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Vuls is an agentless vulnerability scanner for Linux and FreeBSD systems. It compares installed packages and system information with vulnerability databases, then produces findings without requiring a permanent agent on every server. To scan a Linux host, install Vuls and its vulnerability databases on a scan host, define the target in config.toml, run vuls configtest, choose an appropriate scan mode, and launch vuls scan. Use fast mode for a low-dependency first pass, fast-root when root-level process and update checks matter, and an offline variant when the target cannot reach the internet.
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What Vuls scans and what its results mean
Vuls is designed to identify vulnerable software by matching the packages and system details it discovers on a target against vulnerability data prepared on the scanning side. The project describes it as an “agent-less vulnerability scanner for Linux/FreeBSD, Container, WordPress, Programming language libraries, Network devices.” This guide focuses on Linux servers and the operating modes used for them.
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Prepare the scan host and targets
Install Vuls on a dedicated scan host
Use a Linux machine with enough network access to reach the targets you intend to scan. Install the Vuls release supported by your operating environment, then populate its vulnerability databases before the first scan. Database preparation is performed on the scanning side; a target does not need to download vulnerability data during a normal remote scan.
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Keep the Vuls binary and database update process under change control. Record the release, database update time, and any configuration changes. A result generated with a newer database can contain additional advisories even when the server itself has not changed.
Choose an account and connection method
Remote scans normally use SSH from the scan host to each target. Prefer a dedicated account and key-based authentication. Grant only the privileges and sudo commands required by the scan mode you select. Fast mode is intended for scans that do not need root privilege; fast-root requires root-level access for its deeper checks.
Before scanning production, verify that the account can authenticate, execute the commands Vuls needs, and use sudo without an unexpected interactive password prompt. If your policy does not allow a central scanner to open SSH sessions, use local mode or server mode instead.
Define targets in config.toml
Vuls reads target definitions from a TOML configuration file. The exact path can vary with how you start Vuls, so keep the file in the location expected by your installation or pass the path using the option provided by that release. A minimal remote configuration looks like this:
[servers]
[servers.server1]
host = "203.0.113.20"
port = "22"
user = "vuls-scan"
keyPath = "/home/scanner/.ssh/vuls_scan"
scanMode = ["fast"]
[servers.server2]
host = "server2.internal.example"
port = "22"
user = "vuls-scan"
keyPath = "/home/scanner/.ssh/vuls_scan"
scanMode = ["fast-root"]The names server1 and server2 are labels used by Vuls commands; they do not have to match DNS names. Set host to an address resolvable from the scan host, port to the SSH port, user to the scanning account, and keyPath to the private key readable by the process running Vuls. Set scanMode to the mode appropriate for that target.
For a target without direct internet access, use the offline form of the selected mode, such as the fast or fast-root offline variant supported by your installed release. The scanner still needs vulnerability data; offline means the target does not need to retrieve that data itself.
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Protect this file and the private key. It contains hostnames, connection details, and possibly paths that reveal your infrastructure. Do not commit private keys or unrestricted copies of the configuration to a public repository.
Validate the configuration before scanning
Run the configuration check before every new target or privilege change:
vuls configtestWhen your release or scan mode requires deep checks, use:
vuls configtest --deepA successful check means Vuls can parse the configuration and complete the checks it performs; it does not guarantee that every package database entry is current or that a later scan will finish. Fix reported SSH, privilege, dependency, and sudoers errors before starting a fleet-wide run.
Common configtest failures
- Authentication failure: confirm the user, key path, file permissions, host key policy, and SSH port. Test the same connection from the scan host with the account that will run Vuls.
- Sudo failure: check that the account has the required sudo rule and that the rule does not require a terminal or an interactive password. Do not solve this by granting unrestricted administrative access when a narrower command rule is sufficient.
- Missing dependency: use fast mode when the target-side dependency requirements of deeper modes are not acceptable, or install only the documented dependency for the selected mode.
- Unsupported target information: confirm that the target is a supported Linux distribution and that its package-management commands are available to the scanning account.
- Deep-check error: run
configtest --deepand resolve the additional privilege or command checks before selecting fast-root or deep scanning.
