sysechk alternatives

Looking for an alternative tool to replace sysechk? During the review of sysechk we looked at other open source tools. Based on their category, tags, and text, these are the ones that have the best match.

Top 3

  1. OpenSCAP (suite with tools and security data)
  2. Cloud Security Suite (cloud security toolkit)
  3. Lynis (security scanner and compliance auditing tool)

These tools are ranked as the best alternatives to sysechk.

Alternatives (by score)

88

OpenSCAP

Introduction

The OpenSCAP project provides a wide variety of hardening guides, configuration baselines, and tools to test for vulnerabilities and configuration issues. It uses SCAP as the protocol to store the underlying data.

Project details

OpenSCAP is written in C.

Strengths and weaknesses

  • + More than 25 contributors
  • + The source code of this software is available
  • + Supported by a large company

    Typical usage

    • Security assessment
    • Vulnerability scanning

    OpenSCAP review

    68

    Cloud Security Suite (CS Suite)

    Introduction

    Cloud Security Suite (CS Suite) is a security toolkit that allows scanning Amazon, Google, and Azure cloud platforms. It leverages tools like Lynis, Prowler, and Scout2 to collect all information. The promise of the tool is to simplify the installation of the tools, their configuration, and the data collection.

    Project details

    Cloud Security Suite is written in Python.

    Strengths and weaknesses

    • + The source code of this software is available
    • - No releases on GitHub available

    Typical usage

    • IT audit
    • Configuration audit
    • Penetration testing
    • System hardening

    Cloud Security Suite review

    100

    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

      Lynis review

      70

      YASAT

      Introduction

      The YASAT tool performs a system scan to detect configuration issues and possible improvements for hardening the system. Typically you would use this on new and existing systems.

      Project details

      YASAT is written in shell script.

      Strengths and weaknesses

      • + Used language is shell script
      • - No updates for a while

      Typical usage

      • IT audit
      • Configuration audit
      • Security assessment

      YASAT review

      60

      orthrus

      Introduction

      Orthrus is a security framework and auditing tool. It allows monitoring and analyzing security configurations across multiple environments.

      Project details

      orthrus is written in Golang.

      Strengths and weaknesses

      • + The source code of this software is available
      • - Project is in early phase and may be unstable

      Typical usage

      • Security assessment
      • Self-assessment
      • System hardening
      • Vulnerability scanning

      orthrus review

      60

      otseca

      Introduction

      Tools like otseca help with data collection. This could be useful for system administrators to collect data on a regular interval. This data then can be compared with a future data capture. Another possibility is to use it during pentesting. In that case one should have already obtained root access, as the tool requires this as well.

      Project details

      otseca is written in shell script.

      Strengths and weaknesses

      • + The source code is easy to read and understand
      • + Tool is modular and extendable
      • + The source code of this software is available

        Typical usage

        • Configuration audit
        • Penetration testing
        • Security assessment

        otseca review

        64

        Zeus

        Introduction

        Zeus is a tool to perform a quick security scan of an AWS environment. It helps to find missing security controls, so additional system hardening measures can be applied to systems.

        Project details

        Zeus is written in shell script.

        Strengths and weaknesses

        • + Used language is shell script
        • + The source code of this software is available
        • - No releases on GitHub available

        Typical usage

        • Configuration audit
        • Security assessment
        • Self-assessment
        • System hardening

        Zeus review

        52

        Nix Auditor

        Introduction

        This fairly new tool is written in shell script to scan Linux systems with the focus on security auditing.

        Project details

        Nix Auditor is written in shell script.

        Strengths and weaknesses

        • + Used language is shell script
        • - Full name of author is unknown
        • - Unknown project license

        Nix Auditor review

        64

        LUNAR

        Introduction

        LUNAR is short for Lockdown UNix Auditing and Reporting and runs on the system itself.

        Project details

        LUNAR is written in shell script.

        Strengths and weaknesses

        • + The source code of this software is available

          Typical usage

          • Security assessment
          • Self-assessment
          • System hardening

          LUNAR review

          85

          Prowler

          Introduction

          Prowler is a security tool to check systems on AWS against the related CIS benchmark. This benchmark provides a set of best practices for AWS. The primary usage for this tool is system hardening and compliance checking.

          Project details

          Prowler is written in shell script.

          Strengths and weaknesses

          • + More than 25 contributors
          • + More than 500 GitHub stars
          • + The source code of this software is available

            Typical usage

            • Compliance testing
            • Security assessment
            • System hardening

            Prowler review

            97

            CloudSploit scans

            Introduction

            CloudSploit scans is an open source software project to test security risks related to an AWS account. It runs tests against your Amazon account and aims to discover any potential misconfigured setting or other risks.

            Project details

            CloudSploit scans is written in Node.js.

            Strengths and weaknesses

            • + More than 10 contributors
            • + More than 500 GitHub stars
            • + The source code of this software is available
            • - No releases on GitHub available

            Typical usage

            • IT audit
            • Configuration audit
            • Security assessment

            CloudSploit scans review

            85

            Kube-Bench

            Introduction

            Tools like Kube-Bench help with quickly checking configuration weaknesses or discovering bad defaults.

            Project details

            Kube-Bench is written in Golang.

