When you’re trying to get your Rapid7 products humming along, one of the biggest hurdles can be making sure everything can talk to each other. I remember my first time setting up a new security console and hitting a wall with connectivity issues – it all came down to a few forgotten URLs and IP addresses in the firewall. To really get your Rapid7 environment running smoothly, you need to know which Rapid7 URLs and IP addresses to allowlist in your network. This isn’t just about getting agents to check in. it’s about enabling everything from vulnerability scans to API integrations and ensuring your security solutions have the visibility they need to protect you. Neglecting these network configurations can leave blind spots, and frankly, who wants that threat , where cyberattacks are constantly ? In 2023 alone, the average cost of a data breach globally was a staggering $4.45 million, highlighting just how critical robust security infrastructure is.

This guide is your go-to resource for understanding all those essential Rapid7 URLs and IP addresses. We’re going to break down why these network pathways are so important for different Rapid7 products like InsightVM, InsightIDR, and InsightAppSec, and how to make sure your firewalls and proxies aren’t accidentally blocking critical security operations. Think of it as opening the right doors so your security tools can do their job effectively, without letting in anything unwelcome.

Alright, let’s kick things off with the absolute basics. What exactly are these “Rapid7 URLs” we keep talking about, and why do they even matter? Simply put, Rapid7 products, especially their cloud-based Insight Platform, need to communicate constantly with Rapid7’s own infrastructure. This communication happens over specific URLs and, by extension, specific IP addresses. If your network, firewall, or proxy blocks these crucial connections, your Rapid7 tools won’t work as they should.

Imagine your Rapid7 Insight Agent on a server trying to send back vital security data, or InsightVM attempting to download the latest vulnerability definitions. If the path is blocked, it’s like trying to make a phone call with no signal—nothing gets through. That means blind spots in your security, delayed threat detection, and incomplete vulnerability assessments. Not ideal, right?

The key here is whitelisting. Instead of allowing all traffic out which is a huge no-no for security, you specifically tell your network devices, “Hey, let traffic to these Rapid7 URLs and these Rapid7 IP addresses pass through.” This creates a secure, controlled pathway for your security data. It’s a fundamental step in setting up any Rapid7 product effectively.

Why Whitelisting is Your Best Friend

Whitelisting isn’t just a good idea. it’s a cybersecurity best practice. By explicitly allowing only known, trusted connections, you drastically reduce your attack surface. Anything not on the approved list is automatically blocked, which helps prevent unauthorized access and data exfiltration.

For Rapid7, whitelisting ensures:

• Agent Communication: Your Insight Agents can report back in real-time.
• Product Updates: Your Rapid7 solutions stay up-to-date with the latest threat intelligence and features.
• Data Collection: Critical security data flows from your environment to the Insight Platform for analysis.
• API Integrations: Seamless communication with other security tools and automation platforms.
• Scanning Capabilities: External scanning engines can reach your public-facing assets to find vulnerabilities.

Without proper whitelisting, you’re essentially flying blind in some areas, which defeats the whole purpose of investing in a robust security platform like Rapid7. So, let’s look at the specifics.

Rapid7 Insight Agent URLs and IP Addresses

The Rapid7 Insight Agent is like your eyes and ears on your endpoints and servers, whether they’re on-premises or in the cloud. This lightweight piece of software collects data and sends it back to the Rapid7 Command Platform also known as the Insight Platform for products like InsightVM and InsightIDR. For it to do its job, it needs a clear communication line.

Mastering Your Online Image: A Deep Dive into Semrush Review and Reputation Management

Core Communication Endpoints

For the Insight Agent to transmit data successfully, your network needs to allow communication with several endpoints through specific network ports, usually port 443 HTTPS for secure communication. The exact endpoints depend on the Rapid7 data storage region your organization is subscribed to.

A common pattern you’ll see for these endpoints often includes your region code. For example, if your data is stored in the US, you might see URLs like:

• us.data.insight.rapid7.com
• us.endpoint.ingress.rapid7.com as seen in some IP info for Rapid7 on AWS

Rapid7 generally provides specific documentation for each region with a list of required endpoints. They even suggest an optional wildcard endpoint in some tables if your filtering solution supports it, to simplify configuration.

