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This post summarizs the steps to deploy your P-Cloud. Other posts: Privilege Cloud Interface
Once you subscribed P-Cloud, you will get an activation email to activate your account.
Your account will looks like cludadminjnetsec@
cyberark.cloud.1234
Your email will be used as MFA to authenticate your access to your p-cloud environment.
P-cloud url : https://<company name>.
cyberark.cloud
After logged in, it will look like this:
Connector Server1 CyberArk Identity Connector Service Creates a secure Websocket Tunnel between the Identity tenant and the on premise LDAPS system LDAPS , Radius 2 CyberArk Password Manager All password management and rotation capabilities 3 CyberArk Privileged Session Manager 4 CyberArk Privilege Cloud Secure tunnel Service SIEM and HTML5 Gateway integration 5 Install Identity Connector 
6 From Connector Management, generate script to install Connector Management Agent 
7 Applying the hardening GPO Local security policies are configured during installation. One unified domain GPO (for CPM and PSM) must be applied at domain level. 
8 Enabling MFA a. Authentication Profile 
The Vault and Its Clients
Pre-implementation1 Server Sizing
2 Minimum Server requirements
3 Design Consideration for Architecture
4 LDAP Requiremetns
5 RDS
6 Firewall
7 Verify Prerequisites
- Troubleshooting flag
Identity Connector InstallationCyberArk Identity Connector
Connector ManagementInstall Connector to a new Connector serverTo deploy a new connector, you first generate the installation script and then run it on the connector host machine. To perform the following steps, your user must be assigned to the System Administrator role in Identity Administration.
Click Copy script to later copy it to the connector host machine. The script is available for 5 minutes. Optionally:
Click Close.
https://
docs.cyberark.com
/ConnectorManagement/Latest/en/Content/Setup/CM_AddConnector.htm?tocpath=Setup%7C_____2#Addaconnector1
Upgrade CPM and Other ComponentsAt this moment, Jan 2024, it is still not able to upgrade PSM from Connector Management page. 
Connector shows components details
Upgrade Components pageYou will need to get your [email protected] credential to process. Reset the installeruser password first since it will be changed in 24 hours after reset. 
CyberArk Related Services on Connector Server
1. CPM Scanner
2. Identity Connector
3. Management Agent
4. CPM
5. Cloud Secure Tennel
6. PSM
External IDP Configuration (ADFS)ADFS Windows Server Configuration:
AD FS Management Certifications:
1. Service Communications
2. Token-decryption
3. Token-signing
Pelying Party Trusts
CyberArk_Priv_Cloud Configuration:
CyberArk Identity Administration:
Settings - Users - External Identity Providers
Configure Identity Services
Using "CyberArk Service Users - No MFA" as an example:
Create Users
Create / Modify Role - Add Members
Create Policies
Choose the Authenticiation Policy you will use for CyberArk Identity
Authentication Profile: Configured as only Password.
To look into all authentication profiles, you can check the page at Settings - Authentication:
For most of users, the policy which will be applied is Default Policy as show below:
Default Policy in Core Services - Policies is using Default Other Login Profile, which is using 2FA for authentication.
CyberArk Useful LinksVia https://blog.51sec.org/2023/06/cyberark-p-cloud-cyberark-privilege.html
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Azure free tier provides following free services for 12 months after one month for your free $200 credit:
Basically, you can run two virtual machines (one for windows , one for linux) free for a year. If you have student subscription, even after one year and your subscription got renewed, this free tier will still be valid to use. You two free VMs will be still staying on free tier. There are quire a few tricks which might get you drop into Microsoft Azure's trap to cause a charge. Read this post thoroughly, you will avoid this kind of charge trapps.
Other free Azure resource to apply:
[Notes] On Sep 30 2025, Basic SKU public IPs will be retired. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/ip-services/public-ip-basic-upgrade-guidance
Get Azure for Free
1. Free Account
1.1 $200 for first 30 days
1.2 12 Month Free Services
1.3 Always free Services (55+)
2. Student Account
1.1 $100 / Year
1.2 Free account's free services
1.3 Always free services
3. Developer Account
1.1 Credit / year (based on Visual Studio subscription)
1.2 Free account's free services
1.3 Always free Services
4. Temporary Azure Sandbox subscription
Create a basic SKU public IP[Note] Updated on May 15, 2025
Microsoft is retiring this basic SKU and not allow to create one. Here is a way to create one for your VM using Cloud shell bash command:
az network public-ip create \
--resource-group free-wi \
--name pip-basic-free-win1 \
--location westus2 \
--sku Basic \
--allocation-method Dynamic \
on [ ~ ]$ az network public-ip create --resource-group free-wi --name pip-basic-free-win1 --location westus2 --sku Basic --allocation-method Dynamic
It's recommended to create with `--sku standard`. Please be aware that Basic option will be removed in the future.
{
"publicIp": {
"etag": "W/\"63bff67a-386a-4925-ba95-63ac0e1e2b33\"",
"id": "/subscriptions/688fe555-a9ee-4f82-897f-3a91356b2536/resourceGroups/free-wi/providers/Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/pip-basic-free-win1",
"idleTimeoutInMinutes": 4,
"ipTags": [],
"location": "westus2",
"name": "pip-basic-free-win1",
"provisioningState": "Succeeded",
"publicIPAddressVersion": "IPv4",
"publicIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
"resourceGroup": "free-wi",
"resourceGuid": "c30057c8-4760-43d1-aa98-136d07fe51a3",
"sku": {
"name": "Basic",
"tier": "Regional"
},
"type": "Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses"
}
}
jon [ ~ ]$
You will need to assosiate this basic SKU dynamic public IP to your VM manually. Free Account Virtual MachineThe easiest way to create a free account virtual machine from Microsoft Azure Marketplace: 
For Windows MachinesI was thinking to test free tier Windows VM to see if it is really free. And found if I am using a VM with following options, the free tier does not apply to this VM's storage option. By default, it will give you 128 GB storage and there is not option for you to make change for your disk to P6 SDD.
You will need to choose 60GB (P6) to be eligible for free account. If you choose wrong, even smaller size, you will get some kind of storage charges. 
