Nmap is a network scanning tool that scans hosts and networks for open ports. The Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) allows Nmap to perform additional checks and functions beyond basic port scanning. NSE uses the Lua programming language to write scripts for tasks like service detection, vulnerability testing, and malware detection. Popular NSE scripts scan for vulnerabilities like SQL injection, fingerprint web servers and applications, perform service/version detection, and more. The NSE community develops and shares new scripts on the Nmap site to continually improve Nmap's scanning abilities.