Research Note: OpenVAS, Vulnerability Scanning
Executive Summary
OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment System) is a leading open-source vulnerability scanning solution that provides comprehensive security assessment capabilities for organizations seeking to identify and remediate security weaknesses across their networks and systems. The platform offers robust vulnerability detection through a comprehensive knowledge base of security checks, enabling organizations to discover potential security exposures before they can be exploited by malicious actors. OpenVAS distinguishes itself technologically through its fully open-source nature, extensive vulnerability test database, and integration within the broader Greenbone Vulnerability Management framework, providing a cost-effective alternative to commercial security scanning solutions. This research note is intended for CEOs and CIOs seeking to secure capital budget approval for implementing OpenVAS as a vulnerability management solution, providing a detailed analysis of the platform's capabilities, market position, technical architecture, strengths, weaknesses, and client experiences to support informed decision-making at the board level.
Corporate Overview
OpenVAS was established in 2005 as a fork of the Nessus vulnerability scanner after Tenable Network Security (now Tenable) closed the source code of Nessus and shifted to a commercial model. The project was initially called GNessUs before being renamed to OpenVAS in 2006. OpenVAS is maintained and developed by Greenbone Networks GmbH, headquartered at Neumarkt 29-33, 50667 Cologne, Germany, with development contributions from a global community of security professionals and volunteers. As an open-source project with commercial backing, OpenVAS operates under a different financial model than traditional security vendors, with Greenbone Networks providing commercial support, services, and enterprise features while maintaining the core scanner as free and open-source software. While specific revenue figures for Greenbone Networks are not publicly disclosed, the company sustains development through commercial support subscriptions, enterprise versions of the software, and professional services related to vulnerability management. The primary mission of OpenVAS is to provide comprehensive, freely accessible vulnerability scanning capabilities to organizations of all sizes while fostering community-driven security improvements.
OpenVAS has received significant recognition within the cybersecurity community, particularly among organizations seeking cost-effective security solutions, with the platform being downloaded millions of times and deployed across numerous organizations globally. The solution has been implemented by many organizations across various industries, from small businesses to larger enterprises seeking to supplement their security programs with open-source tools, though specific client references are less prominently promoted compared to commercial vendors. OpenVAS primarily serves organizations in technology, education, government, and non-profit sectors, with particular strength among budget-conscious organizations and those with technical security teams capable of managing open-source security tools. The platform benefits from integration with numerous other open-source security tools and commercial security platforms that incorporate or interface with OpenVAS, extending its capabilities and reach through these partnerships.
Market Analysis
The global vulnerability scanning tools market was valued at approximately $11.73 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach around $24.51 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1%, representing a substantial and expanding opportunity. OpenVAS has established a significant position in the open-source segment of this market, though its precise market share is difficult to quantify due to its free availability and community-driven nature. OpenVAS differentiates itself strategically through its open-source philosophy, offering organizations a robust vulnerability scanning solution without substantial licensing costs, making it particularly attractive to budget-conscious organizations, educational institutions, and businesses in emerging markets.
The platform serves multiple vertical industries with particularly strong presence in education, government, non-profit organizations, and small-to-medium businesses that may lack the resources for enterprise commercial security solutions. Key performance metrics in the vulnerability scanning industry include detection accuracy, false positive rates, scan comprehensiveness, and remediation guidance quality, with OpenVAS demonstrating competitive capabilities in these areas considering its cost structure, though peer reviews indicate it may require more technical expertise to achieve optimal results compared to commercial alternatives. The primary market trends driving demand for vulnerability scanning solutions include expanding attack surfaces, increasing cyber threat sophistication, regulatory compliance requirements, and growing awareness of cybersecurity risks across all industry sectors.
Organizations implementing OpenVAS have reported specific cost savings through the elimination of commercial licensing fees, which can amount to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for large enterprises using commercial alternatives. OpenVAS's primary target customers include small-to-medium businesses with budget constraints, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, security researchers, and organizations in emerging markets where commercial security tools may be cost-prohibitive. The platform faces competitive pressure from commercial vulnerability scanning vendors like Tenable, Rapid7, and Qualys, which offer more polished user interfaces, dedicated support, and integrated vulnerability management platforms but at significantly higher cost points.
