Local Vulnerability Assessment – Kali Linux on Windows using Nessus Essentials

Objective

This project documents a vulnerability assessment performed on a Kali Linux system installed on a Windows machine using Tenable Nessus Essentials. The goal was to identify known vulnerabilities, outdated software, and misconfigurations, while gaining practical experience with vulnerability scanning and security analysis.

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System & Tools

• Host Machine: Windows
• Assessment Target: Kali Linux (installed natively or via WSL2/VM)
• Scan Tool: Tenable Nessus Essentials (Free Edition)
• Scan Target: 127.0.0.1 (localhost)

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Vulnerability Summary

Severity	Count
Critical	1
High	4
Medium	2
Low	0
Info	72
Total	79

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Notable Vulnerabilities

Critical

• Node.js Multiple Vulnerabilities (Feb 2024 Releases)
  • Affects Node.js <18.19.1, <20.11.1, <21.6.2
  • Impact: Remote Code Execution, Denial of Service
  • Fix: Upgrade Node.js to the latest secure version
  • Plugin ID: 190856

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High

• Node.js April 2024 Security Advisories

  • Versions affected: <18.20.1, <20.12.1, <21.7.2
  • Fix: Update Node.js
  • Plugin ID: 192945

• Node.js July 2024 Vulnerabilities

  • Affects <18.20.4, <20.15.1, <22.4.1
  • Fix: Upgrade to a secure release
  • Plugin ID: 201969

• Node.js January 2025 Advisories

  • Affects <18.20.6, <20.18.2, <22.13.1, <23.6.1
  • Plugin ID: 214404

• Python Tornado Library DoS

  • Tornado 6.5.0 is vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks
  • Fix: Update the Tornado package
  • Plugin ID: 237199

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Medium

• SSL Certificate Cannot Be Trusted

  • Cause: self-signed or misconfigured certificate
  • Plugin ID: 51192

• Node.js May 2025 Vulnerabilities

  • Affects <20.19.2, <22.15.1, <23.11.1, <24.0.2
  • Fix: Upgrade Node.js
  • Plugin ID: 236766

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Informational Insights

The scan revealed various installed components and configurations, including:

• Installed services: Apache, Log4j, Docker, PostgreSQL, OpenSSL, PHP, Python, etc.
• Network interfaces and MAC addresses
• TLS versions (1.2 and 1.3) and SSL certificate info
• Full package and service enumeration over SSH

These help build an understanding of system exposure and inventory.

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Repository Contents

File	Description
scan-report.pdf https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jmAb3vQglZ7HrZxTGj4TCXLAAbyxNhhy?usp=sharing	Exported Nessus scan report
README.md	This documentation file
/screenshots/	(Optional) Nessus dashboard screenshots

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Outcome

This task helped me:

• Perform a structured vulnerability scan using Nessus
• Understand CVSS-based risk scoring and plugin documentation
• Identify and analyze real-world vulnerabilities on a Kali Linux system
• Develop foundational skills in vulnerability management and reporting

This experience mirrors real practices in SOC operations and system hardening.