OpenVAS Cheat Sheet

Overview

OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment System) is a full-featured vulnerability scanner that provides comprehensive vulnerability management capabilities. It's part of the Greenbone Vulnerability Management (GVM) framework and offers extensive vulnerability testing, including network vulnerability tests, authenticated testing, and compliance auditing. OpenVAS maintains a constantly updated feed of Network Vulnerability Tests (NVTs) and provides detailed reporting capabilities.

⚠️ Warning: Only use OpenVAS in environments you own or have explicit permission to test. Unauthorized vulnerability scanning may violate terms of service or local laws.

Installation

Docker Installation (Recommended)

bash

# Pull the official Greenbone Community Edition container
docker pull greenbone/community-edition

# Create persistent volumes
docker volume create gvm-postgres-data
docker volume create gvm-var-lib
docker volume create gvm-var-log
docker volume create gvm-var-run

# Run Greenbone Community Edition
docker run -d \
  --name gvm \
  -p 9392:9392 \
  -v gvm-postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql \
  -v gvm-var-lib:/var/lib/gvm \
  -v gvm-var-log:/var/log/gvm \
  -v gvm-var-run:/var/run \
  greenbone/community-edition

# Check container status
docker ps
docker logs gvm

# Access web interface at https://localhost:9392
# Default credentials: admin/admin

Ubuntu/Debian Installation

bash

# Add Greenbone repository
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mrazavi/gvm
sudo apt update

# Install GVM components
sudo apt install -y gvm

# Setup GVM
sudo gvm-setup

# Start services
sudo systemctl start gvmd
sudo systemctl start gsad
sudo systemctl start ospd-openvas

# Enable services
sudo systemctl enable gvmd
sudo systemctl enable gsad
sudo systemctl enable ospd-openvas

# Create admin user
sudo gvmd --create-user=admin --password=admin

# Update vulnerability feeds
sudo gvm-feed-update

Manual Installation

bash

# Install dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential cmake pkg-config libglib2.0-dev \
  libgpgme-dev libgnutls28-dev uuid-dev libssh-gcrypt-dev libldap2-dev \
  doxygen graphviz libradcli-dev libhiredis-dev libpcap-dev \
  bison libksba-dev libsnmp-dev gcc-mingw-w64 heimdal-dev \
  libpopt-dev xmltoman redis-server xsltproc libical-dev postgresql \
  postgresql-contrib postgresql-server-dev-all gnutls-bin nmap \
  rpm nsis curl wget fakeroot gnupg sshpass socat snmp smbclient \
  texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-recommended xmlstarlet zip \
  python3-paramiko python3-lxml python3-defusedxml python3-pip \
  python3-psutil python3-impacket

# Create gvm user
sudo useradd -r -M -U -G sudo -s /usr/sbin/nologin gvm
sudo usermod -aG gvm $USER

# Download and compile GVM components
export GVM_VERSION=22.4
export GVM_LIBS_VERSION=22.7.3
export GVMD_VERSION=23.0.1
export GSA_VERSION=22.7.1
export GSAD_VERSION=22.7.1
export OPENVAS_SMB_VERSION=22.5.3
export OPENVAS_SCANNER_VERSION=22.7.9
export OSPD_OPENVAS_VERSION=22.6.2
export NOTUS_VERSION=22.6.0

# Create installation directory
export INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/gvm
export SOURCE_DIR=$HOME/source
mkdir -p $SOURCE_DIR
cd $SOURCE_DIR

# Build and install each component (detailed steps omitted for brevity)
# This is a complex process - refer to official documentation

Kali Linux Installation

bash

# OpenVAS is pre-installed on Kali Linux
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y openvas

# Setup OpenVAS
sudo gvm-setup

# Start services
sudo gvm-start

# Check setup
sudo gvm-check-setup

# Access web interface
firefox https://localhost:9392

Initial Configuration

First-Time Setup

bash

# Check GVM setup
sudo gvm-check-setup

# Update vulnerability feeds (this takes time)
sudo gvm-feed-update

# Check feed status
sudo gvmd --get-feeds

# Create admin user
sudo gvmd --create-user=admin --password=StrongPassword123

# Set admin user password
sudo gvmd --user=admin --new-password=NewStrongPassword123

# Get admin user UUID
sudo gvmd --get-users --verbose

# Create scanner
sudo gvmd --create-scanner="OpenVAS Scanner" --scanner-type="OpenVAS" --scanner-host=/var/run/ospd/ospd-openvas.sock

