HTTP|HTTPS Port priority optimization

runner/ports_optimization.go

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package runner
+
+import (
+	"net"
+	"strconv"
+
+	"github.com/projectdiscovery/httpx/common/httpx"
+	sliceutil "github.com/projectdiscovery/utils/slice"
+)
+
+var commonHttpPorts = []string{
+	"80",
+	"8080",
+}
+
+// determineMostLikelySchemeOrder for the input
+func determineMostLikelySchemeOrder(input string) string {
+	if _, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(input); err == nil {
+		// if input has port that is commonly used for HTTP, return http then https
+		if sliceutil.Contains(commonHttpPorts, port) {
+			return httpx.HTTP
+		}
+
+		// As of 10/2025 shodan shows that ports > 1024 are more likely to expose HTTP
+		// hence we test first http then https on higher ports
+		// if input has port > 1024, return http then https
+		if port, err := strconv.Atoi(port); err == nil && port > 1024 {
+			return httpx.HTTP
+		}
+	}
+
+	return httpx.HTTPS
+}

runner/runner.go

@@ -1579,7 +1579,7 @@ func (r *Runner) targets(hp *httpx.HTTPX, target string) chan httpx.Target {
 func (r *Runner) analyze(hp *httpx.HTTPX, protocol string, target httpx.Target, method, origInput string, scanopts *ScanOptions) Result {
 	origProtocol := protocol
 	if protocol == httpx.HTTPorHTTPS || protocol == httpx.HTTPandHTTPS {
-		protocol = httpx.HTTPS
+		protocol = determineMostLikelySchemeOrder(target.Host)
 	}
 	retried := false
 retry: