Nessus is one of the most widely used vulnerability scanners in the world. It is a powerful tool for identifying security vulnerabilities and providing valuable insights into the security flaws present in a system. It can be used to scan both network and web applications for potential attack vectors.

Kali Linux is one of the most popular operating systems used by ethical hackers and security professionals. It comes with a wide range of pre-installed tools including Nessus. In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing Nessus on Kali Linux.

Before we begin, it is important to note that Nessus is a proprietary tool and requires a license to use the full features of the software. However, Nessus offers a free version which has limited functionality but can still be used for scanning vulnerabilities.

Step 1: Download Nessus

The first step is to download the Nessus package from the Tenable website. Once you have downloaded the package, navigate to the directory where the file is stored.

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Before installing Nessus, we need to make sure that all the required dependencies are installed on our Kali Linux system. Open your terminal and type the following command to install the dependencies:

sudo apt-get install libssl-dev libffi-dev python-dev openssl

Step 3: Install Nessus

Now we can proceed with the installation of Nessus. In the same terminal window, navigate to the directory where you have downloaded the Nessus package. Type the following command to install Nessus:

sudo dpkg -i Nessus-/amd64.deb

Make sure to replace the with the version of Nessus you have downloaded.

Step 4: Start Nessus

Once Nessus is installed, we need to start the service. Type the following command to start the Nessus service:

sudo systemctl start nessusd

Step 5: Access the Nessus Web Interface

Now we are ready to access the Nessus web interface. Open your web browser and navigate to https://localhost:8834. You will be prompted to create a new user and set a password for the Nessus account.

Step 6: Configure Nessus

Once you have created the Nessus account, you can start configuring the scan settings. The configuration options include selecting the targets, configuring the scan parameters, and setting up notifications.

Conclusion

Nessus is a powerful vulnerability scanner that can help identify security flaws and provide valuable insight into the security of your system. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily install Nessus on your Kali Linux system and start scanning for vulnerabilities right away.