# Verify scanner
sudo gvmd --get-scanners

Web Interface Access

bash

# Start GSA daemon (web interface)
sudo gsad --listen=127.0.0.1 --port=9392

# Access web interface
# URL: https://localhost:9392
# Default credentials: admin/admin (change immediately)

# For remote access (security risk - use with caution)
sudo gsad --listen=0.0.0.0 --port=9392 --allow-header-host=your-domain.com

Feed Updates

bash

# Update all feeds
sudo gvm-feed-update

# Update specific feeds
sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type GVMD_DATA
sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type SCAP
sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type CERT

# Check feed versions
sudo gvmd --get-feeds

# Schedule automatic updates
echo "0 2 * * * root /usr/sbin/gvm-feed-update" | sudo tee -a /etc/crontab

Basic Scanning

Creating Targets

bash

# Command line target creation
sudo gvmd --create-target="Test Target" --hosts="192.168.1.0/24"

# Create target with credentials
sudo gvmd --create-target="Authenticated Target" \
  --hosts="192.168.1.100" \
  --ssh-credential="ssh-cred-uuid"

# Create target with port list
sudo gvmd --create-target="Custom Ports" \
  --hosts="192.168.1.100" \
  --port-list="Custom Port List"

# List targets
sudo gvmd --get-targets

Creating Scan Configurations

bash

# List available scan configs
sudo gvmd --get-configs

# Create custom scan config
sudo gvmd --create-config="Custom Full Scan" \
  --copy="daba56c8-73ec-11df-a475-002264764cea"

# Modify scan config
sudo gvmd --modify-config="config-uuid" \
  --nvt-selection="1.3.6.1.4.1.25623.1.0.10330"

# Get scan config details
sudo gvmd --get-configs --config-id="config-uuid"

Running Scans

bash

# Create and start a task
sudo gvmd --create-task="Network Scan" \
  --target="target-uuid" \
  --config="config-uuid" \
  --scanner="scanner-uuid"

# Start task
sudo gvmd --start-task="task-uuid"

# Check task status
sudo gvmd --get-tasks

# Stop task
sudo gvmd --stop-task="task-uuid"

# Resume task
sudo gvmd --resume-task="task-uuid"

Advanced Scanning

Authenticated Scanning

bash

# Create SSH credential
sudo gvmd --create-credential="SSH Credential" \
  --credential-type="up" \
  --credential-login="username" \
  --credential-password="password"

# Create SSH key credential
sudo gvmd --create-credential="SSH Key" \
  --credential-type="usk" \
  --credential-login="username" \
  --credential-private-key="/path/to/private/key"

# Create Windows credential
sudo gvmd --create-credential="Windows Credential" \
  --credential-type="up" \
  --credential-login="domain\\username" \
  --credential-password="password"

# Create SNMP credential
sudo gvmd --create-credential="SNMP Community" \
  --credential-type="snmp" \
  --credential-community="public"

# List credentials
sudo gvmd --get-credentials

Custom Port Lists

bash

# Create custom port list
sudo gvmd --create-port-list="Web Ports" \
  --port-range="80,443,8080,8443"

# Create comprehensive port list
sudo gvmd --create-port-list="Common Ports" \
  --port-range="1-1000,1433,1521,3306,3389,5432,5900"

# Import port list from file
echo "80,443,8080,8443" > web_ports.txt
sudo gvmd --create-port-list="Web Services" \
  --port-range-file="web_ports.txt"

# List port lists
sudo gvmd --get-port-lists

Scan Scheduling

bash

# Create schedule for daily scans
sudo gvmd --create-schedule="Daily Scan" \
  --schedule-period="1" \
  --schedule-period-unit="day" \
  --schedule-duration="2" \
  --schedule-duration-unit="hour"

# Create weekly schedule
sudo gvmd --create-schedule="Weekly Scan" \
  --schedule-period="1" \
  --schedule-period-unit="week" \
  --schedule-duration="4" \
  --schedule-duration-unit="hour"

