How to Use Nessus in Kali Linux

Nessus is a powerful vulnerability scanner and penetration testing tool that provides detailed information about potential security vulnerabilities on a network or system. In this article, we will discuss how to use Nessus in Kali Linux to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.

First, it's important to note that Nessus requires a license key to function fully. If you don't have one, you can sign up for a free trial or purchase a commercial license. Once you have your license key, follow these steps:

1. Open a terminal window in Kali Linux.

2. Install the Nessus package using the command: `sudo apt-get install nessus`

3. Start the Nessus service using the command: `sudo systemctl start nessus`

4. Configure Nessus to use your license key by running the command: `sudo /usr/bin/nessus -l `

Once you have configured Nessus, you can begin scanning your network or system for vulnerabilities. You can do this by clicking on the 'Scan' button in the Nessus interface and selecting the type of scan you want to perform (e.g. network scan, host scan, etc.).

Once the scan is complete, Nessus will provide a detailed report of any potential security vulnerabilities it has found. This report will include information such as the vulnerability's name, description, severity level, and recommended remediation steps.

In addition to scanning for vulnerabilities, Nessus also provides tools for exploiting and remediating those vulnerabilities. For example, you can use Nessus to identify SUID permissions on a system and exploit them using privilege escalation exploits.

To do this, you can use the `find` command with the `-perm -u=s` option to search for files with SUID permissions. You can then use the `ls` command with the `-l` option to verify the SUID permissions of each file found.

For example, if you want to find a list of executable files with SUID permissions on your system, you can use the following command:

```

find / -type f -perm -u=s

```

This will return a list of files that have SUID permissions and are executable. You can then use the `ls` command with the `-l` option to verify the SUID permissions of each file found.

For example, if you want to verify the SUID permissions of a file named 'test' in the /usr/bin directory, you can use the following command:

```

ls -l /usr/bin/test

```

This will return information about the file's ownership and permissions, including its SUID permissions.

In conclusion, Nessus is a powerful tool for identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities on a network or system. By using Nessus in Kali Linux, you can gain valuable insights into your system's security posture and take steps to remediate any identified vulnerabilities.

How to use nessus in kali linux