Quick Tip: The official Rapid7 documentation is the absolute best place to find the most current and comprehensive list of these regional endpoints and associated IP addresses, as these can be updated. You’ll usually find tables broken down by region US, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, etc..

How to Swiftly Cancel Your Semrush Subscription (Without the Headaches!)

Content Delivery Network CDN for Updates

Beyond core data transmission, the Insight Agent also needs to download updates and content. Rapid7 leverages Content Delivery Networks CDNs for this to ensure faster and more efficient downloads. If the agent can’t reach the CDN, it will fall back to using the regional Command Platform endpoints.

These CDN IP addresses are generally not region-dependent and also communicate over port 443. For instance, some reserved CDN IP addresses provided by Rapid7 include ranges like 3.163.232.9 through 3.163.252.9 and others. Again, always check the latest Rapid7 documentation for the full, current list.

Important Network Considerations for Agents

• Port Requirements: Most agent communication happens over TCP port 443 HTTPS. If you’re using a Rapid7 Collector as a proxy, you might also need to open ports like 5508 for agent messages/beacons and 6608 for update requests/file uploads on the Collector host.
• SSL Decryption Exclusion: This is a big one! If your network performs deep packet inspection DPI or SSL decryption using a transparent proxy, you must exclude Insight Agent-related data from this process. The Command Platform expects the original X.509 certificate from the agent, and DPI technologies often replace this, leading to communication failures. So, make sure your agent traffic bypasses SSL decryption.
• Proxy Settings: If your environment uses proxies, you’ll need to configure your agents or the Rapid7 Collector acting as a proxy to use them properly to reach the Rapid7 cloud endpoints.
• Firewall Rules: Your firewall needs explicit rules to allow outbound HTTPS port 443 traffic to the specified Rapid7 domains and IP ranges.

Rapid7 InsightVM URLs and IP Addresses

Rapid7 InsightVM is a powerful vulnerability management solution. Whether you’re running the console on-premises or using a cloud-hosted version, it needs to communicate with Rapid7’s services for updates, threat intelligence, and, in some cases, for cloud-based scanning.

Rank Math SEO Reviews: The Ultimate Guide to Dominating Search Rankings

InsightVM Console Access

If you host InsightVM on your own network, you’ll access it via a URL specific to your environment, often including a port like https://rapid7.myCompany.com:3780. If Rapid7 hosts it, it might look more like https://myCompany.managed.rapid7.com/home.jsp.

Updates and Content Downloads

Similar to agents, your InsightVM console needs to download regular updates, vulnerability definitions, and threat intelligence. These downloads also rely on specific Rapid7 URLs and potentially CDN IP addresses to ensure it has the most current information to identify and prioritize vulnerabilities.

Scanning External Assets Rapid7 InsightAppSec & InsightVM

When you’re scanning public-facing web applications or external IP addresses, Rapid7’s scanning engines need to be able to reach those targets. For a tool like InsightAppSec, which focuses on application security, you’ll need to allowlist the IP addresses of its cloud engines in your firewall. These IPs are region-dependent. For example, if your platform account is hosted in US-East-2, your firewall rules must correspond to the IP ranges for that region. Rank Math vs. Surfer SEO: Which One Will Boost Your Rankings?

To figure out your specific US data center United States – 1, 2, or 3, you can log into insight.rapid7.com, go to the Platform Home page or My Account, and look for the “Data Storage Region” tag. Then, consult the Rapid7 documentation for the exact IPs to allowlist for that region.

Important: For web application scanning with InsightAppSec, you’ll explicitly define “targets” or domains that you want to scan. These targets are allowlisted in URL format e.g., protocol://subdomain.domain.com/subdirectory. The system will target these domains for vulnerability testing.

Rapid7 IP Addresses and Ranges for Whitelisting

This is often where things get tricky, as IP addresses can be dynamic or change over time. While Rapid7 provides specific IP addresses for certain services like CDNs or InsightAppSec scanning engines, they generally recommend whitelisting by domain names whenever possible because these are more stable than IP addresses. However, some environments require IP-based whitelisting.

