OpenVAS alternatives
Looking for an alternative tool to replace OpenVAS? During the review of OpenVAS we looked at other open source tools. Based on their category, tags, and text, these are the ones that have the best match.
Alternatives (by score)
Vuls
Introduction
Vuls is a vulnerability scanner for Linux and FreeBSD. It is written in Go, agentless, and can use a remote login to find any software vulnerabilities. It has multiple levels of scanning, from a fast scan up to a deep scan with extensive analysis.Project details
Vuls is written in Golang.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + More than 50 contributors
- + More than 5000 GitHub stars
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- System hardening
- Vulnerability scanning
Archery
Introduction
Archery is a tool that helps to collect data about vulnerabilities within an environment. Instead of focusing on the actual scanning, it allows managing findings in a web-based interface. This includes options like reporting, searching, and dashboards. It can interact with other tools, including the well-known vulnerability scanners.
Project details
Archery is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + More than 500 GitHub stars
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Penetration testing
- Vulnerability management
- Vulnerability scanning
- Vulnerability testing
w3af
Introduction
W3af is an open source web application attack and audit framework and helps in scanning for vulnerabilities. The tool comes with both a graphical user interface (GUI) and command line utility. Some of the project files include a copyright line of 2006. That gives a good idea on the maturity of the project, and it is one of the rare tools that is still maintained after so many years.
Project details
w3af is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + Tool is modular and extendable
- + More than 2000 GitHub stars
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Application security
- Application testing
- Penetration testing
- Vulnerability scanning
- Web application analysis
Dagda
Introduction
The main reasons to use Dagda is the detection of vulnerable or malicious components within your containerized environment.
Project details
Dagda is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Malware detection
- Malware scanning
- Vulnerability management
- Vulnerability scanning
Safety
Introduction
When having applications deployed in your environment, not all of those may be installed via a package manager. When your infrastructure grows, it becomes even harder to know which tools are properly patched and which ones are not. For Python applications, this is where Safety comes in that can help scan installed software components via pip. It will also look at any of the dependencies that are installed.
Project details
Safety is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + More than 10 contributors
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Penetration testing
- Security assessment
- Security monitoring
- Vulnerability scanning
VScan
Introduction
Vscan is a security tool to perform vulnerability scanning with Nmap. It leverages NSE scripts to provide some flexibility in terms of vulnerability detection and exploitation.Project details
VScan is written in shell script.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Backdoor detection
- Vulnerability scanning
Intrigue Core
Introduction
Intrigue Core provides a framework to measure the attack surface of an environment. This includes discovering infrastructure and applications, performing security research, and doing vulnerability discovery.
Intrigue also allows enriching available data and perform OSINT research (open source intelligence). The related scans include DNS subdomain brute-forcing, email harvesting, IP geolocation, port scanning, and using public search engines like Censys, Shodan, and Bing.
Project details
Intrigue Core is written in Ruby.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + More than 500 GitHub stars
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- OSINT research
- Asset discovery
- Attack surface measurement
- Intelligence gathering
- Penetration testing
- Security assessment
vulnix
Introduction
Tools like vulnix help with the detection of known weaknesses in packages by leveraging external resources. It can be used as an additional security layer on top of software patch management.
Project details
vulnix is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Vulnerability scanning
VulnWhisperer
Introduction
VulnWhisperer helps with the collection of vulnerability data and its reports. The goal of the tool is to make vulnerability data more actionable. It supports scans and data from products like Nessus, Qualys products, OpenVAS, and Tenable.io.
Project details
VulnWhisperer is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + More than 10 contributors
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Vulnerability management
- Vulnerability scanning
Bash Scanner
Introduction
Bash Scanner is a security tool that does a quick scan to see if there are vulnerable packages. It uses an external service to validate.Project details
Bash Scanner is written in shell script.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + Used language is shell script
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Security assessment
- Security monitoring
vulscan
Introduction
Vulscan is a vulnerability scanner which uses the well-known Nmap tool. By enhancing it with offline data from VulDB, it allows for detecting vulnerabilities. The database itself based on information from multiple sources.Project details
vulscan is written in Lua.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
- - No releases on GitHub available
Typical usage
- Penetration testing
- Security assessment
- Vulnerability scanning
- Vulnerability testing
Lynis
Introduction
Lynis is an open-source security auditing tool that is available since 2007 and created by Michael Boelen. Its primary goal is to evaluate the security defenses of systems running Linux or other flavors of Unix. It provides suggestions to install, configure, or correct any security measures.
