# OpenVAS

## Overview

OpenVAS stands for Open Vulnerability Assessment System and is a network security scanner with associated tools like a graphical user front-end. The core component is a server with a set of network vulnerability tests (NVTs) to detect security problems in remote systems and applications.

## Installation

Currently, OpenVAS is available through the AUR.

Installing it will also provide you with OpenVAS client and libraries.

## Managing users

To be able to use OpenVAS you first need to make an OpenVAS user. There are two types of user authentication methods used in OpenVAS - passwords and ssl certificates.

To add a new user run the following with root privileges:

    # openvas-adduser

This will prompt you to choose one of the two mentioned methods as a mean of authentification.

You can also remove a user using (also with root privileges):

    # openvas-rmuser

You can make a new user certificate using (with root privileges):

    # openvas-mkcert

## Updating

Before running OpenVAS you should fetch new plugins and the newest security checks:

    # openvas-nvt-sync

There is a problem with openvas-nvt-sync updating (this affects the currently available version - 3.0.2-1). To fix it - edit /usr/sbin/openvas-nvt-sync and find the line containing SYNC_TMP_DIR and change it to look like:

    SYNC_TMP_DIR=`mktemp -d openvas-nvt-sync.XXXXXXXXXX -t`

## Running OpenVAS

To use OpenVAS, you first need to start the OpenVAS server:

    # openvassd

To start the OpenVAS client run:

    # OpenVAS-Client &

From OpenVAS-Client you will have to connect to the OpenVAS server using the user you previously created.

## See Also

- OpenVAS Official OpenVAS website.
- OpenVAS Compendium A Publication of the OpenVAS Project.

Categories:

- Networking
- Security