The daily charge comes from storage since this VM size is using s10 disk type . Daily charge will be around $0.25. It was not that much but I really want to find out how we can really enjoy the free tier services as much as we can. 
After some research and I found that is because of the image we selected for this VM. If I am use those predefined Windows 2012 image, it will come with 128GB S10 disk. To avoid that, I will have to choose [smalldisk] image, such as [smalldisk] Windows Server 2012 Datacenter or [smalldisk] Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter as show from following screenshot:
Note: Small Disk image will only give you 30GB OS disk from wizard. But you can resize it to 64GB P6 level.
After that , in Disks window, you will have disk options available for you to choose a free account eligible P6 disk. 
[Updated on April 2022] The method is still working, but the interface is different.
Here are some screenshots when you are trying to find out "Small Disk" image from Marketplace's Windows Server image:
Again, small disk image will give you only 30G P4 size disk for your VPS VM. 
You will have to stop the VM and go to disk page to resize from P4 32GB to P6 64GB for free tier usage.
For Linux Machines
It should be very straightforward. Only thing you will need to pay attention to is the disk size. You will need to choose 64GB P6 Free account eligible disk (64GB Premium SSD - locally - redundant storage). By default, it will give you 30GB default size.
If you missed that, you are still able to change it after you stopped Linux VM.
1）After you created your Linux VM with right size (B1S), you will need to stop it before you can resize it.
2) After Linux VM stopped, you can choose Disks from right column
3) After found your Linux Disk, choose Configuration. You will find the option to choose your disk type and size. Change size from 30 to 64. After enter 64, you will find both IOPS and throughput limit changed to better value.
4) After made the disk size change, go back to virtual machine page to start your Linux VM .
 Public IP Address - Create New & Choose Dynamic One
[Updated on April 2022]
By default, Microsoft Azure will allocate you a static public ip address.
If you would like to have dynamic public ip, you will have to go through create ip option to get a basic SKU and dynamic ip.
If you missed this step, you will have to stop your VM, disassociate your public ip to delete the static public ip then create a new dynamic one to re-associate to your VM.
Increate Virtual Memory
Ideally, your paging file size should be 1.5 times your physical memory at a minimum and up to 4 times the physical memory at most to ensure system stability. For example, say your system has 8 GB RAM. You can calculate your minimum paging file size with this equation: 8 GB x 1.5, and your maximum paging file size with this one: 8 GB x 4. The totals would be 12 GB and 32 GB of RAM respectively. ()
By default, paging file is system managed by using a temporary storage driver D which has 4GB.
Once VM is up, it will only use 512MB on D drive. That is actually too small for you to run other applications.
To maximize the performance, you might want to increase it to initial size to 2048 and Maximum size to 3072. The reason why maximum size is not set to maximum size as show the following screenshot, it is still some available space for other temporary files or folders. In this kind of set up, we still keep 1GB for those temporary system files on D drive. 
“\Paging File\% Usage” displays the percentage of the paging file that is currently in use. A paging file is a hidden, optional system storage file on a hard disk. The paging file extends the RAM’s capacity because it stores RAM data that has not been used or accessed lately. Operations that exceed the limited RAM space are automatically sent to the file to be stored if you have the paging file enabled.
If your counter shows that your paging file has reached or is nearing 100% current usage, then your system and applications will not be able to function properly. You want your paging file to be large enough that, at any given time, only 50% to 75% of it is being used at most.
One of these three solutions should resolve your paging file problems:
1. Identify and address which application/services are using the most of the server’s memory. 2. Add on to your memory. 3. Increase your paging file size. Others
Microsoft Partner Benefitshttps://partner.microsoft.com/dashboard/v2/membership/offers lowest partner membership Cost: CA$468.00 + Applicable taxes 
Partner Success Core: CA $1214.40 Partner Success Expanded: CA $5420.40 Solutions Partner designation: CA $6417.60 Benefits: 
VideosReferencesVia https://blog.51sec.org/2019/03/create-free-tier-windows-virtual.html With a veritable explosion of data breaches highlighted almost daily across the globe, and the introduction of heavy-handed privacy laws and regulatory frameworks, privacy has taken center stage for both IT and the business. This leaves leaders questioning what exactly privacy involves and how to make it scalable for their respective organization. As a facet of the business that is traditionally left to the discretion of a legal team or professional(s), this new realm of privacy and data protection is shrouded in incumbent grey area. But what if privacy is a little more “black and white” than what previous thought frameworks may have dictated? By taking a quantitative vs. qualitative approach to privacy management, business and IT leaders can remove some of the ambiguity around what privacy controls need to be in place and how to balance privacy integration with current business operations. As the general public begins to take back control over data privacy so too should organizations, by taking a tactical, measurable approach to privacy and the business. Four Steps to Achieve your Effective Data Privacy Program 
Privacy vs. Security
A common assumption is that security and privacy are one and the same. Security’s role is to protect and secure assets, of which confidential data – especially personal data – is a large focus. The consequences of a personal data breach can be severe, including the loss of customer trust and potential regulatory consequences. As a result, we often think of how we use security to protect data.
But that is not equivalent to privacy …
Privacy must be thought of as a separate function. While there will always be ties to security in the ways it protects data, privacy starts and ends with the focus on personal data. Beyond protection, privacy extends to understanding why personal data is being collected, what the lawful uses are, how long it can be retained, and who has access to it.
Privacy : Personal Data
When building a privacy program, focus on all personal data, whether it’s publicly available or private. This includes defining how the data is processed, creating notices and capturing consent, and protecting the data itself. On the converse side, an effective privacy program also enables accessibility to information based on regulatory guidance and appropriate measures.
See examples of personal data in the below charts:
Data Controller vs Data ProcessorA data controller determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.A processor engages in personal data processing on behalf of the controller. Processing involves any operation (or set) performed on personal data (such as, but not limited to, collection, structuring, storage, use or disclosure).
Data Controller: Defines Purpose and Means:
Data Processor: Processes Data on Behalf of Controller:
A Quiantitative Approach
Use risk and a metrics-based approach against a privacy framework that supports compliance while considering the custom needs of your organization.