Project details
Lynis is written in shell script.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code is easy to read and understand
- + More than 100 contributors
- + More than 8000 GitHub stars
- + Tool is easy to use
- + Available as package (simplified installation)
- + Commercial support available
- + Used language is shell script
- + Very low number of dependencies
- + Project is mature (10+ years)
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- IT audit
- Penetration testing
- Security assessment
- System hardening
- Vulnerability scanning
arch-audit
Introduction
Arch-audit is a small utility that scans the system for known vulnerabilities on Arch Linux. It can be used by users of the Linux distribution to know when to update and what packages have weaknesses. With Arch Linux being a rolling distribution, this may improve the interval or timing of software patching.
Project details
arch-audit is written in Rust.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Software management
- Vulnerability scanning
Nmap
Introduction
Nmap is short for "Network Mapper". It is a free and open source utility for network discovery and security auditing. It was release in September of 1997 by Gordon Lyon, commonly known under his pseudonym "Fyodor".
Project details
Nmap is written in C, C++, Lua, Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + Project is mature (10+ years)
- + The source code of this software is available
- + Well-known author
- + Well-known tool
- - Software usage is restricted (e.g. commercially)
Typical usage
- Network scanning
- Vulnerability scanning
Tulpar
Introduction
Tulpar is a vulnerability scanner that can be used to test new or existing web applications. In the former case, it could be helpful to test a new project before it is deployed into production. This could be done by the developer or a security professional. If some web application is already in production, then it might be a good tool to perform regular testing on known vulnerabilities. In this case, it is typically a pentester or security specialist that does the testing.
Project details
Tulpar is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
- - Minimal or no documentation available
Typical usage
- Application security
- Application testing
- Web application analysis
Vane
Introduction
Vane is a forked project of the now non-free popular WordPress vulnerability scanner WPScan.Project details
Vane is written in Ruby.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + More than 25 contributors
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Application security
- Web application analysis
Whitewidow
Introduction
Whitewidow is a security tool to perform automated SQL vulnerability scans. It can be used during penetration tests or for security assessments.Project details
Whitewidow is written in Ruby.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + More than 500 GitHub stars
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Application security
- Penetration testing
- Vulnerability scanning
BDA (Big Data Audit)
Introduction
BDA is a vulnerability scanner for big data tools like Hadoop and Spark. It searches for configuration weaknesses and reports them. Hadoop and Spark are one of the few applications that encounter a lot of data. So by securing these applications, a big leap can be made as it covers a lot of data.
Project details
BDA is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Application testing
- Vulnerability scanning
- Vulnerability testing
JexBoss
Introduction
JexBoss is a security tool to verify and exploit vulnerabilities in JBoss applications. It can be used for security assignments and pentests.Project details
JexBoss is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
- - No releases on GitHub available
Typical usage
- Application security
- Application testing
- Penetration testing
- Vulnerability scanning
Wapiti
Introduction
Wapiti is typically used to audit web applications.
Project details
Wapiti is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + Project is mature (10+ years)
- + The source code of this software is available
- + Well-known tool
Typical usage
- Application fuzzing
- Vulnerability scanning
- Web application analysis
Yasuo
Introduction
Yasuo is a Ruby script that scans for vulnerable and exploitable third-party web applications. There are many remotely exploitable vulnerabilities for web applications and their front-end components. Yasuo helps to make it easier to scan for the weaknesses like remote code execution (RCE), SQL injections, and file inclusions.
Project details
Yasuo is written in Ruby.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Penetration testing
- Vulnerability scanning
- Web application analysis
flunym0us
Introduction
Flunym0us is a security scanner for WordPress and Moodle installations. The tool tests the security of the installation by performing enumeration attempts.Project details
flunym0us is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Vulnerability scanning
- Web application analysis
vFeed
Introduction
vFeed consists of a database and utilities to store vulnerability data. It uses third-party references and data, which then can be used to see if a software component has a known vulnerability. The data itself is enriched by cross-checking it and store additional details about the vulnerabilities.
The vFeed tooling has an API available with JSON output. It can be used by security researchers and practitioners to validate vulnerabilities and retrieve all available details.
Project details
vFeed is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + Commercial support available
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Security assessment
- Vulnerability scanning
ThreatPinch Lookup
Introduction
ThreatPinch helps to speed up collecting information from common resources like CVE databases or public WHOIS data. As it works from the browser, it is a helpful addition for people who have to perform forensics, security monitoring, or system administration. For example, getting the owner of a domain and IP address becomes almost instant knowledge.
Project details
ThreatPinch Lookup is written in JavaScript.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + Many integration possibilities available
- - Unknown project license
Typical usage
- Information gathering
- Threat hunting
cve-search
Introduction
The primary objective of this software is to avoid doing direct lookups into public CVE databases. This reduces leaking sensitive queries and improves performance.
Project details
cve-search is written in Python.
Strengths and weaknesses
- + More than 10 contributors
- + More than 500 GitHub stars
- + The source code of this software is available
Typical usage
- Password strength testing
- Security assessment
- Vulnerability management
- Vulnerability scanning
Some relevant tool missing as an alternative to OpenVAS? Please contact us with your suggestion.