            Strengths and weaknesses

            • + The source code of this software is available

              Kube-Bench review

              60

              SSHsec

              Introduction

              SSHsec scans a system running the SSH protocol and retrieves its configuration, host keys, and Diffie-Hellman groups.

              Project details

              SSHsec is written in Python.

              Strengths and weaknesses

              • + The source code of this software is available

                Typical usage

                • Information gathering
                • Penetration testing
                • Security assessment

                SSHsec review

                60

                VHostScan

                Introduction

                Tools like VHostScan are powerful to perform reconnaissance and discover configuration defaults. This can be useful during penetration tests or security testing, to see if a system has been stripped from default pages. If not, this tool might discover them and provide valuable information about the system.

                Project details

                VHostScan is written in Python.

                Strengths and weaknesses

                • + The source code of this software is available

                  Typical usage

                  • Penetration testing
                  • Reconnaissance

                  VHostScan review

                  60

                  iniscan

                  Introduction

                  Iniscan scans a given php.ini file and tests it against security best practices. It reports back the results by showing a Pass or Fail for each related test. As it is a command-line utility, it can be used in automated testing.

                  Project details

                  iniscan is written in PHP.

                  Strengths and weaknesses

                  • + More than 25 contributors
                  • + More than 1000 GitHub stars
                  • + The source code of this software is available

                    Typical usage

                    • Configuration audit
                    • Security assessment

                    iniscan review

                    74

                    testssl.sh

                    Introduction

                    Key features of testssl.sh include:

                    • Clear output: you can tell easily whether anything is good or bad
                    • Ease of installation: It works for Linux, Darwin, FreeBSD, NetBSD and MSYS2/Cygwin out of the box: no need to install or configure something, no gems, CPAN, pip or the like.
                    • Flexibility: You can test any SSL/TLS enabled and STARTTLS service, not only webservers at port 443
                    • Toolbox: Several command line options help you to run YOUR test and configure YOUR output
                    • Reliability: features are tested thoroughly
                    • Verbosity: If a particular check cannot be performed because of a missing capability on your client side, you'll get a warning
                    • Privacy: It's only you who sees the result, not a third party
                    • Freedom: It's 100% open source. You can look at the code, see what's going on and you can change it.

                    Project details

                    testssl.sh is written in shell script.

                    Strengths and weaknesses

                    • + Used language is shell script
                    • + The source code of this software is available

                      Typical usage

                      • Application testing
                      • Configuration audit

                      testssl.sh review

                      60

                      Scout2

                      Introduction

                      Scout2 is a security tool to assess the security of an AWS environment. It can be used for system hardening and IT audits.

                      Project details

                      Scout2 is written in Python.

                      Strengths and weaknesses

                      • + More than 10 contributors
                      • + More than 500 GitHub stars

                        Typical usage

                        • IT audit
                        • Security assessment
                        • Self-assessment
                        • System hardening

                        Scout2 review

                        64

                        JShielder

                        Introduction

                        JShielder is a security tool for Linux systems to make them more secure by adding system hardening measures.

                        Project details

                        JShielder is written in Python, shell script.

                        Strengths and weaknesses

                        • + Used language is shell script
                        • + The source code of this software is available

                          Typical usage

                          • System hardening

                          JShielder review

                          64

                          seccheck

                          Introduction

                          Seccheck is a security scanner for Linux systems. It is originally written for SuSE Linux by Marc Heuse.

                          Project details

                          seccheck is written in shell script.

                          Strengths and weaknesses

                          • + The source code of this software is available
                          • - Project looks outdated (old code or documentation)

                          Typical usage

                          • Security assessment
                          • System hardening

                          seccheck review

                          63

                          360-FAAR

                          Introduction

                          360-FAAR is a tool written in Perl to parse policies and logs from firewalls. It can compare firewall policies and translate between a policy and log data. Supported firewalls include Checkpoint FW1, Cisco ASA, and Netscreen ScreenOS.

                          Project details

                          360-FAAR is written in Perl.

                          Strengths and weaknesses

                          • + Project is mature (5+ years)
                          • + The source code of this software is available

                            Typical usage

                            • Firewall auditing
                            • Log analysis
                            • Security assessment
                            • Security reviews

                            360-FAAR review

                            100

                            Faraday

                            Introduction

                            Faraday helps teams to collaborate when working on penetration tests or vulnerability management. It stores related security information in one place, which can be easily tracked and tested by other colleagues.

                            Project details

                            Faraday is written in Python.

                            Strengths and weaknesses

                            • + Commercial support available
                            • + More than 1000 GitHub stars
                            • + The source code of this software is available

                              Typical usage

                              • Collaboration
                              • Penetration testing
                              • Security assessment
                              • Vulnerability scanning

                              Faraday review

                              74

                              WordPress Exploit Framework (WPXF)

                              Introduction

                              WordPress is still one of the most popular frameworks for websites. A variety of open source tools exist to assess the security of this content management system, and its themes and plugins.

                              Project details

                              WordPress Exploit Framework is written in Ruby.

                              Strengths and weaknesses

                              • + More than 500 GitHub stars
                              • + The source code of this software is available
                              • - Has longer learning curve

                              Typical usage

                              • Penetration testing
                              • Security assessment
                              • Vulnerability scanning
                              • Web application analysis

                              WordPress Exploit Framework review

                              Some relevant tool missing as an alternative to sysechk? Please contact us with your suggestion.