performing-authenticated-vulnerability-scan

Authenticated (credentialed) vulnerability scanning uses valid system credentials to log into target hosts and perform deep inspection of installed software, patches, configurations, and security sett

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Repository: AgentFlocks/flocks
Letzte Quellaktivität: 5. Mai 2026 um 05:45
Erkannte Sprache von SKILL.md: Englisch
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name	performing-authenticated-vulnerability-scan
description	Authenticated (credentialed) vulnerability scanning uses valid system credentials to log into target hosts and perform deep inspection of installed software, patches, configurations, and security sett
domain	cybersecurity
subdomain	vulnerability-management
tags	["vulnerability-management","cve","authenticated-scanning","credentials","nessus","qualys","risk"]
version	1.0
author	mahipal
license	Apache-2.0
nist_csf	["ID.RA-01","ID.RA-02","ID.IM-02","ID.RA-06"]

Performing Authenticated Vulnerability Scan

Overview

Authenticated (credentialed) vulnerability scanning uses valid system credentials to log into target hosts and perform deep inspection of installed software, patches, configurations, and security settings. Compared to unauthenticated scanning, credentialed scans detect 45-60% more vulnerabilities with significantly fewer false positives because they can directly query installed packages, registry keys, and file system contents.

When to Use

When conducting security assessments that involve performing authenticated vulnerability scan
When following incident response procedures for related security events
When performing scheduled security testing or auditing activities
When validating security controls through hands-on testing

Prerequisites

Vulnerability scanner (Nessus, Qualys, OpenVAS, Rapid7 InsightVM)
Service accounts with appropriate privileges on target systems
Secure credential storage (vault integration preferred)
Network access from scanner to target management ports
Written authorization from system owners

Core Concepts

Why Authenticated Scanning

Unauthenticated scanning can only assess externally visible services and banners, often leading to:

Missed vulnerabilities in locally installed software
Inaccurate version detection from banner changes
Inability to check patch levels, configurations, or local policies
Higher false positive rates due to inference-based detection

Authenticated scanning resolves these by directly querying the target OS.

Credential Types by Platform

Linux/Unix Systems

SSH Key Authentication: RSA/Ed25519 key pairs (recommended)
SSH Username/Password: Fallback for systems without key-based auth
Sudo/Su Elevation: Non-root user with sudo privileges
Certificate-based SSH: X.509 certificates for enterprise environments

Windows Systems

SMB (Windows): Domain or local admin credentials
WMI: Windows Management Instrumentation queries
WinRM: Windows Remote Management (HTTPS preferred)
Kerberos: Domain authentication with service tickets

Network Devices

SNMP v3: USM with authentication and privacy (AES-256)

# Linux: Create scan service account
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash -c "Vulnerability Scanner Service Account" nessus_svc
sudo usermod -aG sudo nessus_svc

# Configure sudo for passwordless specific commands
echo 'nessus_svc ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/dpkg -l, /usr/bin/rpm -qa, \
/bin/cat /etc/shadow, /usr/sbin/dmidecode, /usr/bin/find' | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/nessus_svc

# Generate SSH key pair
sudo -u nessus_svc ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f /home/nessus_svc/.ssh/id_ed25519 -N ""

# Distribute public key to targets
for host in $(cat target_hosts.txt); do
    ssh-copy-id -i /home/nessus_svc/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub nessus_svc@$host
done

# Windows: Create scan service account via PowerShell
New-ADUser -Name "SVC_VulnScan" `
    -SamAccountName "SVC_VulnScan" `
    -UserPrincipalName "SVC_VulnScan@domain.local" `
    -Description "Vulnerability Scanner Service Account" `
    -PasswordNeverExpires $true `
    -CannotChangePassword $true `
    -Enabled $true `
    -AccountPassword (Read-Host -AsSecureString "Enter Password")

# Add to local Administrators group on targets via GPO or:
Add-ADGroupMember -Identity "Domain Admins" -Members "SVC_VulnScan"
# For least privilege, use a dedicated GPO for local admin rights instead

# Enable WinRM on targets
Enable-PSRemoting -Force
Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Service\AllowRemote -Value $true
winrm set winrm/config/service '@{AllowUnencrypted="false"}'

{
  "credentials": {
    "add": {
      "Host": {
        "SSH": [{
          "auth_method": "public key",
          "username": "nessus_svc",
          "private_key": "/path/to/id_ed25519",
          "elevate_privileges_with": "sudo",
          "escalation_account": "root"
        }],
        "Windows": [{
          "auth_method": "Password",
          "username": "DOMAIN\\SVC_VulnScan",
          "password": "stored_in_vault",
          "domain": "domain.local"
        }],
        "SNMPv3": [{
          "username": "nessus_snmpv3",
          "security_level": "authPriv",
          "auth_algorithm": "SHA-256",
          "auth_password": "stored_in_vault",
          "priv_algorithm": "AES-256",
          "priv_password": "stored_in_vault"
        }]
      }
    }
  }
}

# Test SSH connectivity
ssh -i /path/to/key -o ConnectTimeout=10 nessus_svc@target_host "uname -a && sudo dpkg -l | head -5"

# Test WinRM connectivity
python3 -c "
import winrm
s = winrm.Session('target_host', auth=('DOMAIN\\\\SVC_VulnScan', 'password'), transport='ntlm')
r = s.run_cmd('systeminfo')
print(r.std_out.decode())
"

# Test SNMP v3 connectivity
snmpwalk -v3 -u nessus_snmpv3 -l authPriv -a SHA-256 -A authpass -x AES-256 -X privpass target_host sysDescr.0

# Create scan with credentials
curl -k -X POST https://nessus:8834/scans \
  -H "X-Cookie: token=$TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "uuid": "'$TEMPLATE_UUID'",
    "settings": {
      "name": "Authenticated Scan - Production",
      "text_targets": "192.168.1.0/24",
      "launch": "ON_DEMAND"
    },
    "credentials": {
      "add": {
        "Host": {
          "SSH": [{"auth_method": "public key", "username": "nessus_svc", "private_key": "/keys/id_ed25519"}],
          "Windows": [{"auth_method": "Password", "username": "DOMAIN\\SVC_VulnScan", "password": "vault_ref"}]
        }
      }
    }
  }'