Real Time Streaming Protocol

RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) is a network control protocol designed for use in entertainment and communications systems to control streaming media servers. It establishes and controls media sessions between endpoints. RTSP is commonly used for streaming video and audio over the internet.

What is Real Time Streaming Protocol

RTSP, or Real-Time Streaming Protocol, is a network control protocol developed by RealNetworks, Netscape, and Columbia University. It is used for establishing and controlling media sessions between endpoints, such as streaming servers and clients. RTSP is designed to work with established protocols like RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) to deliver real-time media streams.

RTSP operates at the application layer and provides a framework for the delivery of multimedia content. It allows clients to issue commands such as play, pause, and stop, enabling interactive control over the streaming media. This makes it particularly useful for applications like live broadcasts, video conferencing, and on-demand streaming services.

Historically, RTSP has been widely adopted in various streaming applications due to its flexibility and control capabilities. It supports both unicast and multicast streaming, making it suitable for a range of network environments. Companies like Apple, Microsoft, and RealNetworks have implemented RTSP in their streaming solutions, contributing to its widespread use and standardization.

Real Time Streaming Protocol runs on TCP and UDP port 554 and is official IANA port.

Security risk

If port 554 is open and the RTSP service is running, it can be a target for unauthorized access and streaming hijacking. Attackers could exploit vulnerabilities in the RTSP implementation to intercept or manipulate media streams. Ensuring proper authentication and encryption is crucial to mitigate these risks.

In our UFW tutorial you can follow instructions how you can configure UFW to close port 554. Use StackChanges to monitor if the Real Time Streaming Protocol port is closed and stays closed. StackChanges will send an alert if port 554 is open again.