Logs
The Signature: The HTTP User-Agent string explicitly lists command-line tools like 'curl/', 'Wget/', 'python-requests/', or 'Go-http-client/'.
Behavior: Real users use browsers. If a command-line tool is accessing endpoints that are only meant for human interaction (like a visual login page), it is a script.
Pacing: Scripts using curl are often highly programmatic, making exactly one request per second, or executing rapidly in bursts.
Vulnerability Scan Attack Detection Checklist
| Pattern | Indicator | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| curl/ or Wget/ in User-Agent | Command-line reconnaissance tool | Medium |
| python-requests/ hitting /admin | Automated admin panel probing | High |
| Exact 1-second intervals between requests | Scripted sequential scanning | Medium |
How to Defend Against This Threat
Block or challenge suspicious user-agents using Nginx or a WAF.
Restrict access to admin endpoints by IP address.
Monitor logs for repeated patterns and rate limit accordingly.
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