Check file sharing services
Samba (SMB/CIFS sharing)
Check if Samba is running:
sudo systemctl status smbd nmbd
Disable Samba if not needed:
sudo systemctl stop smbd nmbd
sudo systemctl disable smbd nmbd
sudo systemctl disable smbd nmbd
NFS (Network File System)
Check if NFS server is running:
sudo systemctl status nfs-server
Disable NFS if not needed:
sudo systemctl stop nfs-server
sudo systemctl disable nfs-server
sudo systemctl disable nfs-server
FTP services
Check for FTP servers (vsftpd, proftpd):
sudo systemctl status vsftpd
sudo systemctl status proftpd
sudo systemctl status proftpd
Disable FTP services if not needed:
sudo systemctl stop vsftpd proftpd
sudo systemctl disable vsftpd proftpd
sudo systemctl disable vsftpd proftpd
Check all network services
Review all listening network services:
sudo netstat -tlnp
# or
sudo ss -tlnp
# or
sudo ss -tlnp
Look for services listening on ports like 139, 445 (SMB), 2049 (NFS), 21 (FTP), etc.
Desktop environment file sharing
GNOME
Check GNOME's built-in sharing:
- Open Settings
- Navigate to Sharing
- Ensure File Sharing is turned off
- Ensure Remote Desktop is turned off
KDE Plasma
Check KDE sharing settings:
- Open System Settings
- Go to Network → Sharing
- Disable any active sharing services
Secure file sharing (if needed)
If you must enable file sharing, secure it properly:
- Use authentication (no guest/anonymous access)
- Limit access to specific users and IP addresses
- Use encrypted protocols when possible (SFTP instead of FTP)
- Regularly review shared folders and permissions
Secure Alternatives
Consider using cloud storage services, SFTP, or encrypted file transfer tools instead of traditional file sharing protocols for better security.
Network Discovery
Also disable network discovery services like Avahi if you don't need your system to be discoverable on the local network.