Troubleshooting OpenVAS Scan Stuck at 0%: Resolving Endless Security Scans

Are you experiencing frustratingly slow or perpetually stuck vulnerability scans with OpenVAS? It’s a common issue where a seemingly straightforward security scan grinds to a halt at 0%, leaving you in the dark about your system’s security posture. You might be running routine checks, aiming for proactive advance system care scanning for security holes, only to find your scan it never finishes. This guide will help you diagnose and resolve the common causes behind OpenVAS scans that get stuck and fail to progress.

Like many users, you might have encountered a situation where your initial OpenVAS scans ran smoothly, effectively identifying vulnerabilities. However, subsequent scans against the same target inexplicably stall at 0%, even after waiting for extended periods, sometimes even 24 hours. This can be particularly perplexing when network connectivity seems fine and basic checks pass without issue.

Let’s delve into the troubleshooting steps to get your OpenVAS scans back on track.

Diagnosing the 0% Scan Issue in OpenVAS

Before diving into complex solutions, let’s cover some fundamental checks and then progress to more detailed log analysis.

Initial Checks and Environment Verification

First, ensure your environment is correctly configured and running. Based on user reports, a typical setup involves:

• Kali Linux: As the scanning platform.
• OpenVAS/Greenbone Vulnerability Manager (GVM): The core scanning suite.
• Resource Allocation: Sufficient resources like vCPUs and RAM are crucial for efficient scanning.

If you’ve already confirmed these basics, let’s move to more specific troubleshooting steps inspired by common user experiences.

Analyzing Log Files for Clues

Log files are your best friends when troubleshooting OpenVAS issues. They often contain valuable error messages and warnings that pinpoint the root cause of the problem. Here are the key log files to examine:

• /var/log/gvm/gsad.log: Logs for the Greenbone Security Assistant Daemon (GSAD), the web interface.
• /var/log/gvm/gvmd.log: Logs for the Greenbone Vulnerability Management Daemon (GVMD), the central management daemon.
• /var/log/gvm/openvas.log: Logs for the OpenVAS Scanner itself.
• /var/log/gvm/ospd-openvas.log: Logs for the Open Scanner Protocol Daemon (OSPD) for OpenVAS, which manages scan execution.

By inspecting these logs, you might uncover error messages that directly indicate why your scan is stuck. For instance, warnings about missing or problematic NASL scripts can halt the scan initialization process.

sd main:WARNING:2023-12-20 08h00.15 utc:2049086:82cc212d-5a7d-4643-abb5-bba77cd2e802: There was a problem trying to load secpod_asterisk_detect.nasl, a dependency of Asterisk DoS Vulnerability (AST-2018-007). This may be due to a parse error, or it failed to find the dependency. Please check the path to the file.

This log excerpt, similar to what users report, indicates issues with loading specific NASL scripts, in this case related to Asterisk vulnerabilities. Such warnings suggest potential problems with the vulnerability feed or the integrity of the NASL script library.

Common Causes and Solutions for Stuck OpenVAS Scans

Based on user experiences and common troubleshooting practices, here are potential causes and solutions for OpenVAS scans stuck at 0%:

1. NASL Script Loading Errors:

   • Cause: As seen in the logs, errors loading NASL scripts (Nessus Attack Scripting Language) can prevent the scan from starting properly. This can be due to corrupted, missing, or outdated vulnerability feeds.
   • Solution:
     • Update Vulnerability Feeds: Ensure your vulnerability feeds are up-to-date. Run: sudo greenbone-feed-sync --type=ALL. Crontab should automate this daily, but manual execution can confirm the latest updates.
     • Check Feed Integrity: In rare cases, feed synchronization might be incomplete or corrupted. Re-syncing the feeds can resolve this.
     • Investigate Specific NASL Errors: If the logs point to specific NASL scripts, investigate their presence and integrity in the NASL directory.

2. OSPD and Scanner Issues:

   • Cause: OSPD is responsible for managing and executing scans. Issues within OSPD or the underlying scanner can lead to scan failures. “Invalid VT oid for a result” warnings in ospd-openvas.log can indicate internal data inconsistencies.
   • Solution:
     • Restart OSPD: Restarting the OSPD service independently can sometimes clear temporary glitches. Use commands specific to your system’s service management (e.g., sudo systemctl restart ospd-openvas).
     • Restart Greenbone Services: As a more comprehensive approach, restart all Greenbone services: sudo gvm-stop followed by sudo gvm-start.
     • Check OSPD Status: Verify OSPD is running correctly using systemctl status or similar commands.

3. Resource Constraints:

   • Cause: While the user reported ample resources (16vCPUs, 32GB RAM), resource exhaustion can still occur, especially under heavy load or if other processes are consuming resources.
   • Solution:
     • Monitor Resource Usage: Use tools like top, htop, or vmstat to monitor CPU, RAM, and disk I/O during scan execution.
     • Optimize Scan Configuration: Adjust scan settings to reduce resource consumption if needed. Consider reducing the number of concurrent hosts or checks per host in scan configurations.

4. Database Issues:

   • Cause: Although less frequent, database corruption or inconsistencies within the Greenbone database can sometimes affect scan initiation and progress.
   • Solution:
     • Check Database Integrity: Greenbone provides tools for database maintenance and integrity checks. Refer to Greenbone documentation for database-specific commands.
     • Restart Database Service: Restarting the underlying database service (e.g., PostgreSQL) might resolve temporary database issues.

5. Scan Configuration Problems:

   • Cause: Incorrect or overly aggressive scan configurations can sometimes lead to scans getting stuck, especially if they trigger rate limiting or firewall issues on the target.
   • Solution:
     • Review Scan Configuration: Double-check the scan configuration profile being used. Ensure it’s appropriate for the target and network environment.
     • Try Different Scan Profiles: Experiment with different scan profiles (e.g., “Host Discovery” or a less intensive profile) to see if the issue persists. This can help isolate whether the problem lies in the scan target interaction or the vulnerability scanning phase itself.

Moving Forward with Your Security Scans

Troubleshooting advance system care scanning for security holes that it never finishes can be time-consuming, but systematically working through these steps will significantly increase your chances of identifying and resolving the issue. Remember to carefully examine the log files, as they are the primary source of information for diagnosing OpenVAS scan problems.

By addressing potential NASL script errors, OSPD issues, resource constraints, database concerns, and scan configurations, you can effectively tackle the frustrating problem of OpenVAS scans stuck at 0% and ensure your vulnerability assessments proceed smoothly. If the issue persists even after these steps, consider seeking further assistance from the Greenbone community forums or professional support channels.