Rapid7’s infrastructure is hosted on major cloud providers like Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure. This means that the IP addresses your Rapid7 products communicate with will fall within the IP ranges used by these cloud providers, which can be extensive.

Rank Math vs Semrush: Which SEO Powerhouse Is Right for Your Business?

Key takeaway here: Always refer to the official Rapid7 documentation for the most up-to-date and complete lists of IP addresses and ranges to allowlist. This is because these lists are subject to change, and relying on outdated information can lead to connectivity issues. You’ll typically find detailed tables organized by product and region.

Some examples of network ranges associated with Rapid7 that might appear in public records include 193.149.136.0/24 or 38.242.21.0/24, but these are general and might not cover all specific endpoints or change.

Rapid7 API URLs

If you’re looking to automate tasks, integrate Rapid7 with other security tools, or pull data into custom dashboards, you’ll be interacting with the Rapid7 API. The Rapid7 Command Platform provides a RESTful API that allows for flexible integration with their products.

Que es Semrush y Moz: Tu Guía Esencial para SEO y Marketing Digital

General API Endpoint Structure

Most Command Platform APIs are accessible via a single centralized regional endpoint. Like the agent communication, this endpoint is based on where your data is located. The general format often looks something like this:

https://<REGION_CODE>.api.insight.rapid7.com

For example:

• United States: https://us.api.insight.rapid7.com
• Europe: https://eu.api.insight.rapid7.com
• United States 2 US2: https://us2.api.insight.rapid7.com

To determine your specific API endpoint, you can log into your Rapid7 account, access a Rapid7 product like InsightIDR, and look for the region code in the URL. It’s usually the first two letters of the domain name e.g., us in us.idr.insight.rapid7.com.

Que hace Semrush: Tu Guía Completa para Dominar el Marketing Digital

API Keys and Authentication

Before you can use the API, you’ll need to generate an API key. Authentication is typically performed by passing your API key via an X-Api-Key HTTP header in all your requests.

When setting up integrations like with a SIEM or SOAR platform, you’ll provide this API endpoint and your API key. Many tools specifically ask for the “Rapid7 API URL” or “Rapid7 Endpoint” during configuration.

Rapid7 InsightVM API URL

For InsightVM specifically, the API URL follows the regional pattern. If you have an on-premises deployment, it might also include a port: https://<host>:<port>/api/3. For cloud-hosted, it’s typically https://<host>.cloud.rapid7.com. Some integrations might just ask for the base URL, like https://insight.rapid7.com.

What is Semrush and What’s It For?

Rapid7 InsightIDR API URL

Similarly, for InsightIDR, the API endpoint will follow the regional pattern, allowing you to fetch data related to investigations, alerts, and other security operations.

Accessing API Documentation

Rapid7 provides comprehensive API documentation to help developers and security teams integrate their products. You can usually find detailed information on available resources, endpoints, authentication methods, and examples directly on the Rapid7 documentation portal or developer hub. For example, some community efforts have even formatted InsightVM API documentation in Markdown, covering hundreds of endpoints.

Rapid7 URL Scan and Website Scan

When we talk about “Rapid7 URL scan” or “Rapid7 website scan,” we’re generally referring to the capabilities within products like Rapid7 InsightAppSec. This solution is designed to scan your web applications for vulnerabilities. It doesn’t just passively monitor. it actively tests your applications by “attacking” them in a controlled manner.

How to Clean Up Your Digital Workspace: Deleting a Semrush Project

How it Works

1. Define Targets: You specify the target domains URLs that you want to scan. These are the applications or websites that InsightAppSec will test. You enter these in URL format, such as protocol://subdomain.domain.com/subdirectory.
2. Whitelisting: These target domains must be explicitly allowlisted within InsightAppSec to ensure they are legitimate targets and can be scanned. This is a critical step for creating a scan configuration.
3. Cloud Engines: Rapid7’s cloud-based scanning engines then initiate the scans. For these engines to reach your applications especially if they’re behind a firewall, you might need to allowlist the IP addresses of these InsightAppSec cloud engines in your own network’s firewall. These IPs are region-specific, so you’d check Rapid7’s documentation for the IP addresses corresponding to the region where your InsightAppSec platform account is hosted.

