Vulnerability Management Lab

Project

Vulnerability Management Lab using Nessus on Kali Linux

Objective

In this project, I performed comprehensive vulnerability assessments within a controlled lab environment using Tenable Nessus Essentials on Kali Linux. I simulated scenarios by scanning a Windows 10 virtual machine with intentionally introduced vulnerabilities. This hands-on approach allowed me to develop and demonstrate practical skills in identifying, analyzing, and reporting security vulnerabilities in networked systems.

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Skills Learned

• ✅Tool Deployment and Configuration (Linux Environment)
• ✅Nessus configuration
• ✅Vulnerability Scanning (Non-credentialed & Credentialed)
• ✅Interpreting CVSS scores & remediation strategies
• ✅Report Generation and Analysis

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Tools and Purpose

Tool	Purpose
Kali Linux	Platform to install and run Nessus
Nessus Essentials	Vulnerability scanner for identifying security issues
VMware Workstation	Virtual lab environment
Target VM (Windows 10)	Windows 10 system with intentionally vulnerable software for assessment

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Steps Performed

Step 1: Install and Launch Nessus

• Downloaded and installed Nessus Essentials on Kali Linux.
• Accessed the Nessus web interface via:
  https://KALI:8834/

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Step 2: Initial Network Scan (Ping Scan)

• Performed a ping scan to discover active hosts within the local subnet.

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Step 3: Basic Network Scan

• Identified open ports, services, and potential vulnerabilities.

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• Performed a basic network scan targeting the Windows 10 VM.

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• Reviewed findings and recommended remediation steps.

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Step 4: Configure Nessus for Credentialed Scan

• Created a new scan profile with password authentication.
• Entered local Windows user credentials for deeper inspection.

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Step 5: Optimized Windows 10 for Deep Scanning

• Changed Remote Registry startup type to Automatic.
• Created new registry default values.
• Enabled Local Account Token Filter Policy to allow non-admin credential access for remote procedures.

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Step 6: Simulated Vulnerabilities

• Installed outdated and vulnerable software (Mozilla Firefox, Teamviewer, uTorrent ) on Windows 10 to generate more realistic results.

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Step 7: Credentialed Vulnerability Scan

• Launched the credentialed scan.
• Nessus detected 54 vulnerabilities, include CVSS Score and VPR categorized as Critical, High, Medium and Low severity.

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Step 8: CVE Research

• Investigated detected CVEs via NIST NVD.
• Learned the nature of vulnerabilities, impacted systems, and possible exploits.

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Step 9: Review Remediation Solutions

• Analyzed Nessus recommendations for patching and mitigation.

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Step 10: Report Generation

• Exported a report summarizing all findings and security issues detected on the Windows 10 VM.

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