Privacy Controls with Metrics
As better privacy becomes the expectation from both B2B customers and end-consumers, expect a subsequent shift towards a strong privacy program as a competitive advantage for many organizations.
Privacy metrics take your program from a static framework to an operational model.
Select privacy metrics that are realistic and relevant for your organization, based on each of the 12 areas outlined as part of privacy control best practices.
Privacy Law
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is California’s data privacy law that took effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA empowers California residents with enforceable rights over the personal information they generate every day online. GDPRCCPA vs GDPR vs CPRAThe CPRA is an amendment to the CCPA and is effectively a part of the larger California Consumer Privacy Act. These two regulations are not separate, and should not be handled as such, or ignored in favor of the other. The CPRA grants two more privacy rights to California residents.
Likewise, while the CCPA and the EU’s General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) share many components and have similar purposes, the requirements under each are not the same. Companies must take care to identify their privacy compliance needs and requirements, and then adopt the policies and practices they need to satisfy regulatory obligations. Complying with both the CCPA and GDPR involves more than complying with one or the other. 
PIPEDAPIPEDA Self-Assessment Tool
https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/pipeda-compliance-help/pipeda-compliance-and-training-tools/pipeda_sa_tool_200807/
Tools
Scytale: https://scytale.ai/pricing/
OneTrust : https://www.onetrust.com/solutions/ccpa-compliance/
Scrut: https://www.scrut.io/solutions/ccpa
Usercentrics.com
www.osano.com
Free Cookie Consent
Ketch
Orrick’s CCPA Readiness Assessment Tool consists of five sections with questions covering the Scope of the CCPA, Notice to California Residents, CCPA California Residents Rights, Vendor Management and Contracting, and additional considerations.
ReferencesVia https://blog.51sec.org/2025/06/privacy-compliance-ccpa-gdpr-cpra.html
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ScenarioEarlier, all possible information about a target system such as system name, OS details, shared network resources, policies and passwords details, and users and user groups were gathered. Now, as an ethical hacker or penetration tester (hereafter, pen tester), your next step is to perform vulnerability research and a vulnerability assessment on the target system or network. Ethical hackers or pen testers need to conduct intense research with the help of information acquired in the footprinting and scanning phases to discover vulnerabilities. Vulnerability assessments scan networks for known security weaknesses: it recognizes, measures, and classifies security vulnerabilities in a computer system, network, and communication channel; and evaluates the target systems for vulnerabilities such as missing patches, unnecessary services, weak authentication, and weak encryption. Additionally, it assists security professionals in securing the network by determining security loopholes or vulnerabilities in the current security mechanism before attackers can exploit them. The information gleaned from a vulnerability assessment helps you to identify weaknesses that could be exploited and predict the effectiveness of additional security measures in protecting information resources from attack. The labs in this module will give you real-time experience in collecting information regarding underlying vulnerabilities in the target system using various online sources and vulnerability assessment tools. ObjectiveThe objective of this lab is to extract information about the target system that includes, but not limited to:
Overview of Vulnerability AssessmentA vulnerability refers to a weakness in the design or implementation of a system that can be exploited to compromise the security of the system. It is frequently a security loophole that enables an attacker to enter the system by bypassing user authentication. There are generally two main causes for vulnerable systems in a network, software or hardware misconfiguration and poor programming practices. Attackers exploit these vulnerabilities to perform various types of attacks on organizational resources. Lab TasksEthical hackers or pen testers use numerous tools and techniques to collect information about the underlying vulnerability in a target system or network. Recommended labs that will assist you in learning various vulnerability assessment techniques include:
Lab 1: Perform Vulnerability Research with Vulnerability Scoring Systems and DatabasesLab Scenario As a professional ethical hacker or pen tester, your first step is to search for vulnerabilities in the target system or network using vulnerability scoring systems and databases. Vulnerability research provides awareness of advanced techniques to identify flaws or loopholes in the software that could be exploited. Using this information, you can use various tricks and techniques to launch attacks on the target system. Lab Objectives
Overview of Vulnerabilities in Vulnerability Scoring Systems and Databases Vulnerability databases collect and maintain information about various vulnerabilities present in the information systems. The following are some of the vulnerability scoring systems and databases:
Task 1: Perform Vulnerability Research in Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) is a category system for software vulnerabilities and weaknesses. It has numerous categories of weaknesses that means that CWE can be effectively employed by the community as a baseline for weakness identification, mitigation, and prevention efforts. Further, CWE has an advanced search technique with which you can search and view the weaknesses based on research concepts, development concepts, and architectural concepts. Here, we will use CWE to view the latest underlying system vulnerabilities.
Lab 2: Perform Vulnerability Assessment using Various Vulnerability Assessment ToolsLab Scenario The information gathered in the previous labs might not be sufficient to reveal potential vulnerabilities of the target: there could be more information available that may help in finding loopholes. As an ethical hacker, you should look for as much information as possible using all available tools. This lab will demonstrate other information that you can extract from the target using various vulnerability assessment tools. Lab Objectives
Overview of Vulnerability Assessment A vulnerability assessment is an in-depth examination of the ability of a system or application, including current security procedures and controls, to withstand exploitation. It scans networks for known security weaknesses, and recognizes, measures, and classifies security vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks, and communication channels. It identifies, quantifies, and ranks possible vulnerabilities to threats in a system. Additionally, it assists security professionals in securing the network by identifying security loopholes or vulnerabilities in the current security mechanism before attackers can exploit them. There are two approaches to network vulnerability scanning:
Task 1: Perform Vulnerability Analysis using OpenVASOpenVAS is a framework of several services and tools offering a comprehensive and powerful vulnerability scanning and vulnerability management solution. Its capabilities include unauthenticated testing, authenticated testing, various high level and low-level Internet and industrial protocols, performance tuning for large-scale scans, and a powerful internal programming language to implement any vulnerability test. The actual security scanner is accompanied with a regularly updated feed of Network Vulnerability Tests (NVTs)-over 50,000 in total. Here, we will perform a vulnerability analysis using OpenVAS.
