OpenVAS Detailed Guide

1. Installation

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install openvas

CentOS/RHEL:

sudo yum install openvas

2. Basic Usage

Start OpenVAS Services:

sudo openvas-start

Access OpenVAS Web Interface:

https://localhost:9392

Default Credentials:

Username: admin

Password: admin

3. Configuration

Update Feed:

sudo greenbone-nvt-sync

sudo greenbone-scapdata-sync

sudo greenbone-certdata-sync

Change Admin Password:

Go to Administration -> Users -> admin -> Change Password

4. Creating a Scan

Create a New Scan:

Go to Scans -> Tasks -> New Task

Configure Scan Settings:

Select Scan Targets, Scan Config, and Start Scan

5. Managing Scan Targets

Add a New Target:

Go to Configuration -> Targets -> New Target

Edit a Target:

Go to Configuration -> Targets -> Select Target -> Edit

6. Scan Configurations

Create a New Scan Config:

Go to Configuration -> Scan Configs -> New Scan Config

Edit a Scan Config:

Go to Configuration -> Scan Configs -> Select Config -> Edit

7. Viewing Scan Results

View Scan Results:

Go to Scans -> Results

Filter Results:

Use filters to narrow down results by severity, host, etc.

8. Reporting

Generate a Report:

Go to Scans -> Results -> Select Task -> Download Report

Customize Report Format:

Select desired format (PDF, CSV, XML, etc.)

9. Advanced Features

Scheduled Scans:

Go to Scans -> Tasks -> Select Task -> Schedule

Alerts and Notifications:

Go to Configuration -> Alerts -> New Alert

10. Troubleshooting

Check OpenVAS Version:

openvasmd --version

Debugging Output:

sudo openvasmd --debug

Verbose Output:

sudo openvasmd --verbose

11. Community and Resources

Official OpenVAS Documentation:
OpenVAS Documentation

OpenVAS Mailing List:
OpenVAS Mailing List

OpenVAS User Guide:
OpenVAS User Guide