Are you sure this is a Bash feature and not some kernel module?
Bash handles several filenames specially when they are used in redirections, as described in the following table. If the operating system on which bash is running provides these spe‐
cial files, bash will use them; otherwise it will emulate them internally with the behavior described below.
/dev/fd/fd
If fd is a valid integer, file descriptor fd is duplicated.
/dev/stdin
File descriptor 0 is duplicated.
/dev/stdout
File descriptor 1 is duplicated.
/dev/stderr
File descriptor 2 is duplicated.
/dev/tcp/host/port
If host is a valid hostname or Internet address, and port is an integer port number or service name, bash attempts to open the corresponding TCP socket.
/dev/udp/host/port
If host is a valid hostname or Internet address, and port is an integer port number or service name, bash attempts to open the corresponding UDP socket.Are there circumstances where /dev/tcp/host/port might be provided by the operating system and provide the same functionality? Or is that just saying bash will stay out of the way if you are trying to access special files in /dev if they really exist?
Nothing besides bash can see these. They're not really there. It's a mirage created by bash.