Question 5.2.1.1 Lab 3: Perform Vulnerability Analysis using AILab Scenario As a professional ethical hacker or pen tester, you must acknowledge the limitations of conventional approaches in revealing all potential vulnerabilities. Therefore, you will utilize AI-driven vulnerability analysis tools to identify and assess security weaknesses in a simulated network environment. Lab Objectives
Overview of vulnerability analysis using AI Vulnerability Analysis with AI employs advanced algorithms to unearth hidden security flaws in networks. AI-driven tools extract comprehensive data, prioritize risks, and fortify defenses, empowering ethical hackers to anticipate and mitigate emerging threats effectively. This innovative approach enhances cybersecurity readiness by leveraging AI's precision and adaptability. Task 1: Perform Vulnerability Analysis using ShellGPTShellGPT swiftly interprets and executes commands, conducting scans, identifying weaknesses, and suggesting mitigation strategies in real-time. Its adaptive nature facilitates dynamic navigation through complex systems, enhancing efficiency and precision in vulnerability analysis. By integrating ShellGPT, you can gain a powerful ally in their quest to safeguard digital ecosystems, leveraging AI's capabilities to uncover and address security risks with unparalleled speed and accuracy. Here, we will use ShellGPT to discover potential vulnerabilites in the target.
Question 5.3.1.1 ReferencesVia https://blog.51sec.org/2025/05/ceh13-lab-module-05-vulnerability.html Learning Objectives:
Vulnerability Assessment Concepts
Any vulnerability that is present in a system can be hazardous and can cause severe damage to the organization. It is important for ethical hackers to have knowledge about various types of vulnerabilities that they can employ, along with various vulnerability scanning techniques. This section provides an overview of vulnerability classification, vulnerability scoring systems, vulnerability databases, the vulnerability-management lifecycle, and types of vulnerability scanning.
Vulnerability Classification
Vulnerability Scoring Systems and Databases
Due to the growing severity of cyber-attacks, vulnerability research has become critical as it helps to mitigate the chance of attacks. Vulnerability research provides awareness of advanced techniques to identify flaws or loopholes in the software that can be exploited by attackers. Vulnerability scoring systems and vulnerability databases are used by security analysts to rank information system vulnerabilities and to provide a composite score of the overall severity and risk associated with identified vulnerabilities. Vulnerability databases collect and maintain information about various vulnerabilities present in information systems.
Following are some of the vulnerability scoring systems and databases:
▪ Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Source: https://www.first.org
▪ Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Source: https://cve.mitre.org
▪ National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Source: https://nvd.nist.gov
▪ Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) Source: https://cwe.mitre.org
Vulnerability-Management Life Cycle
The vulnerability management life cycle is an important process that helps identify and remediate security weaknesses before they can be exploited. This includes defining the risk posture and policies for an organization, creating a complete asset list of systems, scanning and assessing the environment for vulnerabilities and exposures, and taking action to mitigate the vulnerabilities that are identified. The implementation of a vulnerability management lifecycle helps gain a strategic perspective regarding possible cybersecurity threats and renders insecure computing environments more resilient to attacks. Vulnerability management should be implemented in every organization as it evaluates and controls the risks and vulnerabilities in the system. The management process continuously examines the IT environments for vulnerabilities and risks associated with the system. Organizations should maintain a proper vulnerability management program to ensure overall information security. Vulnerability management provides the best results when it is implemented in a sequence of well-organized phases
The phases involved in vulnerability management are: ▪ Pre-Assessment Phase o Identify Assets and Create a Baseline
▪ Vulnerability Assessment Phase o Vulnerability Scan o Vulnerability Analysis
▪ Post Assessment Phase o Risk Assessment o Remediation o Verification o Monitoring
Vulnerability Research
Vulnerability research involves utilizing various online resources, tools, and platforms to identify, analyze, and share information about security vulnerabilities.
An administrator needs vulnerability research: ▪ To gather information about security trends, newly discovered threats, attack surfaces, attack vectors and techniques
▪ To find weaknesses in the OS and applications and alert the network administrator before a network attack
▪ To understand information that helps prevent security problems ▪ To know how to recover from a network attack ▪ To prioritize and apply security patches and updates effectively, mitigating risks before they can be exploited
▪ To adhere to industry best practices for security, ensuring systems are not just compliant, but also secured according to the highest standards
▪ To perform accurate risk assessments, identifying and prioritizing the most critical threats to address
An ethical hacker needs to keep up with the most recently discovered vulnerabilities and exploits to stay one step ahead of attackers through vulnerability research, which includes:
▪ Discovering the system design faults and weaknesses that might allow attackers to compromise a system
▪ Staying updated about new products and technologies and reading news related to current exploits
▪ Checking underground hacking web sites (Deep and Dark websites) for newly discovered vulnerabilities and exploits
▪ Checking newly released alerts regarding relevant innovations and product improvements for security systems
▪ Anticipating how a system might be attacked and take steps to mitigate those risks ▪ Helping organizations develop robust defensive strategies that protect against specific threats
▪ Tailoring security solutions to the unique needs and risk profiles of the organizations ▪ Conducting thorough audits that identify compliance issues and security gaps
Security experts and vulnerability scanners classify vulnerabilities by:
▪ Severity level (low, medium, or high) ▪ Exploit range (local or remote)
Ethical hackers need to conduct intense research with the help of information acquired in the footprinting and scanning phases to find vulnerabilities.
Resources for Vulnerability Research The following are some of the websites used to perform vulnerability research.
