Nessus
🔧 Tool Note — Category: Vulnerability Scanner | Free Essentials Edition
📌 Quick Overview
What is it? Automated vulnerability scanner that checks systems against a comprehensive database of known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
Official Website: https://www.tenable.com/products/nessus License: Nessus Essentials (Free, 16 IPs) / Professional (paid) Used in: EHPT
🎯 What Problem Does It Solve?
- Automatically discover known vulnerabilities across systems
- Assign CVSS scores and severity ratings
- Generate comprehensive vulnerability reports
- Identify misconfigurations, default credentials, missing patches
🚀 Key Features
- Scan for thousands of CVEs automatically
- CVSS scoring for prioritisation
- Compliance checks (PCI-DSS, CIS benchmarks)
- Credential-based scanning (deeper results)
- HTML/CSV report generation
Nessus vs Nmap
| Aspect | Nmap | Nessus |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What’s running? | What’s vulnerable? |
| Type | Port scanner | Vulnerability scanner |
| Output | Open ports, services | CVE list with CVSS |
🔗 Related Notes
- Reconnaissance & Scanning
- CVSS Scoring ⚡
- Nmap — Discovery precedes vulnerability scanning