How to automate a vulnerability assessment lifecycle in Python

Question

I’m looking to build an automated vulnerability assessment lifecycle using Python to continuously scan, report, and remediate security flaws in my network and applications. I’m specifically interested in:

• Tools or libraries (e.g., nmap, OpenVAS API, Metasploit RPC) that can be integrated.
• Automating vulnerability scanning, parsing reports, and prioritizing risks.
• Implementing a workflow that includes detection, alerting, and remediation suggestions.
  Any guidance on structuring this lifecycle, along with example scripts, would be highly valuable.

Answer 1

Automating a vulnerability assessment lifecycle using Python involves integrating various tools to continuously scan, report, and remediate security flaws in your network and applications. Here's a structured approach to achieve this:

1. Integrating Vulnerability Assessment Tools

Python offers libraries and tools to interface with popular vulnerability scanners:

• Nmap: Utilize the python-nmap library to perform network discovery and port scanning.

  Installation:

  pip install python-nmap

  Usage Example:

  import nmap
  
  # Initialize the Nmap PortScanner
  nm = nmap.PortScanner()
  
  # Scan a target IP for open ports
  nm.scan('192.168.1.1', '22-443')
  
  # Iterate over all hosts
  for host in nm.all_hosts():
      print(f'Host : {host} ({nm[host].hostname()})')
      print(f'State : {nm[host].state()}')
      for proto in nm[host].all_protocols():
          print(f'Protocol : {proto}')
          ports = nm[host][proto].keys()
          for port in ports:
              print(f'Port : {port}\tState : {nm[host][proto][port]["state"]}')
  
  

• OpenVAS: Interact with OpenVAS using the python-gvm library, which allows control over the Greenbone Vulnerability Manager.

  Installation:

  pip install python-gvm

  Usage Example:

  from gvm.connections import TLSConnection
  from gvm.protocols.gmp import Gmp
  from gvm.transforms import EtreeTransform
  
  # Connect to OpenVAS
  connection = TLSConnection(hostname='localhost')
  transform = EtreeTransform()
  
  with Gmp(connection, transform=transform) as gmp:
      gmp.authenticate('admin', 'password')
  
      # Create a new target
      target_id = gmp.create_target(
          name='Target Name',
          hosts=['192.168.1.1']
      ).get('id')
  
      # Create a new task
      task_id = gmp.create_task(
          name='Task Name',
          config_id='daba56c8-73ec-11df-a475-002264764cea',  # Full and fast config
          target_id=target_id
      ).get('id')
  
      # Start the task
      gmp.start_task(task_id)
  
  

• Metasploit: Automate exploitation and post-exploitation tasks using the msfrpc client.

  Installation:

  pip install msfrpc

  Usage Example:

  from metasploit.msfrpc import MsfRpcClient
  
  # Connect to Metasploit
  client = MsfRpcClient('password', server='127.0.0.1', ssl=True)
  
  # Use an exploit
  exploit = client.modules.use('exploit', 'unix/ftp/vsftpd_234_backdoor')
  exploit['RHOSTS'] = '192.168.1.1'
  
  # Set a payload
  payload = client.modules.use('payload', 'cmd/unix/interact')
  exploit.execute(payload=payload)
  
  

2. Automating the Vulnerability Assessment Workflow

Develop a Python script to orchestrate the scanning, reporting, and remediation process:

• Scanning: Schedule regular scans using the integrated tools.

• Parsing Reports: Analyze scan outputs to identify vulnerabilities.

• Prioritizing Risks: Assess the severity and potential impact of identified vulnerabilities.

• Alerting: Notify relevant stakeholders about critical issues.

• Remediation Suggestions: Provide actionable steps to address each vulnerability.

Example Workflow:

import nmap
from gvm.connections import TLSConnection
from gvm.protocols.gmp import Gmp
from gvm.transforms import EtreeTransform
from metasploit.msfrpc import MsfRpcClient

def perform_nmap_scan(target):
    nm = nmap.PortScanner()
    nm.scan(target, '1-65535')
    return nm

def perform_openvas_scan(target):
    connection = TLSConnection(hostname='localhost')
    transform = EtreeTransform()
    with Gmp(connection, transform=transform) as gmp:
        gmp.authenticate('admin', 'password')
        target_id = gmp.create_target(name='Target', hosts=[target]).get('id')
        task_id = gmp.create_task(
            name='Scan Task',
            config_id='daba56c8-73ec-11df-a475-002264764cea',
            target_id=target_id
        ).get('id')
        gmp.start_task(task_id)
        return task_id

def analyze_reports(nmap_report, openvas_task_id):
    # Parse and analyze reports
    pass

def prioritize_vulnerabilities(vulnerabilities):
    # Prioritize based on severity
    pass

def send_alerts(critical_vulnerabilities):
    # Send alerts to stakeholders
    pass

def suggest_remediations(vulnerabilities):
    # Provide remediation steps
    pass

def main():
    target = '192.168.1.1'
    nmap_report = perform_nmap_scan(target)
    openvas_task_id = perform_openvas_scan(target)
    vulnerabilities = analyze_reports(nmap_report, openvas_task_id)
    critical_vulnerabilities = prioritize_vulnerabilities(vulnerabilities)
    send_alerts(critical_vulnerabilities)
    suggest_remediations(vulnerabilities)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

3. Integrating into CI/CD Pipelines

Incorporate the vulnerability assessment script into your CI/CD pipeline to ensure continuous security checks:

• Pre-Deployment Scans: Run the script before deploying new code to production.

• Automated Testing: Integrate with testing frameworks to halt deployments on critical vulnerabilities.

• Reporting: Generate and store reports for compliance and auditing purposes.

CI/CD Integration Example:

In a Jenkins pipeline, you can add a stage to execute the Python script:

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