▪ Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) Source: https://msrc.microsoft.com The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) investigates all reports of security vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft products and services, and it provides information as part of an ongoing effort to help security professionals manage security risks and keep organizational systems protected
▪ Packet Storm (https://packetstormsecurity.com) ▪ Dark Reading (https://www.darkreading.com) ▪ Trend Micro (https://www.trendmicro.com) ▪ Security Magazine (https://www.securitymagazine.com) ▪ PenTest Magazine (https://pentestmag.com) ▪ SC Magazine (https://www.scmagazine.com) ▪ Exploit Database (https://www.exploit-db.com) ▪ Help Net Security (https://www.helpnetsecurity.com) ▪ HackerStorm (https://www.hackerstorm.co.uk)
▪ Computerworld (https://www.computerworld.com) ▪ D’Crypt (https://www.d-crypt.co
Vulnerability Scanning and Analysis
Vulnerability scanning involves analyzing protocols, services, and configurations to discover vulnerabilities and design flaws that may expose an operating system and its applications to exploitation, attack, or misuse. Vulnerability analysis is the systematic process of identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing security weaknesses in systems, networks, applications, or protocols. Vulnerabilities are classified based on severity level (low, medium, or high) and exploit range (local or remote). The goal of this analysis is to understand the nature of these vulnerabilities, assess their potential impact, and develop strategies to mitigate or eliminate them. Additionally, vulnerability scanning and analysis assist security professionals in securing the network by identifying security loopholes or vulnerabilities in the current security mechanisms before attackers can exploit them. Typically, vulnerability-scanning tools search network segments for IP-enabled devices and enumerate systems, operating systems, and applications to identify vulnerabilities arising from vendor negligence, system or network misconfigurations, or daily operations. Vulnerability-scanning software compares the scanned systems against the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) index and security bulletins provided by software vendors.
There are two approaches to network vulnerability scanning:
▪ Active scanning: The attacker interacts directly with the target network to find vulnerabilities. Active scanning helps in simulating an attack on the target network to uncover vulnerabilities that can be exploited by the attacker. Example: An attacker sends probes and specially crafted requests to the target host in the network to identify vulnerabilities.
▪ Passive scanning: The attacker tries to find vulnerabilities without directly interacting with the target network. The attacker identifies vulnerabilities via information exposed by systems during normal communications. Passive scanning identifies the active operating systems, applications, and ports throughout the target network, monitoring activity to determine its vulnerabilities. This approach provides information about weaknesses but does not provide a path for directly combating attacks.
Example: An attacker guesses the operating system information, applications, and application/service versions by observing the TCP connection setup and teardown.
Attackers scan for vulnerabilities using tools such as Nessus, Qualys, GFI LanGuard, and OpenVAS.
Types of Vulnerability Scanning
Given below are the different types of vulnerability scanning:
Vulnerability Assessment Tools
Vulnerability assessment solutions are important tools for information security management as they identify all potential security weaknesses before an attacker can exploit them. There are different approaches and solutions available to perform a vulnerability assessment. Selecting an appropriate assessment approach plays a major role in mitigating the threats that an organization faces.
This section outlines the various approaches, solutions, and tools used to perform a vulnerability assessment.
Comparing Approaches to Vulnerability Assessment There are four types of vulnerability assessment solutions: product-based solutions, service-based solutions, tree-based assessment, and inference-based assessment.
▪ Product-Based Solutions Product-based solutions are installed in the organization’s internal network. They are installed either on a private or non-routable space or in the Internet-addressable portion of an organization’s network. If they are installed on a private network (behind the firewall), they cannot always detect outside attacks.
▪ Service-Based Solutions
Service-based solutions are offered by third parties, such as auditing or security consulting firms. Some solutions are hosted inside the network, while others are hosted outside the network. A drawback of this solution is that attackers can perform network vulnerability scans from the Internet/external network.
▪ Tree-Based Assessment
In a tree-based assessment, the auditor selects different strategies for each machine or component of the information system. For example, the administrator selects a scanner for servers running Windows, databases, and web services but uses a different scanner for Linux servers. This approach relies on the administrator to provide a starting piece of intelligence, and then to start scanning continuously without incorporating any information found at the time of scanning.
▪ Inference-Based Assessment In an inference-based assessment, scanning starts by building an inventory of the
protocols found on the machine. After finding a protocol, the scanning process starts to detect which ports are attached to services, such as an email server, web server, or database server. After finding services, it selects vulnerabilities on each machine and starts to execute only those relevant tests.
Types of Vulnerability Assessment Tools There are six types of vulnerability assessment tools: host-based vulnerability assessment tools, application-layer vulnerability assessment tools, depth assessment tools, scope assessment tools, active and passive tools, and location and data-examination tools.
▪ Host-Based Vulnerability Assessment Tools The host-based scanning tools are appropriate for servers that run various applications, such as the Web, critical files, databases, directories, and remote accesses. These host-based scanners can detect high levels of vulnerabilities and provide required information about the fixes (patches). A host-based vulnerability assessment tool identifies the OS running on a particular host computer and tests it for known deficiencies. It also searches for common applications and services.
▪ Depth Assessment Tools
Depth assessment tools are used to discover and identify previously unknown vulnerabilities in a system. Generally, tools such as fuzzers, which provide arbitrary input to a system’s interface, are used to identify vulnerabilities to an unstable depth. Many of these tools use a set of vulnerability signatures to test whether a product is resistant to a known vulnerability or not.
▪ Application-Layer Vulnerability Assessment Tools
Application-layer vulnerability assessment tools are designed to serve the needs of all kinds of operating system types and applications. Various resources pose a variety of security threats and are identified by the tools designed for that purpose. Observing system vulnerabilities through the Internet using an external router, firewall, or webserver is called an external vulnerability assessment. These vulnerabilities could be external DoS/DDoS threats, network data interception, or other issues. The analyst performs a vulnerability assessment and notes vulnerable resources. The network vulnerability information is updated regularly into the tools. Application-layer vulnerability assessment tools are directed towards web servers or databases.
▪ Scope Assessment Tools
Scope assessment tools provide an assessment of the security by testing vulnerabilities in the applications and operating system. These tools provide standard controls and a reporting interface that allows the user to select a suitable scan. These tools generate a standard report based on the information found. Some assessment tools are designed to test a specific application or application type for vulnerability.
▪ Active and Passive Tools
Active scanners perform vulnerability checks on the network functions that consume resources on the network. The main advantage of the active scanner is that the system administrator or IT manager has good control of the timing and the parameters of vulnerability scans. This scanner cannot be used for critical operating systems because it uses system resources that affect the processing of other tasks.
