Install and use Greenbone Vulnerability Manager with the Kali Linux distribution

Install GVM

Install

• Install necesserary paquages :

kali@kali:~$ sudo apt install gvm postgresql nsis

• Run setup script :
  • Which will :
    • Start services and create PostgreSQL database
    • Create GVM certificate files
    • Apply needed permissions
    • Update vulnerabilities databases
    • Create and set admin account

kali@kali:~$ sudo gvm-setup

[…]
[*] Please note the password for the admin user
[*] User created with password 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx'.

[>] You can now run gvm-check-setup to make sure everything is correctly configured

• Start gvmd and gsad services :

kali@kali:~$ sudo systemctl start gvmd.service && sudo systemctl start gsad.service

• Run check script :

kali@kali:~$ sudo gvm-check-setup

• Check gvmd service is running :

kali@kali:~$ sudo systemctl status gvmd.service

• Check WebUI is waiting for a connection :

kali@kali:~$ sudo ss -ltn4p
State         Recv-Q        Send-Q                Local Address:Port                 Peer Address:Port        Process                                                          
LISTEN        0             4096                         127.0.0.1:9392                       0.0.0.0:*            users:(("gsad",pid=2243,fd=10))

• Add default admin user the right to create tasks :

kali@kali:~$ sudo gvmd --modify-setting 78eceaec-3385-11ea-b237-28d24461215b --value admin

• Now you should be able to connect to the https://127.0.0.1:9392 address with admin login :

Change listening interface (Optional)

In its default configuration Greenbone Security Assistant (GSA) (WebUI) is only reachable through local address (127.0.0.1). To be able to connect to the WebUI interface from others hosts we need to modify systemctl configuration.

• Edit /usr/lib/systemd/system/gvmd.service

[Unit]
Description=Greenbone Vulnerability Manager daemon (gvmd)
After=network.target networking.service postgresql.service ospd-openvas.service
Wants=postgresql.service ospd-openvas.service
Documentation=man:gvmd(8)
ConditionKernelCommandLine=!recovery

[Service]
Type=forking
User=_gvm
Group=_gvm
PIDFile=/run/gvmd/gvmd.pid
RuntimeDirectory=gvmd
RuntimeDirectoryMode=2775
#ExecStart=/usr/sbin/gvmd --osp-vt-update=/run/ospd/ospd.sock --listen-group=_gvm
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/gvmd --osp-vt-update=/run/ospd/ospd.sock -a 0.0.0.0
Restart=always
TimeoutStopSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

• Edit /usr/lib/systemd/system/gsad.service

[Unit]
Description=Greenbone Security Assistant daemon (gsad)
Documentation=man:gsad(8) https://www.greenbone.net
After=network.target gvmd.service
Wants=gvmd.service

[Service]
Type=forking
User=_gvm
Group=_gvm
RuntimeDirectory=gsad
RuntimeDirectoryMode=2775
PIDFile=/run/gsad/gsad.pid
#ExecStart=/usr/sbin/gsad --listen 127.0.0.1 --port 9392
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/gsad --mlisten=KALI_IP_ADDRESS --listen 0.0.0.0 --port 9392
Restart=always
TimeoutStopSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Alias=greenbone-security-assistant.service

kali@kali:~$ sudo systemctl daemon-reload

kali@kali:~$ sudo systemctl restart gvmd.service

kali@kali:~$ sudo systemctl restart gsad.service

Useful commands

• Update Network Vulnerability Tests :

kali@kali:~$ sudo -u _gvm greenbone-nvt-sync

• Keeping the feeds up-to-date :

kali@kali:~$ sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type CERT
kali@kali:~$ sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type SCAP
kali@kali:~$ sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type GVMD_DATA

• Create an gvadmin user :

kali@kali:~$ sudo runuser -u _gvm -- gvmd --create-user=gvadmin --password=stPassw0rd --disable-password-policy

• Get UUIDs of all created users :

kali@kali:~$ sudo runuser -u _gvm -- gvmd --get-users

• Change user password :

kali@kali:~$ sudo runuser -u _gvm -- gvmd --user=gvadmin --new-password=gvadmin

Using GVM

We will see here how to perform our first vulnerability scan of a predetermined host.

Create target

• Go to Targets :

• Click New Target link :

• Define the Target to scan by setting the ip address and giving it a Name :

Create task

• Open Tasks :

• Click New Task icon :

• Define the New Task by setting the Name, associate the Target and by checking Schedule Once :

• Click Play button to Start the task :

• After some minutes the task end, click to the Last Report link to access scan vulnerabilities report :

• You will have a complete report :