Choose the right Vuls scan mode
| Mode | Privilege and dependencies | Internet requirement on target | Best use | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast | Designed to require no root privilege and no dependencies on the scan target in the documented fast-scan examples. | Use the normal form when the target can meet the mode’s connectivity requirements; use the offline form when it cannot. | Broad first-pass coverage across a fleet with minimal target-side preparation. | Does not provide the deeper root-level process and update-state checks available in fast-root. |
| Fast-root | Runs with root privilege and performs deeper process and update checks. | Use its offline form for an isolated target. | Investigations where running processes affected by updates or runtime state must be checked. | Requires stronger privileges and usually more preparation; validate with deep configuration checks. |
| Deep | The current scan documentation describes deep scan as the same as fast-root for now. | Apply the normal or offline connectivity choice required by the release. | Environments that explicitly select the deep-scan label. | Do not assume the equivalence will remain unchanged across releases; verify the installed release’s behavior. |
| Offline fast or offline fast-root | Uses the privilege and target-side requirements of its base mode. | The target does not need internet access; vulnerability data must already be available to the scanning side. | Isolated networks, restricted production segments, and hosts with no outbound route. | Stale databases on the scan host can make results incomplete even when the scan itself succeeds. |
Start with fast mode when your primary objective is consistent inventory and vulnerability coverage with the fewest permissions. Select fast-root when a security decision depends on process-level exposure or whether an update has taken effect in running software. Use offline variants only after arranging a controlled way to update the scanning-side databases.
Run a remote SSH scan
After configtest passes, scan one named target first:
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vuls scan server1When the result is as expected, scan every target in the configuration:
vuls scanKeep result and log files in predictable, access-controlled directories. Vuls supports options for both locations:
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vuls scan server1 -results-dir /var/lib/vuls/results -log-dir /var/log/vulsUse separate directories or run identifiers when testing configuration changes. Do not overwrite the only copy of a previous result; the database version and scan time are necessary for meaningful comparisons.
What happens during a remote scan
- Vuls reads the target label and connection details from
config.toml. - The scan host opens an SSH session to the target.
- Vuls collects operating-system, package, and (for the appropriate mode) process or update information.
- The scan host matches that information against its prepared vulnerability databases.
- Results and execution logs are written to the configured directories for later reporting.
Documented command defaults include a general processing timeout of 300 seconds and a timeout of 7,200 seconds when scanning all configured servers. Treat these as defaults rather than guarantees: slow disks, package-manager behavior, network latency, and fleet size can require different operational limits in your installed release.
Use local mode when the scanner should run on each server
Vuls has three documented scan methods: remote scan mode, local scan mode, and server mode. In local mode, Vuls executes on the target itself instead of having one central machine fan out over SSH. This avoids central SSH access and can fit networks where inbound administration is blocked.
Install the required Vuls components and vulnerability data on each host, or provide the data through the controlled distribution process used by your organization. Run the local scan with that host’s configuration and preserve its output in the same results-management system as remote scans. The trade-off is operational: every host now needs a maintained executable, configuration, permissions, and database-update workflow.
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Use server mode for HTTP submission patterns
Server mode starts an HTTP listener that accepts host information or scan results. The documentation’s default listener is localhost:5515. A typical setup starts the listener and writes submitted results to local files:
vuls server -listen localhost:5515 -to-localfileA host or scanning process can then submit results over HTTP with:
vuls report -to-httpServer mode is useful when targets can make an outbound HTTP connection to an internal service but cannot accept SSH from a central scanner. Vuls documentation summarizes this pattern as “No SSH needed, No Scanner needed. Only issuing Linux commands directly on the scan target server.” In practice, the target still needs a controlled execution path for the commands and a way to reach the protected listener.
Do not expose the listener directly to the public internet. It receives host and package information, so restrict it with network controls, bind it to an internal address where appropriate, and place authentication or a protected reverse proxy in front of it if your deployment requires that. Confirm the exact server and report flags against the installed release before automating them.
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Offline scanning separates vulnerability-data retrieval from target inspection. Update and verify the databases on a connected, controlled scan system, then use the offline fast or offline fast-root variant for the isolated host. The target must still be reachable through the chosen transport: SSH for remote mode, local execution for local mode, or the permitted HTTP path for server mode.
- Update the vulnerability databases on the connected scanning side.
- Record the database version or update timestamp.
- Transfer the approved database state through your existing secure media or repository process.
- Run the offline scan against the target.