▪ Location and Data Examination Tools Listed below are some of the location and data examination tools:
o Network-Based Scanner: Network-based scanners are those that interact only with the real machine where they reside and give the report to the same machine after scanning.
o Agent-Based Scanner: Agent-based scanners reside on a single machine but can scan several machines on the same network.
o Proxy Scanner: Proxy scanners are the network-based scanners that can scan networks from any machine on the network.
o Cluster scanner: Cluster scanners are similar to proxy scanners, but they can simultaneously perform two or more scans on different machines in the network.
Network vulnerability scanners help to analyze and identify vulnerabilities in the target network or network resources by using vulnerability assessment and network auditing. These tools also assist in overcoming weaknesses in the network by suggesting various remediation techniques. The following are some of the most effective vulnerability assessment tools:
▪ Nessus Essentials Source: https://www.tenable.com Nessus Essentials is an assessment solution for identifying vulnerabilities, configuration issues, and malware, which can be used to penetrate networks. It also helps ethical hackers perform vulnerability, configuration, and compliance assessment. It supports various technologies such as OSes, network devices, hypervisors, databases, tablets/phones, web servers, and critical infrastructure. Features: o High-speed asset discovery o Vulnerability assessment o Malware and botnet detection o Scanning and auditing virtualized and cloud platforms
▪ GFI LanGuard Source: https://www.gfi.com
GFI LanGuard scans for, detects, assesses, and rectifies security vulnerabilities in a network and its connected devices. This is done with minimal administrative effort. It scans the operating systems, virtual environments, and installed applications through vulnerability check databases. It enables analysis of the state of network security, identifies risks, and offers solutions before the system can be compromised. Features: o Patch management for operating systems and third-party applications o Vulnerability assessment o A Web reporting console o Track latest vulnerabilities and missing updates o Integration with security applications o Network device vulnerability checks o Network and software auditing o Support for virtual environments
▪ OpenVAS Source: https://www.openvas.org OpenVAS is a framework of several services and tools that offer a comprehensive and powerful vulnerability scanning and vulnerability management solution. The framework is part of Greenbone Network’s commercial vulnerability management solution, developments from which have been contributed to the open-source community since 2009. The actual security scanner is accompanied by a regularly updated feed of Network Vulnerability Tests (NVTs), over 50,000 in total.
Features: o SSL Support (Unix with OpenSSL or maybe Windows with ActiveState’s Perl/NetSSL) o A full HTTP proxy support o Checks for outdated server components o Saves reports in plain text, XML, HTML, NBE or CSV o A Template engine to easily customize reports o Scans multiple ports on a server, or multiple servers via input file o LibWhisker’s IDS encoding techniques o Identifies installed software via headers, favicons, and files o Host authentication with Basic and NTLM o Subdomain guessing o Apache and cgiwrap username enumeration o Scan tuning to include or exclude entire classes of vulnerability checks o Guesses credentials for authorization realms (including many default ID and password combinations)
▪ Qualys Vulnerability Management Source: https://www.qualys.com Qualys VM is a cloud-based service that gives immediate, global visibility into where IT systems might be vulnerable to the latest Internet threats and how to protect them. It helps to continuously identify threats and monitor unexpected changes in a network before they turn into breaches. Features: o Agent-based detection Also works with the Qualys Cloud Agents, extending its network coverage to unscannable assets.
o Constant monitoring and alerts
When VM is paired with Continuous Monitoring (CM), InfoSec teams are proactively alerted about potential threats, so problems can be tackled before they turn into breaches.
o Comprehensive coverage and visibility Continuously scans and identifies vulnerabilities for protecting IT assets on-premises, in the cloud, and at mobile endpoints. Its executive dashboard displays an overview of the security posture and gives access to remediation details. VM generates custom, role-based reports for multiple stakeholders, including automatic security documentation for compliance auditors.
o VM for the perimeter-less world
As enterprises adopt cloud computing, mobility, and other disruptive technologies for digital transformation, Qualys VM offers next-generation vulnerability management for these hybrid IT environments whose traditional boundaries have been blurred.
o Discover forgotten devices and organize the host assets
Qualys can help quickly determine what is running in different parts of the network—from the perimeter and corporate network to virtualized machines and cloud services. It can also identify unexpected access points, web servers, and other devices that can expose the network to attack.
o Scan for vulnerabilities everywhere, accurately and efficiently
Scan systems anywhere from the same console, including the perimeter, the internal network, and cloud environments.
o Identify and prioritize risks
Qualys, using trend analysis, Zero-Day, and Patch impact predictions, can identify the highest business risks.
o Remediate vulnerabilities
Qualys’s ability to track vulnerability data across hosts and time produces interactive reports that provide a better understanding of the security of the network.
Listed below are some of the additional vulnerability assessment tools: ▪ InsightVM (https://www.rapid7.com) ▪ Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner (https://www.acunetix.com) ▪ Nexpose (https://www.rapid7.com) ▪ Sniper (https://sn1persecurity.com) ▪ Tripwire IP360 (https://www.tripwire.com) ▪ SAINT Security Suite (https://www.carson-saint.com) ▪ BeSECURE (https://www.beyondsecurity.com) ▪ Core Impact Pro (https://www.coresecurity.com) ▪ Intruder (https://www.intruder.io) ▪ ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus (https://www.manageengine.com) ▪ Astra Pentest (https://www.getastra.com) ▪ Skybox (https://www.skyboxsecurity.com) ▪ MaxPatrol TM (https://www.ptsecurity.com)
AI-Powered Vulnerability Assessment Tools
Traditional vulnerability scanning tools often struggle to keep up with rapidly evolving cyber threats because of their reliance on predefined rules and signatures, leading to inefficient and error-prone processes. By contrast, AI-powered vulnerability assessments revolutionize security risk management by leveraging advanced technologies to automate and enhance vulnerability detection and remediation processes. AI-driven scanners can adapt to new threats, reduce false positives, provide more accurate and actionable insights, empower ethical hackers and security teams to address vulnerabilities proactively, and strengthen an organization's overall cybersecurity posture. By contrast, AI-powered vulnerability scanners can continuously learn from new data, including emerging threats and attack technique patterns. This allows them to adapt and improve their detection capabilities over time. By leveraging machine-learning algorithms, these scanners can identify patterns, anomalies, and potential vulnerabilities more effectively than traditional tools. Furthermore, AI-powered scanners can adapt to the specific needs and requirements of an organization by tailoring their scanning strategies and detection methods to a unique environment. This flexibility allows for more accurate and targeted vulnerability assessments, thereby reducing the number of false positives and negatives.
