Introduction

Vuls is an open-source vulnerability scanner for Linux/Unix systems that helps to identify vulnerabilities from various sources. This guide will show you how to install and use Vuls on Debian 12.

Prerequisites

• A server running Debian 12
• Root access or a user with sudo privileges
• Go installed on your system (optional: for compiling from source)

Step 1: Update the System

Start by updating your package list and upgrading your installed packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Vuls Dependencies

Vuls requires several dependencies to function properly. Install the following packages:

sudo apt install -y git curl make gcc build-essential

Step 3: Install Go Language (if not already installed)

Vuls is developed in Go. If Go is not installed, follow these instructions:

sudo apt install -y golang

Step 4: Install Vuls

You can install Vuls directly from GitHub using the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/future-architect/vuls.git
cd vuls
go build -o vuls main.go

You can move the compiled binary to a directory in your PATH, such as /usr/local/bin:

sudo mv vuls /usr/local/bin/

Step 5: Configure Vuls

Create a configuration file for Vuls:

mkdir -p ~/.vuls
nano ~/.vuls/config.toml

Paste the following configuration template into the file (modify according to your environment):

[vuls]
    db_type = "sqlite3"
    report_dir = "/var/log/vuls"
    
    [[targets]]
    name = "example"
    hosts = ["localhost"]

    [[dbs]]
    type = "sqlite3"
    

Save and exit the editor.

Step 6: Run Vuls Scan

To run a scan, use the following command:

vuls scan

This command will scan the specified targets for vulnerabilities.

Step 7: View Scan Results

The scan results will be saved in the directory you specified in the configuration file (default: /var/log/vuls). You can view the results with:

cat /var/log/vuls/vuls_report.md

Step 8: Automate Scans (Optional)

If you want to automate the scanning process, you can create a cron job. Open the crontab editor:

sudo crontab -e

Then add a line to run Vuls daily at midnight:

0 0 * * * /usr/local/bin/vuls scan

Save and exit the editor.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured the Vuls vulnerability scanner on Debian 12. Regularly scan your systems to ensure they are secure against known vulnerabilities.

Resources

• Vuls GitHub Repository
• Vuls Documentation