The platform supports scanning across various system types including network devices, servers, workstations, virtualized environments, and operating systems, though it may have less native coverage for specialized environments like cloud infrastructure compared to commercial alternatives. As the market evolves in response to technical advancements, OpenVAS continues to adapt through community-driven development and Greenbone Networks' commercial support, though it may lag behind commercial vendors in cutting-edge feature development due to resource constraints inherent in the open-source model. Organizations typically implement OpenVAS as either a complete vulnerability management solution (for smaller entities) or as a complementary tool alongside commercial security solutions to provide additional scanning coverage.
Product Analysis
OpenVAS serves as the core scanning engine within the broader Greenbone Vulnerability Management (GVM) framework, providing comprehensive vulnerability detection capabilities through its extensive database of security checks and assessment methods. While OpenVAS itself does not hold patents due to its open-source nature, it leverages numerous innovative approaches to vulnerability detection that have been contributed by the security community. The platform demonstrates effective technical capabilities in identifying known vulnerabilities across various systems, with its vulnerability tests written in the specialized Greenbone NASL (Network Attack Scripting Language), allowing for flexible and extensible vulnerability checking.
The platform provides multi-language support primarily through its interface translations, though the depth of localization varies by language and may not be as comprehensive as commercial alternatives. OpenVAS's scanning capabilities cover multiple technology channels including network infrastructure, operating systems, databases, web servers, and applications, providing a unified view of security exposures across an organization's technology stack. The platform offers moderate customization capabilities through configuration files and command-line options, though it lacks the polished low-code/no-code interfaces of some commercial alternatives, requiring more technical expertise for advanced customization.
OpenVAS provides integration capabilities with other security and IT management tools primarily through its API and the broader GVM framework, though these integrations may require more technical implementation compared to the pre-built connectors offered by commercial solutions. The platform delivers vulnerability findings through detailed reports that provide information about discovered vulnerabilities, their severity, potential impacts, and remediation recommendations, though the analytics capabilities are less sophisticated than those offered by premium commercial platforms. OpenVAS focuses primarily on technical vulnerability detection rather than incorporating emotional or sentiment detection capabilities, reflecting its origins as a technical security tool rather than a comprehensive security management platform.
The platform leverages automation for vulnerability scanning and reporting, though it lacks some of the advanced AI and machine learning capabilities found in leading commercial solutions. OpenVAS implements security measures to protect scan data and findings, though comprehensive security frameworks and certifications are more associated with Greenbone's commercial offerings rather than the open-source OpenVAS platform itself. The multi-scanning capabilities enable organizations to conduct various types of security assessments, though coordinating these activities requires more manual effort compared to the orchestration capabilities of enterprise vulnerability management platforms.
Technical Architecture
OpenVAS is designed with a modular client-server architecture that allows for flexible deployment and scanning configurations, with integration capabilities for various security information management systems and IT service management platforms, though these integrations often require more technical implementation compared to commercial alternatives. Security within the OpenVAS platform is maintained through encrypted communications, access controls, and regular security updates from the open-source community and Greenbone Networks, though comprehensive security frameworks are more associated with Greenbone's commercial offerings. The platform's vulnerability detection approach utilizes a combination of network-based testing, authenticated scanning, and service-specific probes to identify security weaknesses, with over 50,000 vulnerability tests in its database that are regularly updated by the community and Greenbone Networks.
OpenVAS's scanning engine employs a sophisticated architecture that enables both network-level scanning and authenticated assessment, using the specialized NASL language to perform vulnerability checks and identify security issues across various systems and applications. The platform offers specific detection capabilities for common vulnerability types including outdated software, misconfigurations, weak credentials, and known security flaws in operating systems and applications. OpenVAS supports multiple interfaces including a web-based management console (through the Greenbone Security Assistant), command-line tools, and API access, providing flexibility for different operational approaches though requiring more technical expertise than some commercial alternatives.
Deployment options for OpenVAS include native installation on Linux systems, virtual appliances, and container-based deployments, with more advanced deployment options available through Greenbone's commercial offerings. Integration with other systems is achieved through the platform's API and specialized connectors, though these often require more technical implementation compared to the pre-built integrations offered by commercial vulnerability management platforms. The platform has demonstrated reasonable scalability for small to medium-sized environments, though large-scale enterprise deployments may encounter performance challenges without significant optimization and infrastructure investment.
OpenVAS supports various assessment workflows including baseline security scanning, compliance checking, and targeted vulnerability assessment, though these workflows typically require more manual configuration compared to the pre-defined templates and workflows offered by commercial solutions. The reporting architecture provides detailed vulnerability information through various report formats, though the analytics capabilities are less sophisticated than those offered by premium commercial platforms. The platform primarily relies on manual analysis of scan results rather than providing automated transitions between different assessment approaches, reflecting its focus on technical vulnerability detection rather than comprehensive vulnerability management.