AI-Powered Vulnerability Assessment Tool: Equixly Source: https://equixly.com
Equixly is an advanced AI-powered tool designed specifically for vulnerability assessment with a focus on securing APIs. It uses AI and ML to identify and eliminate blind spots, thereby ensuring robust protection against potential threats.
Key Features of Equixly for vulnerability management are as follows: ▪ AI-Driven Vulnerability Detection Equixly uses machine-learning algorithms to scan and identify vulnerabilities within APIs, ensuring that no potential threats are overlooked. ▪ Automated Threat Analysis
This tool automates the process of analyzing threat data, enabling quicker identification and response to emerging security risks.
▪ Real-Time Security Monitoring
It provides continuous monitoring of API environments, and offers real-time updates and alerts regarding potential vulnerabilities.
▪ Adaptive Learning
Machine-learning models continuously learn from new data, improving the accuracy and efficiency of vulnerability detection over time.
AI-Powered Automated Vulnerability Scanner: SmartScanner Source: https://www.thesmartscanner.com
SmartScanner is an AI-powered automated vulnerability scanner designed to enhance website security. Advanced ML algorithms are used to monitor websites continuously for potential vulnerabilities and threats.
The key features of SmartScanner include: ▪ Supervised and Unsupervised ML: SmartScanner analyzes vast amounts of data using both supervised and unsupervised ML algorithms. This allows it to learn the patterns of benign and malicious activities, allowing it to distinguish between them.
▪ Baseline Establishment: AI models in SmartScanner establish baselines of normal behavior for each website it monitors. These baselines were then used to identify deviations that may indicate potential threats.
▪ Anomaly Detection: SmartScanner employs anomaly detection algorithms to flag activities that deviate from established baselines. This helps to identify and alert suspicious behaviors in real time.
▪ Real-time Analytics and Response: The AI-driven systems in SmartScanner provide real-time analytics of the websites it monitors. It can automatically respond by quickly mitigating the identified threats, thereby reducing the risk of successful attacks.
Additional AI-powered Vulnerability Assessment Tools ▪ CodeDefender Source: https://codedefender.ro CodeDefender is an AI-powered vulnerability assessment tool that helps organizations automatically detect, prioritize, and fix security vulnerabilities in their code bases. It integrates existing security tools to provide a comprehensive vulnerability-management solution.
▪ Corgea Source: https://corgea.com
Corgea is an AI-powered platform that automatically generates and deploys security fixes for vulnerabilities detected in software code. It leverages machine-learning models to analyze vulnerability data and write secure code patches, thereby reducing the manual effort required by security teams.
▪ Fluxguard Source: https://fluxguard.com
Fluxguard employs AI algorithms to automatically scan and detect vulnerabilities across diverse IT infrastructures, including networks, applications, and systems. It utilizes ML to conduct a behavioral analysis of network traffic and system interactions and identifies anomalous behaviors that could indicate potential vulnerabilities or attacks.
▪ DryRun Security Source: https://www.dryrun.security
DryRun Security is a vulnerability assessment and penetration-testing platform that uses AI and automation to identify and validate security weaknesses in web applications and infrastructure.
▪ Pentest Copilot Source: https://copilot.bugbase.ai The Pentest Copilot is an AI-powered penetration-testing assistant that helps security teams conduct more efficient and effective vulnerability assessments. It automates various penetration-testing tasks, from reconnaissance to exploitation, and provides actionable insights for prioritizing and remediating identified vulnerabilities.
▪ Beagle Security Source: https://beaglesecurity.com
Beagle Security is a comprehensive web application security testing platform that combines automated scanning and manual penetration testing. It uses AI and ML to detect a wide range of vulnerabilities, including the top 10 OWASP risks, and provides detailed reports to help organizations improve their application security.
▪ Hackules Source: https://hackules.com
Hackules is an AI-powered vulnerability assessment and penetration-testing platform that helps organizations identify and mitigate security weaknesses in their web applications and infrastructures. It uses advanced techniques such as NLP and ML to provide accurate and actionable security insights.
▪ Coderbuds Source: https://coderbuds.com
CoderBuds are AI-driven code security platforms that help developers and security teams detect, prioritize, and fix vulnerabilities in their codebases. Its AI algorithm is integrated seamlessly with mainstream development tools, and CoderBuds conducts automated vulnerability scans, performs comprehensive risk assessments, and offers tailored remediation recommendations.
Vulnerability Assessment using AI
Attackers can leverage AI-powered technologies to enhance and automate their vulnerability scanning tasks. With the aid of AI, attackers can effortlessly perform vulnerability scanning to identify the potential vulnerabilities on target. An attacker can use ChatGPT to perform this task by using an appropriate prompt such as: Example #1: “Launch nikto to execute a scan against the URL www.certifiedhacker.com to identify potential vulnerabilities.”
The command scans the URL www.certifiedhacker.com for potential vulnerabilities using the Nikto web server scanner. nikto -h www.certifiedhacker.com ▪ `nikto`: This command invokes Nikto, a web server scanner that performs comprehensive tests against web servers for potential vulnerabilities.
▪ `-h www.certifiedhacker.com`: This option specifies the target URL (www.certifiedhacker.com) to scan for vulnerabilities. Nikto will perform various checks and tests against the specified URL to identify potential security issues and vulnerabilities.
Example #2: “Perform vulnerability scan on target url http://testphp.vulnweb.com with nikto and save the results in output.txt.” nikto -h http://testphp.vulnweb.com -o output.txt
▪ `nikto`: This command invokes Nikto. ▪ `-h http://testphp.vulnweb.com`: This option specifies the target URL (http://testphp.vulnweb.com) to scan for vulnerabilities.