- Store the result with the database and Vuls release metadata.
An offline scan can be technically successful while being analytically stale. Set a maximum acceptable database age and flag results that exceed it during review.
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Read, preserve, and report the results
Vuls writes scan artifacts beneath the results directory and execution details beneath the log directory. Review the output with the reporting commands provided by your installed Vuls release, then retain the original result rather than only an exported summary. The original artifact helps you distinguish a package change from a database change or a scan-mode change.
Interpret a finding
- Confirm the target label and scan timestamp.
- Check the detected distribution, package name, installed version, and architecture shown by the report.
- Identify the vulnerability record matched by the database and note whether a fixed version is available for that distribution.
- Check whether the selected mode included process or update-state checks; a fast result should not be interpreted as a fast-root result.
- Verify the finding against the server’s patch and restart records before assigning remediation ownership.
Make scans repeatable
Keep the config.toml revision, Vuls binary version, vulnerability-database snapshot, scan mode, and result files together. When a later run differs, compare those inputs before concluding that the server changed. This is especially important for offline scans and for environments where advisory data is updated frequently.
Security and operational safeguards
- Use a dedicated scanning identity instead of a personal administrator account.
- Prefer key-based SSH and protect the private key with filesystem permissions and the host’s secret-management controls.
- Grant only the sudo commands needed by the selected mode. Fast-root should not automatically receive unrestricted sudo.
- Restrict access to result and log directories because package inventories and hostnames can be sensitive.
- Protect the server-mode listener with firewall rules and internal routing; treat it as an internal service.
- Version configuration, scan outputs, and database metadata so remediation decisions remain auditable.
- Run a single-target test after changing credentials, sudoers rules, scan modes, or database-update procedures before scanning the entire fleet.
Troubleshoot an incomplete or failed scan
The scan cannot connect
Check DNS or address resolution from the scan host, the configured SSH port, firewall rules, host-key verification, and whether the target permits the selected account. A passing configuration on one server does not prove that another target has equivalent network policy.
The scan stops at privilege checks
Re-run vuls configtest --deep, inspect the sudoers rule, and verify that the command can run non-interactively. If the required privilege cannot be approved, change the target to fast mode rather than silently granting broader access.
The result contains fewer findings than expected
Check the vulnerability-database timestamp, the target’s package-manager visibility, and the selected mode. Fast mode intentionally omits some root-level runtime checks. For an isolated host, confirm that the offline database was updated and transferred successfully.
Server mode receives no result
Verify that the listener is running on the expected address and port, that network controls allow the submission path, and that the reporting process is pointed at the correct HTTP endpoint. Inspect both server logs and the sender’s logs; a successful local command does not prove that the listener accepted the payload.
A scan takes too long
Review the logs for a specific host or package-manager command, then scan that target alone. The documented defaults include 300 seconds for general processing and 7,200 seconds for scanning all servers, but changing a timeout should follow diagnosis rather than conceal a stuck SSH, sudo, or package command.
Quick Recap
A practical first-run checklist
- Install Vuls on a controlled scan host.
- Populate and timestamp its vulnerability databases.
- Create a protected
config.tomlwith one test server. - Choose fast, fast-root, or an offline variant based on privilege and network constraints.
- Run
vuls configtest; use--deepwhen the selected checks require it. - Run
vuls scan server1and save results and logs in controlled directories. - Review the report, verify the target inventory, and record the Vuls and database versions.
- Add additional targets only after the single-server workflow is reliable.
- For restricted networks, select local mode or a protected server-mode listener instead of weakening network controls.
Which deployment pattern should you choose?
| Constraint | Recommended pattern | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Central administration can use SSH and targets need minimal preparation. | Remote fast scans. | One scanner provides broad coverage with the least target-side dependency and privilege. |
| Runtime processes or update activation must be checked. | Remote fast-root scans. | Root-level inspection provides the deeper process and update-state coverage. |
| Targets cannot accept inbound SSH. | Local mode or server mode. | Execution occurs on the target, or the target submits information to an internal listener. |
| Targets have no internet route. | Offline fast or offline fast-root. | Inspection can proceed with vulnerability data prepared on the scanning side. |
| Many hosts require centralized result collection but outbound access is allowed. | Server mode with local-file output. | HTTP submission avoids SSH fan-out while preserving centrally collected artifacts. |
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