/etc/openvas/

directories and files under /etc/openvas/. Typically, this directory contains configuration files and other settings for OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment System). Here’s a overview of what you might find there:

1. openvas.conf

• Purpose: This configuration file contains general settings for OpenVAS.

• Usage: Administrators can modify settings such as database connections, logging, and other global configurations here.

2. openvasmd.conf

• Purpose: Configuration file for the OpenVAS Manager (openvasmd).

• Usage: Contains settings related to the OpenVAS Manager daemon, including database configuration, network settings, and other operational parameters.

3. openvassd.conf

• Purpose: Configuration file for the OpenVAS Scanner (openvassd).

• Usage: Contains settings specific to the OpenVAS Scanner daemon, such as network listening ports, logging configuration, and scanning behavior.

4. greenbone

• Purpose: Directory containing various subdirectories and configuration files related to Greenbone Security Assistant (GSA) and Greenbone Vulnerability Management (GVM).

• Usage: Contains GSA configuration files (gsad) and other related settings.

5. cert

• Purpose: Directory for SSL certificates used by OpenVAS components.

• Usage: Contains CA certificates, server certificates, and private keys generated by openvas-mkcert.

6. scapdata

• Purpose: Directory containing SCAP (Security Content Automation Protocol) data used for compliance auditing.

• Usage: SCAP content files are stored here, which are used by OpenVAS for compliance checks and reporting.

7. user.conf

• Purpose: Configuration file for user-specific settings in OpenVAS.

• Usage: Stores settings specific to individual users, such as preferred language, email notifications, etc.

8. plugins

• Purpose: Directory for OpenVAS plugins, including Network Vulnerability Tests (NVTs).

• Usage: Contains scripts and data files used by openvassd to perform vulnerability assessments.

9. passwd

• Purpose: File containing user credentials for OpenVAS.

• Usage: Stores encrypted user passwords and other authentication information.

Security Considerations

• Permissions: Ensure that sensitive files and directories (cert directory, user.conf, passwd) have appropriate permissions set (chmod and chown) to restrict access.

• Backups: Regularly backup configuration files (*.conf) and critical data (cert directory) to prevent data loss in case of system failure.

• Updates: Keep OpenVAS and related packages (greenbone-security-assistant, openvas-manager, openvas-scanner) updated to mitigate security vulnerabilities.

Understanding and managing these files and directories under /etc/openvas/ is crucial for configuring and maintaining a secure and effective OpenVAS deployment.