Cheatsheet: dig

Basic Domain Name Lookup

Example Usage: dig example.com

What it does: This operation performs a basic DNS lookup for the specified domain name, retrieving its IP address and associated records.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• example.com: The domain name to be looked up.

Retrieve NS Records

Example Usage: dig +nsexample.com

What it does: This operation retrieves the Name Server (NS) records for the specified domain name, which are used to map the domain to its DNS servers.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +ns: Option to retrieve NS records
• example.com: The domain name for which to retrieve NS records.

Retrieve MX Records

Example Usage: dig +mx example.com

What it does: This operation retrieves the Mail Exchanger (MX) records for the specified domain name, which are used to route email to the domain's mail servers.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +mx: Option to retrieve MX records
• example.com: The domain name for which to retrieve MX records.

Retrieve SOA Records

Example Usage: dig +soa example.com

What it does: This operation retrieves the Start of Authority (SOA) records for the specified domain name, which contain information about the domain's DNS zone.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +soa: Option to retrieve SOA records
• example.com: The domain name for which to retrieve SOA records.

Perform a Reverse DNS Lookup

Example Usage: dig -x 8.8.8.8

What it does: This operation performs a reverse DNS lookup for the specified IP address, retrieving the domain name associated with it.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• -x: Option to perform a reverse DNS lookup
• 8.8.8.8: The IP address to be looked up.

Retrieve AAAA Records

Example Usage: dig +aaaa example.com

What it does: This operation retrieves the IPv6 AA (Address Assignment) records for the specified domain name, which are used to map the domain to its IPv6 address.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +aaaa: Option to retrieve AAAA records
• example.com: The domain name for which to retrieve AAAA records.

Perform a Dig Axfr

Example Usage: dig +axfr example.com

What it does: This operation performs a DNS zone transfer (AXFR) for the specified domain name, retrieving all records associated with the domain.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +axfr: Option to perform a DNS zone transfer
• example.com: The domain name for which to perform the zone transfer.

Set Query Type

Example Usage: dig +inq example.com

What it does: This operation sets the query type to IN (Internet) and Q (Query) for the specified domain name, retrieving the IN and Q records.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +inq: Option to set the query type to IN and Q
• example.com: The domain name for which to set the query type.

Use a Specific DNS Server

Example Usage: dig +server 8.8.8.8 example.com

What it does: This operation uses the specified DNS server to perform a lookup for the domain name.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +server: Option to specify the DNS server
• 8.8.8.8: The IP address of the DNS server to use
• example.com: The domain name to be looked up.

Set Timeout

Example Usage: dig +timeout 10 example.com

What it does: This operation sets the timeout for the DNS lookup to the specified number of seconds.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +timeout: Option to set the timeout
• 10: The number of seconds to wait for a response
• example.com: The domain name to be looked up.

Use a Specific Port

Example Usage: dig +port 53 example.com

What it does: This operation uses the specified port to perform a lookup for the domain name.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

• +port: Option to specify the port
• 53: The port number to use
• example.com: The domain name to be looked up.