# Create monthly schedule
sudo gvmd --create-schedule="Monthly Scan" \
  --schedule-period="1" \
  --schedule-period-unit="month" \
  --schedule-duration="8" \
  --schedule-duration-unit="hour"

# Assign schedule to task
sudo gvmd --modify-task="task-uuid" \
  --schedule="schedule-uuid"

# List schedules
sudo gvmd --get-schedules

Reporting and Analysis

Report Generation

bash

# Get available report formats
sudo gvmd --get-report-formats

# Generate PDF report
sudo gvmd --get-report="report-uuid" \
  --format="c402cc3e-b531-11e1-9163-406186ea4fc5" > report.pdf

# Generate XML report
sudo gvmd --get-report="report-uuid" \
  --format="a994b278-1f62-11e1-96ac-406186ea4fc5" > report.xml

# Generate CSV report
sudo gvmd --get-report="report-uuid" \
  --format="c1645568-627a-11e3-a660-406186ea4fc5" > report.csv

# Generate HTML report
sudo gvmd --get-report="report-uuid" \
  --format="6c248850-1f62-11e1-b082-406186ea4fc5" > report.html

# List all reports
sudo gvmd --get-reports

Report Filtering

bash

# Filter by severity
sudo gvmd --get-report="report-uuid" \
  --filter="severity>7.0" \
  --format="pdf"

# Filter by host
sudo gvmd --get-report="report-uuid" \
  --filter="host=192.168.1.100" \
  --format="xml"

# Filter by vulnerability family
sudo gvmd --get-report="report-uuid" \
  --filter="family=Web application abuses" \
  --format="csv"

# Complex filter
sudo gvmd --get-report="report-uuid" \
  --filter="severity>5.0 and host~192.168.1" \
  --format="html"

Delta Reports

bash

# Compare two reports
sudo gvmd --get-report="new-report-uuid" \
  --delta-report="old-report-uuid" \
  --format="pdf" > delta_report.pdf

# Generate trend analysis
sudo gvmd --get-reports \
  --filter="task=task-uuid" \
  --format="xml" > trend_data.xml

Automation Scripts

Automated Scanning Script

bash

#!/bin/bash
# Automated OpenVAS scanning script

# Configuration
TARGET_NETWORK="192.168.1.0/24"
SCAN_NAME="Automated Network Scan"
CONFIG_NAME="Full and fast"
ADMIN_USER="admin"
ADMIN_PASS="password"

# Function to run gvmd commands
run_gvmd() {
    sudo gvmd --user="$ADMIN_USER" --password="$ADMIN_PASS" "$@"
}

# Function to wait for task completion
wait_for_task() {
    local task_id="$1"
    local status=""
    
    echo "[+] Waiting for task $task_id to complete..."
    
    while [ "$status" != "Done" ]; do
        status=$(run_gvmd --get-tasks --task-id="$task_id" | grep -oP 'status="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
        echo "  Status: $status"
        
        if [ "$status" = "Stopped" ] || [ "$status" = "Interrupted" ]; then
            echo "[-] Task failed or was stopped"
            return 1
        fi
        
        sleep 30
    done
    
    echo "[+] Task completed successfully"
    return 0
}

echo "[+] Starting automated OpenVAS scan"

# Get scanner ID
SCANNER_ID=$(run_gvmd --get-scanners | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f2)
echo "[+] Using scanner: $SCANNER_ID"

# Get config ID
CONFIG_ID=$(run_gvmd --get-configs | grep "$CONFIG_NAME" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
echo "[+] Using config: $CONFIG_ID"

# Create target
echo "[+] Creating target for $TARGET_NETWORK"
TARGET_ID=$(run_gvmd --create-target="$SCAN_NAME Target" --hosts="$TARGET_NETWORK" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
echo "[+] Target created: $TARGET_ID"

# Create task
echo "[+] Creating scan task"
TASK_ID=$(run_gvmd --create-task="$SCAN_NAME" --target="$TARGET_ID" --config="$CONFIG_ID" --scanner="$SCANNER_ID" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
echo "[+] Task created: $TASK_ID"

# Start task
echo "[+] Starting scan task"
run_gvmd --start-task="$TASK_ID"

# Wait for completion
if wait_for_task "$TASK_ID"; then
    # Get report ID
    REPORT_ID=$(run_gvmd --get-reports --task-id="$TASK_ID" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    # Generate reports
    echo "[+] Generating reports"
    
