OpenVAS / Greenbone

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Full-featured vulnerability scanner.

Overview

Greenbone Community Edition is the open-source version of the enterprise vulnerability management platform, built on the OpenVAS framework. Originally developed as the Open Vulnerability Assessment System, OpenVAS has evolved into a comprehensive vulnerability scanning solution that provides network vulnerability testing, compliance checking, and security assessment capabilities. The platform combines multiple scanning engines, vulnerability feeds, and reporting tools to deliver enterprise-grade security assessment functionality. This containerized deployment packages the entire Greenbone Community stack including the OpenVAS scanner daemon, Greenbone Vulnerability Manager (GVM), the GSA web interface, and PostgreSQL database into a single unified container. The architecture handles vulnerability feed synchronization, scan orchestration, credential management, and report generation through an integrated web-based management interface. The container automatically manages feed updates from the Greenbone Community Feed, ensuring current vulnerability definitions and security checks. Security professionals, penetration testers, and IT administrators who need comprehensive vulnerability assessment capabilities will find this deployment valuable for both one-time assessments and continuous security monitoring. The containerized approach eliminates the complexity of manually installing and configuring the multiple Greenbone components while maintaining full scanning functionality. Organizations conducting compliance assessments, security audits, or implementing DevSecOps practices can leverage this setup to integrate vulnerability scanning into their security workflows.

Key Features

Network vulnerability scanning with authenticated and unauthenticated assessment modes
Greenbone Community Feed integration with automatic vulnerability signature updates
Web-based Greenbone Security Assistant (GSA) interface for scan management and reporting
Built-in PostgreSQL database for storing scan results, configurations, and vulnerability data
Support for credential-based scanning across Windows, Linux, and network device targets
Compliance scanning capabilities including PCI DSS, NIST, and ISO 27001 frameworks
Flexible scan scheduling with recurring vulnerability assessments and delta reporting
Multi-format report generation including PDF, XML, CSV, and HTML outputs

Common Use Cases

1Regular vulnerability assessments for internal network infrastructure and servers
2Compliance scanning for PCI DSS, HIPAA, and other regulatory requirements
3Penetration testing preparation to identify potential attack vectors before security audits
4DevSecOps integration for vulnerability scanning in CI/CD pipelines and staging environments
5Asset discovery and security posture assessment for newly acquired IT infrastructure
6Continuous monitoring of cloud and hybrid environments for emerging vulnerabilities
7Security baseline validation after system updates, patches, or configuration changes

Prerequisites

Minimum 4GB RAM and 2 CPU cores for small networks, 8GB+ recommended for larger environments
Available port 9392 for web interface access with HTTPS support required
Sufficient disk space for vulnerability feeds and scan data (minimum 20GB recommended)
Network connectivity to target systems for vulnerability scanning operations
Understanding of vulnerability management concepts and network security fundamentals
Time allocation for initial feed synchronization which can take 30-60 minutes on first startup

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  greenbone: 
3    image: greenbone/community-container:stable
4    container_name: greenbone
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    volumes: 
7      - greenbone_data:/var/lib/openvas
8      - greenbone_gvm:/var/lib/gvm
9    ports: 
10      - "9392:9392"
11
12volumes: 
13  greenbone_data: 
14  greenbone_gvm:

.env Template

.env

1# Initial setup takes significant time for feed sync

Usage Notes

1Docs: https://greenbone.github.io/docs/latest/
2Web UI at https://localhost:9392 (self-signed cert)
3Default credentials: admin/admin - change immediately
4Initial feed sync takes 30-60 minutes - check logs for progress
5Create scan targets and tasks from web UI
6Schedule recurring scans for continuous vulnerability monitoring

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  greenbone:
5    image: greenbone/community-container:stable
6    container_name: greenbone
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    volumes:
9      - greenbone_data:/var/lib/openvas
10      - greenbone_gvm:/var/lib/gvm
11    ports:
12      - "9392:9392"
13
14volumes:
15  greenbone_data:
16  greenbone_gvm:
17EOF
18
19# 2. Create the .env file
20cat > .env << 'EOF'
21# Initial setup takes significant time for feed sync
22EOF
23
24# 3. Start the services
25docker compose up -d
26
27# 4. View logs
28docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/openvas/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Feed sync stuck or taking too long: Check container logs and restart if necessary, ensure adequate disk space and network connectivity to Greenbone feeds
Web interface shows certificate warnings: The container uses self-signed certificates by default, add security exception or configure custom certificates
Scans failing with authentication errors: Verify target system credentials are correct and have appropriate permissions for the scan type being performed
High memory usage during large scans: Increase Docker memory limits and consider breaking large networks into smaller scan targets
Database connection errors on startup: Allow more time for PostgreSQL initialization and check container logs for database startup completion
Scanner not detecting services: Ensure target systems allow connections from the scanner IP and firewall rules permit scanning traffic

Community Notes

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Components

greenbone

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