Agentless Windows System and Network Vulnerability Scanner.
Chapter 2: Review Literature
2.1 Existing system
The literature survey emphasizes that rapid technological advancements have made regular system
and network scanning essential for identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring compliance.
Vulnerability assessment is defined as a proactive strategy to identify system weaknesses, such as
unpatched software or misconfigurations, before they can be exploited by malicious actors. This
process extends beyond simple firewall protection to include middleware and operating systems,
utilizing scanners to evaluate the overall security posture. The review also highlights the importance
of the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) framework, which provides standardized
identifiers for publicly recognized vulnerabilities, facilitating information exchange among security
professionals. Furthermore, the paper discusses network scanning tools like Nmap, which are
crucial for discovering open ports, obsolete services, and network architecture. Finally, the review
covers the integration of threat intelligence, such as querying the National Vulnerability Database
(NVD), to provide real-time insights into potential risks.
2.2 Research Paper
The related works section focuses primarily on two established tools: OpenVAS and Nessus.
OpenVAS is highlighted for its ability to scan servers and IoT devices using Network Vulnerability
Tests (NVTs) to uncover issues like outdated software and insecure ports. It integrates with the CVE
database to document vulnerabilities and provide mitigation strategies. Nessus is presented as a
comprehensive remote scanner that performs over 1200 checks, including network, host, and web
application scanning, to identify malware and misconfigurations. regarding "marks" or scoring, the
paper relies on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). The proposed scanner and the
related tools use these CVSS scores to assess the severity of identified vulnerabilities. In the final
reports generated by the proposed tool, each vulnerability is displayed alongside its specific CVSS
score to help users prioritize remediation efforts based on the severity of the risk.
2.3 Comprehensive analysis
The proposed project represents a significant advancement over existing systems by transitioning
from traditional agent-based methodologies to a more efficient agentless framework. While
established tools like OpenVAS and Nessus often require the persistent installation of software
agents on every target machine—leading to high maintenance overhead, potential performance
degradation, and increased security risks—this project utilizes remote scanning via standard
Windows protocols like WMI and SMB to minimize its operational footprint. Furthermore, whereas
existing solutions frequently operate as fragmented, standalone tools that produce inconsistent data
formats, this project integrates both network and system-level vulnerability detection into a single,
cohesive platform. This integration eliminates the complexity of reconciling disparate reports,
providing a unified security posture through a consolidated PDF dashboard. Ultimately, by offering
an open-source, Python-based alternative, the project addresses the cost barriers and configuration
complexities associated with commercial enterprise scanners, making high-quality security
assessment more accessible and less resource-intensive.
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2.4 Limitations of Existing Systems
The research identifies significant drawbacks in current vulnerability assessment methodologies,
noting that outcomes from various tools often diverge, leading to inconsistent data formats that
complicate result integration. A major limitation cited is the reliance on agent-based approaches,
which mandate software installation on individual machines; this can cause performance
degradation, deployment complexities, and additional security threats on the client devices. When
analyzing specific tools, the paper notes that OpenVAS can be complex to install and resource-
intensive, often struggling with expansive networks or systems with limited capabilities. Similarly,
Nessus is described as resource-heavy, potentially impacting network performance if not scheduled
correctly, and its comprehensive version requires a subscription that may be cost-prohibitive for
smaller organizations. These limitations highlight the need for a unified, agentless solution that
bridges the gap between network and system scanning.