Nettacker

OWASP Nettacker manages comprehensive network and application security assessments by automating information gathering, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing. This open-source tool, written entirely in Python, utilizes YAML-type modules to facilitate a wide range of security tests, including vulnerability scans, brute force attacks, and misconfiguration detection.

Technically, Nettacker employs various protocols such as TCP SYN, ACK, and ICMP to detect and bypass Firewall/IDS/IPS devices, making it effective in discovering protected services and devices, including SCADA systems. It can be run in multiple modes, including command-line utility, API, Web GUI, or as Maltego transforms, and it does not rely on external tools, enhancing its flexibility and efficiency.

Operationally, Nettacker can be deployed using Docker containers, which simplifies setup and ensures data persistence even after container shutdown. The tool generates detailed reports in HTML, JSON, CSV, and text formats, providing comprehensive visibility into network and application vulnerabilities. However, the multi-thread and multi-process architecture, while enhancing performance, can lead to significant resource utilization, particularly during large-scale scans.

Key technical details include the ability to detect critically vulnerable services such as MOVEit Transfer, Citrix Netscaler, and Ivanti ICS/EPMM/vTM, as well as SSL/TLS weak cipher detection. Recent releases have introduced features like scan comparison and new modules for scanning the latest vulnerabilities. Despite its robust capabilities, Nettacker's performance can be impacted by the complexity and size of the networks being scanned, highlighting the need for careful resource management and planning during deployment.