OpenVAS or Open Vulnerability Assessment System is a Pen-testing framework whose collection of tools allow you to scan and test systems for known vulnerabilities. OpenVAS uses a database containing a collection of known exploits and vulnerabilities.
OpenVAS consists of:
- A database comprised of results and configurations
- A Scanner that runs various Network Vulnerability Tests
- A Collection of Network Vulnerability tests
- A Greenbone Security Assistant, a web interface that allows you to run and manage scans in the browser
In this tutorial, we will cover how to install and configure the OpenVAS tool on Kali Linux.
Installing OpenVAS
Before installing OpenVAS, the first thing we need to do is ensure your system is up to date.
NOTE: Skip this step if you have an updated system:
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Once you have your system up to date, we can install OpenVAS:
Having installed OpenVAS successfully, you will have access to the setup script. Launch it to configure OpenVAS for first-time use:
NOTE: Depending on your system configuration, you may need to install an SQLite database.