Scan Configuration URLs

Within InsightAppSec, you can set “app-level” URLs when you create an application, which act as the seed URLs for a scan. You can also define additional “scan config URLs” that apply only to a specific scan configuration. This gives you fine-grained control over which parts of your application are scanned.

For instance, you might want to scan your main application but restrict attacks on a specific directory. You would achieve this by carefully configuring your scan scope and URLs.

Best Practices for Managing Rapid7 URLs and IPs

Keeping your Rapid7 environment running smoothly means more than just initial setup. it requires ongoing vigilance. Here are some best practices I’ve picked up over time:

1. Consult Official Documentation Regularly: This is the most crucial piece of advice. Rapid7’s cloud infrastructure evolves, and IP addresses or URLs can change. Always check the official Rapid7 documentation for the latest lists of required URLs and IP addresses for your specific products and data regions. Don’t rely on old blog posts or forum discussions, as they might be outdated.
2. Whitelist by Domain Where Possible: If your firewalls and network devices support it, whitelisting by domain name e.g., *.insight.rapid7.com or us.api.insight.rapid7.com is generally more resilient to IP address changes than whitelisting individual IP addresses.
3. Understand Your Data Region: Rapid7 operates in multiple data storage regions e.g., US, EU, CA. The specific URLs and IP addresses you need to whitelist will depend on where your Rapid7 Insight Platform data is hosted. Make sure you know your region and use the corresponding lists. You can often find your data storage region by logging into insight.rapid7.com and checking your account details.
4. Exclude Insight Agent Traffic from SSL Decryption: I can’t stress this enough. If your network uses transparent proxies or DPI for SSL decryption, you must create exceptions for Rapid7 Insight Agent traffic. Failure to do so will break agent communication.
5. Configure Proxies Correctly: If you’re using web proxies, ensure that your Insight Agents and other Rapid7 components are correctly configured to use them for outbound connections to Rapid7 URLs.
6. Test Connectivity: After making any changes to firewall rules or proxy settings, always test connectivity. Rapid7 documentation often provides methods for verifying that agents can communicate or that API endpoints are reachable.
7. Monitor Logs for Connectivity Issues: Keep an eye on your firewall, proxy, and Rapid7 product logs e.g., Insight Agent logs, InsightVM console logs for any errors related to network connectivity or blocked traffic. This can help you quickly identify and resolve issues.
8. Automate Where Possible: For complex environments, consider automating the management of firewall rules or proxy configurations if your infrastructure supports it. This can help maintain consistency and reduce manual errors.
9. Security Over Convenience Always: Sometimes it feels easier to just open up broader network access, but that’s a slippery slope. Stick to the principle of least privilege: only allow the specific URLs and IPs that are absolutely necessary for your Rapid7 products to function.

Troubleshooting Common Rapid7 URL Issues

Even with the best planning, you might run into connectivity hiccups. Here are some common issues and how to approach them: Unlocking PPC Gold: Your Guide to the Semrush PPC Keyword Tool

• “The remote server name couldn’t be resolved” or similar DNS errors: This usually means your system can’t convert the Rapid7 domain name into an IP address.
  • Check: Your DNS settings, internal DNS servers, and external DNS resolvers. Make sure they can resolve *.rapid7.com and *.insight.rapid7.com domains.
  • Action: Verify the Rapid7 endpoint URL for correctness. Try a ping or nslookup command on the Rapid7 domain from the affected system to see if it resolves.
• “401 Unauthorized” or API key errors: While not strictly a URL issue, it often comes up during API integration setup.
  • Check: Your API key itself. Is it correct? Does it have the necessary permissions e.g., Platform Admin or specific user permissions? Is it expired?
  • Action: Regenerate the API key if unsure. Ensure the user associated with the key has the correct roles. Double-check your HTTP header for the X-Api-Key.
• Agent not checking in, no data in Insight Platform: This is a classic sign of network blockage.
  • Check: Firewall rules outbound TCP 443 to Rapid7 endpoints, proxy settings, and especially the SSL decryption exclusion.
  • Action: Review the Insight Agent requirements - network traffic and connectivity documentation for your specific region. Make sure all required URLs/IPs and ports are open. Check agent logs on the affected endpoint for error messages.
• Scan failures for InsightAppSec:
  • Check: Your target domain allowlist in InsightAppSec, and your network firewall rules for the InsightAppSec cloud engine IP addresses.
  • Action: Confirm the target URLs are correctly added. Verify that your region’s InsightAppSec scanning IPs are whitelisted on your firewall.
• Slow updates or content downloads:
  • Check: Connectivity to Rapid7’s CDN IP addresses. If these are blocked or experiencing issues, the agent/product will fall back to regional endpoints, which might be slower.
  • Action: Ensure CDN IP ranges are whitelisted for outbound TCP 443.

