Automating Security Scanning with Nikto to Check If Website Is Safe

Ensuring the security of web applications is more critical than ever, especially as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated. Organizations must take proactive measures to safeguard their digital assets, and one effective way to check if a website is safe is through automated security scanning. Nikto, an open-source web server scanner, is a powerful tool that helps identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that could jeopardize your web application’s integrity. By leveraging Nikto’s extensive database of potential issues, you can gain valuable insights into your website’s security posture, allowing you to address weaknesses before they are exploited by malicious actors.

In this article, we will explore how to effectively automate security scanning using Nikto, focusing on best practices that ensure thorough and efficient assessments. We will guide you through the setup process, demonstrate how to schedule scans, and explain the significance of the command outputs you receive. By understanding the results of your scans, you can make informed decisions about necessary security enhancements and maintain a robust defense against evolving threats. With automation, the security scanning process becomes more manageable and consistent, empowering you to focus on developing your applications while Nikto works diligently to check if your website is safe.

Table of Contents

What is Nikto?

Nikto is a popular web server vulnerability scanner that performs comprehensive tests against web servers for various issues, including outdated software, security vulnerabilities, and potential problems with web applications. With its extensive database of known vulnerabilities, Nikto can quickly assess a web server’s security posture. The tool can be run from the command line, making it suitable for automation in various environments.

Setting Up Nikto for Automation

To start automating your security scanning with Nikto, you first need to ensure that it is installed on your system. You can download it from the official Nikto GitHub repository or use package managers for Linux distributions. Here’s a quick installation guide for Debian-based systems:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nikto

Once installed, you can begin running scans against your target web servers. The basic command structure is as follows:

nikto -h http://yourwebsite.com

You can also specify various options to customize the scan, such as output formats and verbosity levels.

Automating Scans with Cron Jobs

One effective way to automate Nikto scans is by using cron jobs on Linux. By scheduling regular scans, you can maintain an up-to-date assessment of your web server’s security. Here’s how to set up a cron job:

Open your crontab file for editing:

crontab -e

Add a line to schedule a daily scan at midnight:

0 0 * * * /usr/bin/nikto -h http://yourwebsite.com -output /path/to/report.txt

This cron job will execute the Nikto scan every day at midnight and save the results to a specified report file.

Understanding Nikto Outputs

When you run a scan, Nikto provides detailed output that highlights potential vulnerabilities and issues. Here’s an example command output:

Command:

nikto -h http://yourwebsite.com

Output:

- Nikto v2.1.6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Target IP:          192.0.2.1
+ Target Hostname:    yourwebsite.com
+ Target Port:        80
+ Start Time:         2024-10-22 15:00:00
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Server: Apache/2.4.38 (Debian)
+ The anti-clickjacking X-Frame-Options header is not present.
+ Allowed HTTP Methods: GET, HEAD, POST, OPTIONS
+ OSVDB-876: http://yourwebsite.com:80/ - File /admin found
+ OSVDB-123456: Potentially interesting file found: /config.php
+ 192.0.2.1:80 - Directory indexing is enabled
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ End Time:           2024-10-22 15:00:10 (Duration: 10 seconds)
+ 4 host(s) tested
+ 3 issue(s) identified
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Explanation of Key Outputs

• Server: Identifies the web server and version, which can help in assessing known vulnerabilities.
• Vulnerabilities: Outputs such as the absence of the X-Frame-Options header indicate potential security risks like clickjacking.
• OSVDB: Each OSVDB entry links to specific vulnerabilities or exposed files, allowing you to address critical issues promptly.

Integrating Nikto with CI/CD Pipelines

For organizations employing continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) practices, integrating Nikto scans into the pipeline can significantly enhance security. By adding Nikto as a step in your build process, you can automatically check for vulnerabilities before deploying updates to production.

Example Integration with a CI/CD Tool

Here’s a simple example using a shell script in a CI/CD pipeline:

#!/bin/bash
nikto -h http://yourwebsite.com -output /path/to/report.txt

This script can be executed as part of your build process, ensuring that vulnerabilities are detected and addressed before deployment.

Conclusion

Automating security scanning with Nikto is an essential practice for maintaining the safety of web applications. By regularly checking for vulnerabilities and integrating Nikto into your CI/CD pipeline, you can proactively manage security risks. Remember, understanding the output and acting upon the identified vulnerabilities is crucial to ensure your web server remains secure. Regularly running these scans will not only help you check if a website is safe but also foster a culture of security awareness within your organization.