▪ `-o output.txt`: This option specifies the file where the scan results will be saved. In this case, the results will be saved in a file named "output.txt".
Vulnerability Scan using Nmap with AI
Attackers can leverage AI-powered technologies to enhance and automate their vulnerability scanning tasks. With the aid of AI, attackers can effortlessly perform vulnerability scanning using Nmap to identify the potential vulnerabilities on target. For example, An attacker can use ChatGPT to perform this task by using an appropriate prompt such as: “Perform a vulnerability scan on target url www.moviescope.com with nmap and save the results in output.txt”
nmap -sV –script=vuln www.moviescope.com -oN output.txt ▪ `nmap`: This command invokes Nmap. ▪ `--script=vuln`: This option specifies the Nmap script to run, which focuses on vulnerability scanning.
▪ `www.moviescope.com`: This is the target URL where the vulnerability scan will be performed.
▪ `-oN output.txt`: This option specifies the file where the scan results will be saved. In this case, the results will be saved in a file named "output.txt"
Vulnerability Assessment using Python Script with AI
Attackers can leverage AI-powered technologies to enhance and automate their vulnerability scanning tasks. With the aid of AI, attackers can effortlessly create and run custom vulnerability scanning scripts and identify potential vulnerabilities on targets. By developing such custom scripts, attackers can efficiently execute a series of vulnerability scanning and associated commands to identify potential vulnerabilities on targets. Using this script, an attacker can run fast, but comprehensive, Nmap scans followed by vulnerability scanning using Nikto against multiple IP addresses. For example, An attacker can use ChatGPT to perform this task by using an appropriate prompt such as: “Create a python script to run a fast but comprehensive Nmap scan on the IP addresses in scan1.txt and then execute vulnerability scanning using nikto against each IP address in scan1.txt”
The following Python script automates network scanning and vulnerability assessment tasks on the IP addresses listed in the scan1.txt file:
import subprocess # Read the list of IP addresses from scan1.txt with open('scan1.txt', 'r') as file: ip_addresses = file.read().splitlines()
# Run Nmap scan on each IP address for ip in ip_addresses:
subprocess.run(['nmap', '-T4', '-A', '-v', ip])
# Run Nikto vulnerability scan on each IP address subprocess.run(['nikto', '-h', ip])
▪ The script first reads the list of IP addresses from the scan1.txt file. ▪ It then iterates through each IP address and executes an Nmap scan with the specified options (in this case, -T4 for timing template and -A for aggressive scan) using the subprocess.run() function.
▪ After completing the Nmap scan, it proceeds to execute a Nikto vulnerability scan on each IP address using the subprocess.run() function again.
▪ The results of both scans will be displayed in the console output.
Vulnerability Scan using Skipfish with AI
Attackers can leverage AI-powered technologies to enhance and automate their vulnerability scanning tasks. With the aid of AI, attackers can effortlessly perform vulnerability scanning using Skipfish to identify potential vulnerabilities on a target.
For example, An attacker can use ChatGPT to perform this task by using an appropriate prompt such as: “Perform a vulnerability scan on target url http://testphp.vulnweb.com with Skipfish and display the output file index.html in Firefox.”
The following command automates vulnerability scanning on the target URL using Skipfish and displays the output file in Firefox:
skipfish -o /tmp/skipfish_output http://testphp.vulnweb.com && firefox tmp/skipfish_output/index.html ▪ The script executes the skipfish command to perform a vulnerability scan on the target URL http://testphp.vulnweb.com.
▪ The -o /tmp/skipfish_output option specifies the output directory for storing the scan results.
▪ After completing the vulnerability scan, the script opens the output file index.html in Firefox using the firefox command.
This prompt automates vulnerability scanning on the target URL http://testphp.vulnweb.com using Skipfish and displays the output file in Firefox for further analysis
Vulnerability Assessment Reports
In the vulnerability assessment process, once all the phases are completed, the security team will review the results and process the information to prepare the final report. In this phase, the security team will try to disclose any identified vulnerabilities, document any variations and findings, and include all these in the final report along with remediation steps to mitigate the identified risks.
A vulnerability assessment report is a comprehensive document that details the findings of a vulnerability assessment. This report includes information about identified security weaknesses, their potential impact, severity, and recommendations for remediation. The purpose of the report is to provide stakeholders with a clear understanding of the security posture of the assessed systems, applications, or networks and to guide them in taking corrective actions to mitigate risks. The report provides details of all the possible vulnerabilities with regard to the company’s security policies. The vulnerabilities are categorized based on severity into three levels: High, Medium, and Low risk. High-risk vulnerabilities are those that might allow unauthorized access to the network. These vulnerabilities must be rectified immediately before the network is compromised. The report describes different kinds of attacks that are possible given the organization’s set of operating systems, network components, and protocols. The vulnerability assessment report must include, but are not limited to, the following points: ▪ The vulnerability's name and its mapped CVE ID ▪ The date of discovery ▪ The score based on Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) databases ▪ A detailed description of the vulnerability ▪ The impact of the vulnerability ▪ Details regarding the affected systems ▪ Details regarding the process needed to correct the vulnerability, including information patches, configuration fixes, and ports to be blocked.
▪ A proof of concept (PoC) of the vulnerability for the system (if possible)
ReferencesIn this module, we have discussed: ▪ Various types of vulnerabilities, the CVSS vulnerability scoring system, and databases ▪ The vulnerability-management life cycle and vulnerability research ▪ Vulnerability scanning, vulnerability analysis, and various types of vulnerability scanning techniques ▪ Various vulnerability assessment solutions, along with their characteristics ▪ Various tools that are used to test a host or application for vulnerabilities, along with the criteria and best practices for selecting the tool ▪ We concluded with a detailed discussion on how to analyze a vulnerability assessment report and how it discloses the risks detected after scanning the network • In the next module, we will discuss the methods attackers, as well as ethical hackers and pen testers, utilize to hack a system based on the information collected about a target of evaluation; for example, footprinting, scanning, enumeration, and vulnerability analysis phases Via https://blog.51sec.org/2025/05/cehv13-notes-module-05-vulnerability.html
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