    # PDF report
    run_gvmd --get-report="$REPORT_ID" --format="c402cc3e-b531-11e1-9163-406186ea4fc5" > "scan_report_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).pdf"
    
    # XML report
    run_gvmd --get-report="$REPORT_ID" --format="a994b278-1f62-11e1-96ac-406186ea4fc5" > "scan_report_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).xml"
    
    # CSV report
    run_gvmd --get-report="$REPORT_ID" --format="c1645568-627a-11e3-a660-406186ea4fc5" > "scan_report_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).csv"
    
    echo "[+] Reports generated successfully"
    
    # Cleanup
    echo "[+] Cleaning up"
    run_gvmd --delete-task="$TASK_ID"
    run_gvmd --delete-target="$TARGET_ID"
    
else
    echo "[-] Scan failed"
    exit 1
fi

echo "[+] Automated scan completed"

Vulnerability Tracking Script

bash

#!/bin/bash
# Track vulnerability changes over time

TARGETS_FILE="targets.txt"
REPORTS_DIR="vulnerability_reports"
TRENDS_DIR="vulnerability_trends"

mkdir -p "$REPORTS_DIR" "$TRENDS_DIR"

# Function to scan target and generate report
scan_target() {
    local target="$1"
    local timestamp=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
    local report_file="$REPORTS_DIR/${target//\//_}_$timestamp.xml"
    
    echo "[+] Scanning $target"
    
    # Create target
    TARGET_ID=$(sudo gvmd --create-target="Tracking_$target" --hosts="$target" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    # Get default config
    CONFIG_ID=$(sudo gvmd --get-configs | grep "Full and fast" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    # Get scanner
    SCANNER_ID=$(sudo gvmd --get-scanners | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    # Create and start task
    TASK_ID=$(sudo gvmd --create-task="Tracking_$target" --target="$TARGET_ID" --config="$CONFIG_ID" --scanner="$SCANNER_ID" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    sudo gvmd --start-task="$TASK_ID"
    
    # Wait for completion
    while true; do
        status=$(sudo gvmd --get-tasks --task-id="$TASK_ID" | grep -oP 'status="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
        if [ "$status" = "Done" ]; then
            break
        elif [ "$status" = "Stopped" ] || [ "$status" = "Interrupted" ]; then
            echo "[-] Scan failed for $target"
            return 1
        fi
        sleep 60
    done
    
    # Get report
    REPORT_ID=$(sudo gvmd --get-reports --task-id="$TASK_ID" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f2)
    sudo gvmd --get-report="$REPORT_ID" --format="a994b278-1f62-11e1-96ac-406186ea4fc5" > "$report_file"
    
    # Cleanup
    sudo gvmd --delete-task="$TASK_ID"
    sudo gvmd --delete-target="$TARGET_ID"
    
    echo "[+] Report saved: $report_file"
    
    # Analyze trends
    analyze_trends "$target" "$report_file"
}

# Function to analyze vulnerability trends
analyze_trends() {
    local target="$1"
    local current_report="$2"
    local trend_file="$TRENDS_DIR/${target//\//_}_trends.csv"
    
    # Extract vulnerability counts by severity
    high_count=$(grep -c 'threat="High"' "$current_report" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
    medium_count=$(grep -c 'threat="Medium"' "$current_report" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
    low_count=$(grep -c 'threat="Low"' "$current_report" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
    
    # Add to trend file
    if [ ! -f "$trend_file" ]; then
        echo "Date,High,Medium,Low,Total" > "$trend_file"
    fi
    
    total=$((high_count + medium_count + low_count))
    echo "$(date +%Y-%m-%d),$high_count,$medium_count,$low_count,$total" >> "$trend_file"
    
    echo "[+] Trends updated: $trend_file"
}

# Main execution
if [ ! -f "$TARGETS_FILE" ]; then
    echo "Creating example targets file: $TARGETS_FILE"
    cat > "$TARGETS_FILE" << 'EOF'
192.168.1.0/24
10.0.0.0/24
172.16.0.0/24
EOF
    echo "Edit $TARGETS_FILE with your target networks and run again"
    exit 1
fi

echo "[+] Starting vulnerability tracking for targets in $TARGETS_FILE"

while IFS= read -r target; do
    # Skip empty lines and comments
    [[ -z "$target" || "$target" =~ ^#.*$ ]] && continue
    
    scan_target "$target"
    