By systematically going through these checks and always referencing the latest Rapid7 documentation, you’ll be able to tackle most connectivity challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main types of Rapid7 URLs I need to be aware of?

You’ll typically deal with Rapid7 URLs for: the Insight Platform console access, Insight Agent communication for sending data and receiving updates, API endpoints for integrations and automation, and scanning engines for products like InsightAppSec to scan your web assets. Each serves a distinct purpose and might have specific network requirements.

Do Rapid7 IP addresses change often?

While specific IP addresses can change, especially for dynamic cloud infrastructure, Rapid7 generally tries to maintain stability for critical endpoints. This is why they often recommend whitelisting by domain name *.insight.rapid7.com when possible, as domain names are more persistent than IP addresses. However, for some services like InsightAppSec scanning engines or specific CDN IPs, you’ll need to whitelist IP ranges. Always check the latest official Rapid7 documentation for the most current information.

How do I find the correct Rapid7 URLs and IP addresses for my region?

The absolute best way to find the most accurate and up-to-date Rapid7 URLs and IP addresses is to consult the official Rapid7 documentation for your specific products and data storage region. You can usually determine your data region by logging into your Rapid7 account e.g., insight.rapid7.com and looking for a “Data Storage Region” tag or a region code in the URL when accessing a specific product.

Why do I need to exclude Rapid7 Insight Agent traffic from SSL decryption?

You need to exclude Insight Agent traffic from SSL decryption because Rapid7’s Command Platform expects to receive data directly from the agent with its original X.509 certificate. Transparent proxies or deep packet inspection DPI technologies that perform SSL decryption often replace this certificate with their own, which causes the Command Platform to reject the data, breaking agent communication. Prowly PR Software: Your All-in-One Guide to Mastering Media Relations

What ports are typically used for Rapid7 communication?

The primary port for most Rapid7 cloud communication, including Insight Agent, InsightVM, and API traffic, is TCP port 443 HTTPS. If you’re using a Rapid7 Collector as a proxy for agent traffic, you’ll also need to allow TCP 5508 for agent messages and TCP 6608 for agent updates and file uploads on the Collector host.

Can I use wildcards when whitelisting Rapid7 URLs?

Yes, if your network traffic filtering solution supports wildcards, Rapid7 documentation often indicates optional wildcard endpoints to simplify your configuration, especially for agent communication endpoints. For example, a wildcard like *.insight.rapid7.com might cover multiple specific subdomains.

What happens if I don’t whitelist the necessary Rapid7 URLs and IP addresses?

If you don’t whitelist the required Rapid7 URLs and IP addresses, your Rapid7 products might experience various issues. This could include Insight Agents failing to check in or send data, product updates not downloading, vulnerability scans failing to complete, or API integrations not working correctly. Ultimately, it leads to blind spots in your security visibility and reduced effectiveness of your Rapid7 solutions.

Master Your SEO: Supercharging Semrush Position Tracking with Looker Studio

0.0 0.0 out of 5 stars (based on 0 reviews) Excellent0% Very good0% Average0% Poor0% Terrible0% There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one. Your review Your overall rating Select a Rating5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star Title of your review Your review Your name Your email This review is based on my own experience and is my genuine opinion. ​ Submit Review

Amazon.com: Check Amazon for Understanding Rapid7 URLs: Latest Discussions & Reviews: