lekevacancer / openvas

OpenVAS Vulnerability Management

Introduction

For this project, I aimed to establish a secure network within Azure and effectively manage vulnerabilities. It involved deploying an OpenVAS Vulnerability Management Scanner VM and creating a purposely vulnerable Windows 10 VM. Vulnerability scans were performed using OpenVAS, and the results were analyzed to understad the impact of different scanning methods. Identified vulnerabilities were remediated, and realistic scenarios were simulated to evaluate the effectiveness of remediation efforts.

Technologies, Regulations, and Azure Components

• Azure
• Virtual Machines ((1) Windows 10 (vulnerable-VM), (1) Linux utilizing OpenVAS)
• WIndows Remote Desktop for Remote Access
• PowerShell(Windows OS) or Terminal(MacOS)

Methodology

• Configuration of a Secure Azure Network:

  • Implemented a secure Azure network environment.
  • Deployed an OpenVAS Vulnerability Management Scanner VM within the network.

• Creation of a Vulnerable Windows 10 VM:

  • Developed a specialized Windows 10 VM with intentionally outdated software and disabled security controls.

• Vulnerability Scanning:

  • Conducted unauthenticated vulnerability scans using OpenVAS.
  • Performed credentialed vulnerability scans to gain enhanced insight.

• Analysis of Scan Results:

  • Analyzed the scan results to identify vulnerabilities.
  • Highlighted the differences between unauthenticated and credentialed scans.

• Vulnerability Remediation:

  • Addressed and remediated the identified vulnerabilities.
  • Validated the effectiveness of the remediation efforts through subsequent scans.

• Simulation of Realistic Vulnerability Remediation Scenarios:

  • Curated a list of remediable vulnerabilities to simulate practical vulnerability remediation scenarios.

Unathenticated Scan of Vulnerable VM

Prior to Implementing Hardening Measures and Security Controls:

At the "BEFORE" stage of the project, the resources were deliberately set up with vulnerable applications. These intentionally insecure applications aimed to allow the scanner to perform an unathenticated scan to identify vulnerablities within the system. The Windows Virtual Machine had its firewall disabled and vulnerable out of date applications such as Adobe, Mozilla Firefox, and VLC playerboth installed.

Unathenticated scans provide an overview of the vulnerabilities that can be identified without accessing the internal compnents of the target system. It helps to identify vulnerabilities that can be detected externally and helps assess the overall security posture of the system from an outsiders perspective. Note, this type of scan cannot uncover vulnerabilities that require authenticated access

In the above image, notice that the out-of-date software does not show up in the report. That is due to the fact that the scanner did not do an authenticated scan, the scan was not able to deep dive into the system and scan all files and registries

Authenticated(credentialed) Scan of Vulnerable VM

For the "BEFORE" metrics, the VM was originally deployed, exposed to the internet with vulnerable software downloaded.

In the "AFTER" stage, I conducted a credentialed scan that took a deep dive into the system to identify any vulnerabilities.

Credentialed scanning is a process of conducting vulnerability scans with authenticated access to the target system by user providing valid credentials such as usernames and passwords to the scanning tool. The scanner can then deep dive into the systems internal components and configurations such as accessing system files, evaluate patch levels, assess user permissions,and discover hidden vulnerabilities allowing for a more thorough assessment of vulnerabilities

Authenticated(credentialed) Re-Scan of Remediated Vulnerabilities

The vulnerabilities were remediated by updating the software.

Conclusion

Through this project, the aim was to gain hands-on experience in vulnerability management by setting up a secure Azure network, conducting vulnerability scans, analyzing results, and successfully remediating identified vulnerabilities. This approach helps in understanding the importance of regular vulnerability assessments and maintaining robust security measures.

Steps for how to conduct this project