    # Wait between scans to avoid overloading
    sleep 300
done < "$TARGETS_FILE"

echo "[+] Vulnerability tracking completed"

# Generate summary report
python3 << 'EOF'
import csv
import glob
import os
from datetime import datetime

trends_dir = "vulnerability_trends"
summary_file = f"vulnerability_summary_{datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d')}.html"

html_content = """
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Vulnerability Trends Summary</title>
    <style>
        body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px; }
        table { border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin: 20px 0; }
        th, td { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 8px; text-align: left; }
        th { background-color: #f2f2f2; }
        .high { color: #d32f2f; font-weight: bold; }
        .medium { color: #f57c00; font-weight: bold; }
        .low { color: #388e3c; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Vulnerability Trends Summary</h1>
    <p>Generated on: {}</p>
""".format(datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'))

for trend_file in glob.glob(os.path.join(trends_dir, "*_trends.csv")):
    target = os.path.basename(trend_file).replace("_trends.csv", "").replace("_", "/")
    
    html_content += f"<h2>Target: {target}</h2>\n"
    html_content += "<table>\n<tr><th>Date</th><th>High</th><th>Medium</th><th>Low</th><th>Total</th></tr>\n"
    
    with open(trend_file, 'r') as f:
        reader = csv.DictReader(f)
        for row in reader:
            html_content += f"""
            <tr>
                <td>{row['Date']}</td>
                <td class="high">{row['High']}</td>
                <td class="medium">{row['Medium']}</td>
                <td class="low">{row['Low']}</td>
                <td>{row['Total']}</td>
            </tr>
            """
    
    html_content += "</table>\n"

html_content += """
</body>
</html>
"""

with open(summary_file, 'w') as f:
    f.write(html_content)

print(f"Summary report generated: {summary_file}")
EOF

Compliance Scanning Script

bash

#!/bin/bash
# Compliance scanning with OpenVAS

# Configuration
COMPLIANCE_TARGETS="compliance_targets.txt"
COMPLIANCE_CONFIGS=(
    "PCI-DSS"
    "NIST"
    "ISO27001"
)

# Function to create compliance scan config
create_compliance_config() {
    local compliance_type="$1"
    local base_config_id="daba56c8-73ec-11df-a475-002264764cea"  # Full and fast
    
    echo "[+] Creating $compliance_type compliance configuration"
    
    CONFIG_ID=$(sudo gvmd --create-config="$compliance_type Compliance" --copy="$base_config_id" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    # Customize config based on compliance type
    case "$compliance_type" in
        "PCI-DSS")
            # Enable PCI-DSS specific tests
            sudo gvmd --modify-config="$CONFIG_ID" --nvt-selection="1.3.6.1.4.1.25623.1.0.103692"
            ;;
        "NIST")
            # Enable NIST specific tests
            sudo gvmd --modify-config="$CONFIG_ID" --nvt-selection="1.3.6.1.4.1.25623.1.0.103693"
            ;;
        "ISO27001")
            # Enable ISO27001 specific tests
            sudo gvmd --modify-config="$CONFIG_ID" --nvt-selection="1.3.6.1.4.1.25623.1.0.103694"
            ;;
    esac
    
    echo "$CONFIG_ID"
}

# Function to run compliance scan
run_compliance_scan() {
    local target="$1"
    local compliance_type="$2"
    local config_id="$3"
    
    echo "[+] Running $compliance_type compliance scan for $target"
    
    # Create target
    TARGET_ID=$(sudo gvmd --create-target="$compliance_type-$target" --hosts="$target" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    # Get scanner
    SCANNER_ID=$(sudo gvmd --get-scanners | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    # Create task
    TASK_ID=$(sudo gvmd --create-task="$compliance_type Compliance - $target" --target="$TARGET_ID" --config="$config_id" --scanner="$SCANNER_ID" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    # Start task
    sudo gvmd --start-task="$TASK_ID"
    
