FreewareWeb FTP Search
Tool Description : A specialised search engine that searches indexed FTP sites for files and directories using filenames, keywords, file types, domains, and paths.
FreewareWeb FTP Search
Quick Overview
What it does
Searches thousands of indexed FTP sites for filenames, directories and keywords.
How to use it
Enter a filename, directory name or keyword and configure the search parameters to locate matching files or FTP servers.
Cost
Free.
Account required
No.
Cookies
Mostly legacy Google Analytics cookies and Google advertising/consent cookies.
Ownership
Not clearly disclosed.
Use in Reporting
Useful for locating publicly accessible files and historical FTP-hosted material that can provide investigative leads or corroborating evidence.
What does FreewareWeb FTP Search do?
FreewareWeb's FTP Search is a specialised FTP file-search engine rather than a conventional search engine such as Google or Bing.
The service states that it searches thousands of FTP sites for filenames or keywords. Searches can be performed against files and directories and can be refined by file type, size, domain and path.
The lowdown: It’s potentially useful when you’re looking for files hosted on public FTP servers, particularly older or obscure material.
How to Use:
1. Enter a filename, directory name or keyword into the search field then select the appropriate search type. Available options include file/directory searches, music, video, images, estimated matches, regular expressions and server/navigation searches.
2. Refine the search using options such as file size, domain, path or excluded path, then examine the returned FTP locations and files.
3. Preserve the relevant source information and independently assess the provenance and authenticity of any file before using it in reporting.
Cost
Data Processing
Account Required:
Cookies:
FreewareWeb sets legacy Google Analytics cookies (__utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmt, __utmz) for visitor/session and traffic-source analytics. It also sets FCCDCF and FCNEC, which are associated with Google's consent-management and advertising infrastructure. These cookies primarily support analytics, consent management and advertising functionality.
Use in Reporting
FreewareWeb FTP Search can be used to:
Locate files hosted on publicly indexed FTP servers.
Search for specific filenames or directory names.
Locate older or obscure files that may not appear prominently in conventional web-search results.
Search for particular file types, including images, music and video.
Identify FTP servers associated with particular files or domains.
Locate potential historical copies of files.
Generate investigative leads from publicly accessible FTP infrastructure.
Identify documents or files that may require further provenance and authenticity checks.
Support investigations involving historical internet infrastructure or legacy file repositories.
A Spanish cybersecurity article from Spain's National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE/ICM) discusses FTP search engines as a reconnaissance technique and explicitly lists ‘FreewareWeb FTP File Search’ alongside other FTP search engines.
Capabilities
Limitations
Searches indexed FTP servers for files and directories.
It doesn’t represent the entire internet or all FTP servers.
Supports filename and keyword searches.
Results depend on the FTP servers and material indexed by the service.
Allows searches by file type, including images, music and video.
Some indexed files may be old, unavailable or no longer hosted at the returned location.
Can filter by domain, path and file size.
The provenance and authenticity of returned files must be independently assessed.
Can help locate obscure or historical FTP-hosted material.
The service provides discovery rather than authoritative verification.
Summary
FreewareWeb FTP Search’s main OSINT value is in discovering files and directories hosted on indexed FTP servers, particularly material that may be difficult to find using conventional search engines.
It’s best treated as a discovery/collection tool, with any significant findings subsequently verified through the original FTP source, file metadata, independent copies or authoritative documentation.
Ownership
Not clearly disclosed.
Ethical Considerations
Confirm that files are publicly accessible before accessing or downloading them.
Do not attempt to bypass authentication or access controls on FTP servers.
Treat files discovered through the service as unverified until their provenance and authenticity have been established.
Avoid downloading or retaining unnecessary personal information.
Record the source URL, date and relevant metadata when using a file as investigative evidence.
Related Tools:
Sources
freewareweb.com/ftpsearch.shtml
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