Zeus alternatives

Looking for an alternative tool to replace Zeus? During the review of Zeus 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. Prowler (AWS benchmark tool)
  2. Lynis (security scanner and compliance auditing tool)
  3. OpenSCAP (suite with tools and security data)

These tools are ranked as the best alternatives to Zeus.

Alternatives (by score)

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

    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

      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

        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

          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

            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

            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

              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

              sysechk (System Security Checker)

              Introduction

              System Security Checker, or sysechk, is a tool to perform a system audit against a set of best practices. It uses a modular approach to test the system.

              Project details

              sysechk is written in shell script.

              Strengths and weaknesses

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

                Typical usage

                • IT audit
                • System hardening

                sysechk 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

                64

                AWSBucketDump

                Introduction

                AWSBucketDump is a security tool to find interesting files in AWS S3 buckets that are part of Amazon cloud services. These storage containers may have interesting files, which a tool like AWSBucketDump can discover.

                Project details

                AWSBucketDump is written in Python.

                Strengths and weaknesses

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

                Typical usage

                • Configuration audit
                • Discovery of sensitive information
                • Security assessment

                AWSBucketDump review

                64

                BuQuikker

                Introduction

                BuQuikker is a security tool to scan the Amazon S3 storage service. Its goal is to find open and unprotected S3 buckets.

                Project details

                BuQuikker is written in Python.

                Strengths and weaknesses

                • + The source code of this software is available

                  Typical usage

                  • Data leak detection
                  • Security assessment

                  BuQuikker review

                  74

                  Bucket Finder

                  Introduction

                  The Bucket Finder tool can be a helpful tool during penetration testing and security assessments. It helps with the discovery of S3 buckets on the Amazon AWS cloud.

                  Project details

                  Bucket Finder is written in Ruby.

                  Strengths and weaknesses

                  • + The source code of this software is available
                  • - No updates for a while

                  Typical usage

                  • Data leak detection
                  • Penetration testing
                  • Security assessment

                  Bucket Finder review

                  85

                  S3Scanner

                  Introduction

                  The aptly named S3Scanner is to be used to detect AWS S3 buckets. Discovered buckets are displayed, together with the related objects in the bucket.

                  Project details

                  S3Scanner is written in Python.

                  Strengths and weaknesses

                  • + The source code of this software is available

                    Typical usage

                    • Information gathering
                    • Information leak detection
                    • Penetration testing
                    • Storage security testing

                    S3Scanner review

                    60

                    Security Monkey

                    Introduction

                    Security Monkey provides a single user interface to browse and search through all of your services and accounts.

                    Project details

                    Security Monkey is written in Python.

                    Strengths and weaknesses

                    • + More than 50 contributors
                    • + More than 1000 GitHub stars
                    • + The source code of this software is available
                    • + Supported by a large company

                      Typical usage

                      • Security monitoring

                      Security Monkey review

                      64

                      Teh S3 Bucketeers

                      Introduction

                      Tools like Teh S3 Bucketeers are valuable for doing reconnaissance and information gathering. They may be used during penetration tests and security assessments. The primary goal of these tools is to find S3 buckets that may lead to sensitive data stored on Amazon's storage service.

                      Project details

                      Teh S3 Bucketeers is written in shell script.

                      Strengths and weaknesses

                      • + The source code is easy to read and understand
                      • + Used language is shell script
                      • + The source code of this software is available
                      • - No releases on GitHub available

                      Typical usage

                      • Penetration testing
                      • Security assessment
                      • Storage security testing

                      Teh S3 Bucketeers review

                      56

                      inSp3ctor

                      Introduction

                      Like other S3 bucket scanners, inSp3ctor helps to find valid storage buckets on Amazon's AWS platform. This can be useful for security assignments like penetration testing or see what information is available about a company. Another option is using it to see if any private data is leaking.

                      Project details

                      inSp3ctor is written in Python.

                      Strengths and weaknesses

                      • + The source code is easy to read and understand
                      • + Very low number of dependencies
                      • + The source code of this software is available
                      • - No releases on GitHub available

                      Typical usage

                      • Penetration testing
                      • Security assessment
                      • Storage security testing

                      inSp3ctor review

                      60

                      s3-fuzzer

                      Introduction

                      This fuzzing tool helps with discovering sensitive data in Amazon S3 buckets. S3 buckets are storage containers and may reveal data to unauthorized individuals. This tools helps with the discovery process.

                      Project details

                      s3-fuzzer is written in Golang.

                      Strengths and weaknesses

                      • + The source code of this software is available

                        Typical usage

                        • Configuration audit
                        • Discovery of sensitive information
                        • Security assessment

                        s3-fuzzer 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

                                  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

                                  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

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