    # Wait for completion
    while true; do
        status=$(sudo gvmd --get-tasks --task-id="$TASK_ID" | grep -oP 'status="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
        if [ "$status" = "Done" ]; then
            break
        elif [ "$status" = "Stopped" ] || [ "$status" = "Interrupted" ]; then
            echo "[-] Compliance scan failed for $target"
            return 1
        fi
        sleep 60
    done
    
    # Generate compliance report
    REPORT_ID=$(sudo gvmd --get-reports --task-id="$TASK_ID" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    timestamp=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
    report_file="compliance_${compliance_type}_${target//\//_}_$timestamp.pdf"
    
    sudo gvmd --get-report="$REPORT_ID" --format="c402cc3e-b531-11e1-9163-406186ea4fc5" > "$report_file"
    
    echo "[+] Compliance report generated: $report_file"
    
    # Cleanup
    sudo gvmd --delete-task="$TASK_ID"
    sudo gvmd --delete-target="$TARGET_ID"
}

# Main execution
if [ ! -f "$COMPLIANCE_TARGETS" ]; then
    echo "Creating example compliance targets file: $COMPLIANCE_TARGETS"
    cat > "$COMPLIANCE_TARGETS" << 'EOF'
# Compliance scanning targets
# Format: IP/Network
192.168.1.100
192.168.1.0/24
10.0.0.0/24
EOF
    echo "Edit $COMPLIANCE_TARGETS with your targets and run again"
    exit 1
fi

echo "[+] Starting compliance scanning"

# Create compliance configurations
declare -A CONFIG_IDS
for compliance in "${COMPLIANCE_CONFIGS[@]}"; do
    CONFIG_IDS["$compliance"]=$(create_compliance_config "$compliance")
done

# Run scans for each target and compliance type
while IFS= read -r target; do
    # Skip empty lines and comments
    [[ -z "$target" || "$target" =~ ^#.*$ ]] && continue
    
    for compliance in "${COMPLIANCE_CONFIGS[@]}"; do
        run_compliance_scan "$target" "$compliance" "${CONFIG_IDS[$compliance]}"
        sleep 60  # Wait between scans
    done
done < "$COMPLIANCE_TARGETS"

echo "[+] Compliance scanning completed"

Integration with Other Tools

Nmap Integration

bash

# Use Nmap for initial discovery, then OpenVAS for vulnerability assessment
nmap_discover_and_scan() {
    local network="$1"
    
    echo "[+] Discovering live hosts with Nmap"
    nmap -sn "$network" | grep -oP '\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+' > live_hosts.txt
    
    echo "[+] Found $(wc -l < live_hosts.txt) live hosts"
    
    # Create OpenVAS target with discovered hosts
    hosts=$(tr '\n' ',' < live_hosts.txt | sed 's/,$//')
    TARGET_ID=$(sudo gvmd --create-target="Nmap Discovered Hosts" --hosts="$hosts" | grep -oP 'id="[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f2)
    
    echo "[+] Created OpenVAS target: $TARGET_ID"
    
    # Continue with OpenVAS scan...
}

Metasploit Integration

bash

# Export OpenVAS results for Metasploit
export_for_metasploit() {
    local report_id="$1"
    
    # Generate XML report
    sudo gvmd --get-report="$report_id" --format="a994b278-1f62-11e1-96ac-406186ea4fc5" > openvas_report.xml
    
    # Convert to Metasploit format
    python3 << 'EOF'
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
import json

# Parse OpenVAS XML
tree = ET.parse('openvas_report.xml')
root = tree.getroot()

# Extract vulnerabilities
vulns = []
for result in root.findall('.//result'):
    host = result.find('host').text if result.find('host') is not None else ''
    port = result.find('port').text if result.find('port') is not None else ''
    nvt = result.find('nvt')
    if nvt is not None:
        name = nvt.find('name').text if nvt.find('name') is not None else ''
        cve = nvt.find('cve').text if nvt.find('cve') is not None else ''
        
        vulns.append({
            'host': host,
            'port': port,
            'name': name,
            'cve': cve
        })

# Save for Metasploit
with open('metasploit_targets.json', 'w') as f:
    json.dump(vulns, f, indent=2)

print(f"Exported {len(vulns)} vulnerabilities for Metasploit")
EOF
}

SIEM Integration

bash

# Send OpenVAS alerts to SIEM
send_to_siem() {
    local report_id="$1"
    local siem_endpoint="$2"
    
    # Generate JSON report
    sudo gvmd --get-report="$report_id" --format="5057e5cc-b825-11e4-9d0e-28d24461215b" > openvas_report.json
    
