CEHv12 Module 05: Vulnerability Analysis

Objective:

The objective of this assignment was to perform comprehensive vulnerability analysis using various tools and databases. The tasks involved researching and identifying vulnerabilities, assessing the severity of vulnerabilities, and scanning target systems for security weaknesses.

Methods and processes used:

Vulnerability Research with CWE, CVE, and NVD:

• Searched the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) list to identify vulnerabilities with specific CWE IDs.
• Used the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) list to find and describe vulnerabilities with particular CVE IDs.
• Searched the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) to find the base score ratings and severity levels according to CVSS versions 2.0 and 3.x.

Vulnerability Assessment Tools:

• OpenVAS: Performed vulnerability analysis on the target machine (10.10.1.22) to identify the number of vulnerabilities.
• Nessus: Conducted vulnerability scans to identify plugin IDs and default ports used by the Nessus tool.
• CGI Scanner Nikto: Scanned web servers and applications for vulnerabilities, identifying specific headers and OSVDB IDs on www.certifiedhacker.com.
• GFI LanGuard: attempted vulnerability scanning on the host machine, focusing on severity levels, but faced challenges in obtaining accurate results.

Tools and Technologies Applied:

• OpenVAS: For comprehensive vulnerability scanning and analysis.
• Nessus: Used for identifying vulnerabilities and their corresponding plugin IDs.
• Nikto CGI Scanner: applied for web server and application vulnerability scanning.
• GFI LanGuard: Utilized for vulnerability assessment, although some tasks were not successfully completed.
• Databases Used: CWE, CVE, NVD for vulnerability research and scoring.

Outcomes and results achieved:

• Successfully identified and documented several vulnerabilities using CWE, CVE, and NVD databases, enhancing understanding of vulnerability scoring systems.
• Completed vulnerability assessments using OpenVAS and Nessus, identifying key security weaknesses and potential threats in the target systems.
• Discovered specific vulnerabilities in web servers and applications using Nikto, demonstrating the importance of thorough web security assessments.
• Encountered challenges with GFI LanGuard in accurately determining the vulnerability levels, highlighting the need for tool-specific expertise.

Challenges and Solutions:

• Challenge: Difficulty in accurately using GFI LanGuard for vulnerability scanning, leading to incomplete results.

• Solution: While the task was not fully completed, this highlighted the importance of gaining further experience with GFI LanGuard to improve future vulnerability assessments.