    # Send to SIEM
    curl -X POST \
        -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
        -d @openvas_report.json \
        "$siem_endpoint/api/events"
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Service Problems

bash

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status gvmd
sudo systemctl status gsad
sudo systemctl status ospd-openvas

# Restart services
sudo systemctl restart gvmd
sudo systemctl restart gsad
sudo systemctl restart ospd-openvas

# Check logs
sudo journalctl -u gvmd -f
sudo journalctl -u gsad -f
sudo journalctl -u ospd-openvas -f

# Check GVM logs
sudo tail -f /var/log/gvm/gvmd.log
sudo tail -f /var/log/gvm/gsad.log
sudo tail -f /var/log/gvm/openvas.log

Feed Update Issues

bash

# Check feed sync status
sudo gvm-check-setup

# Manual feed update
sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type GVMD_DATA
sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type SCAP
sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type CERT

# Fix feed permissions
sudo chown -R gvm:gvm /var/lib/gvm/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/lib/gvm/

# Check disk space
df -h /var/lib/gvm/

Database Issues

bash

# Check PostgreSQL status
sudo systemctl status postgresql

# Connect to GVM database
sudo -u postgres psql gvmd

# Rebuild database
sudo gvmd --rebuild

# Check database integrity
sudo gvmd --check-db

Scanner Issues

bash

# Check scanner connectivity
sudo gvmd --verify-scanner="scanner-uuid"

# Restart OpenVAS scanner
sudo systemctl restart ospd-openvas

# Check scanner socket
sudo ls -la /var/run/ospd/

# Test scanner manually
sudo ospd-openvas --help

Performance Optimization

bash

# Increase scanner processes
sudo nano /etc/gvm/ospd-openvas.conf
# Set max_scans = 10
# Set max_checks = 5

# Optimize PostgreSQL
sudo nano /etc/postgresql/*/main/postgresql.conf
# shared_buffers = 256MB
# effective_cache_size = 1GB
# work_mem = 4MB

# Restart services
sudo systemctl restart postgresql
sudo systemctl restart gvmd
sudo systemctl restart ospd-openvas

Resources

This cheat sheet provides a comprehensive reference for using OpenVAS for vulnerability assessment and management. Always ensure you have proper authorization before using this tool in any environment.

OpenVAS Cheat Sheet ​

Overview ​

Installation ​

Docker Installation (Recommended) ​

Ubuntu/Debian Installation ​

Manual Installation ​

Kali Linux Installation ​

Initial Configuration ​

First-Time Setup ​

Web Interface Access ​

Feed Updates ​

Basic Scanning ​

Creating Targets ​

Creating Scan Configurations ​

Running Scans ​

Advanced Scanning ​

Authenticated Scanning ​

Custom Port Lists ​

Scan Scheduling ​

Reporting and Analysis ​

Report Generation ​

Report Filtering ​

Delta Reports ​

Automation Scripts ​

Automated Scanning Script ​

Vulnerability Tracking Script ​

Compliance Scanning Script ​

Integration with Other Tools ​

Nmap Integration ​

Metasploit Integration ​

SIEM Integration ​

Troubleshooting ​

Common Issues ​

Service Problems ​

Feed Update Issues ​

Database Issues ​

Scanner Issues ​

Performance Optimization ​

Resources ​

OpenVAS Cheat Sheet

Overview

Installation

Docker Installation (Recommended)

Ubuntu/Debian Installation

Manual Installation

Kali Linux Installation

Initial Configuration

First-Time Setup

Web Interface Access

Feed Updates

Basic Scanning

Creating Targets

Creating Scan Configurations

Running Scans

Advanced Scanning

Authenticated Scanning

Custom Port Lists

Scan Scheduling

Reporting and Analysis

Report Generation

Report Filtering

Delta Reports

Automation Scripts

Automated Scanning Script

Vulnerability Tracking Script

Compliance Scanning Script

Integration with Other Tools

Nmap Integration

Metasploit Integration

SIEM Integration

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Service Problems

Feed Update Issues

Database Issues

Scanner Issues

Performance Optimization

Resources