Strengths
OpenVAS demonstrates significant strengths in its comprehensive vulnerability database with over 50,000 security checks that are regularly updated by both the community and Greenbone Networks, providing extensive coverage across various systems and applications without the licensing costs associated with commercial alternatives. The platform's open-source nature provides complete transparency into its operation and security checks, allowing organizations to verify scanning methodologies and customize assessments to their specific requirements, which is particularly valuable for security-conscious organizations that need to validate their security tools. OpenVAS offers strong multi-platform scanning capabilities across Linux, Windows, macOS, and various network devices, providing broad coverage for heterogeneous technology environments without requiring different scanning tools for different platforms.
The platform's NASL scripting language provides extensive flexibility for creating custom vulnerability checks and tailoring scans to specific environments, allowing technically proficient organizations to extend the platform's capabilities beyond pre-defined checks. OpenVAS effectively combines both unauthenticated and authenticated scanning approaches, enabling organizations to identify externally visible vulnerabilities as well as internal configuration issues and missing patches that require system-level access to detect. The platform's integration within the broader Greenbone Vulnerability Management framework provides additional capabilities for vulnerability management, risk assessment, and compliance reporting for organizations that adopt the complete GVM solution.
OpenVAS has achieved significant cost advantages compared to commercial alternatives, with the core scanner available as free open-source software, enabling organizations to implement comprehensive vulnerability scanning with minimal licensing expenditure. The platform benefits from active community development and contributions, with regular updates and improvements from security professionals worldwide, ensuring the scanning capabilities continue to evolve even without the research and development budgets of commercial vendors. The solution has demonstrated strong versatility in various deployment scenarios, from small standalone implementations to larger distributed scanning infrastructures, allowing organizations to scale their vulnerability management approach according to their needs and resources.
Organizations implementing OpenVAS have reported significant cost savings compared to commercial alternatives, with some mid-sized organizations saving $50,000-$100,000 annually in licensing fees while maintaining effective vulnerability detection capabilities. The platform has shown particular strength in educational environments and technical organizations where staff have the expertise to effectively implement and manage open-source security tools, providing these organizations with enterprise-grade security scanning capabilities despite limited security budgets.
Weaknesses
OpenVAS's technical architecture faces challenges in user experience and ease of use, with a steeper learning curve compared to commercial alternatives, requiring more technical expertise for effective implementation, configuration, and ongoing management. The platform's market presence is limited compared to major commercial vendors like Tenable, Qualys, and Rapid7, particularly in large enterprise environments where organizations often prefer solutions with dedicated vendor support and established track records in critical security functions. User feedback indicates that while the open-source community provides active forums and documentation, the lack of dedicated customer support can be challenging for organizations without internal expertise, leading to longer resolution times for implementation challenges and technical issues.
The platform's development resources are more limited compared to commercial vendors with substantial research and development budgets, occasionally resulting in delays implementing support for emerging technologies and vulnerabilities compared to commercial alternatives that can dedicate significant resources to rapid response. While OpenVAS implements standard security measures, it lacks some of the formal security certifications (like SOC 2 or FedRAMP) that many organizations require from their security vendors, potentially limiting its adoption in highly regulated industries with strict vendor security requirements. User reviews suggest that documentation can be inconsistent in quality and completeness, with some advanced features and configurations lacking comprehensive guidance, increasing the implementation challenge for organizations without prior experience with the platform.
The system integrates with various security and IT management tools, though these integrations often require more technical implementation compared to the pre-built connectors offered by commercial solutions, increasing the resource requirements for incorporating OpenVAS into existing security ecosystems. OpenVAS has less established presence and support resources in some regions compared to global commercial security vendors, potentially affecting implementation experiences for organizations in these areas that can't rely on local expertise with the platform. Performance optimization for large-scale deployments can be challenging, with some users reporting that scanning large environments requires significant tuning and infrastructure resources to maintain acceptable performance, whereas commercial alternatives often provide more optimized scanning engines for enterprise environments.
The platform's reporting and analytics capabilities are less sophisticated than those offered by premium commercial alternatives, with limited customization options and business-oriented metrics that executives and board members typically expect from security reporting solutions. OpenVAS faces challenges in cloud-native and containerized environment scanning compared to newer commercial solutions that have invested heavily in these areas, potentially limiting its effectiveness for organizations with significant cloud infrastructure. Resource limitations can affect scan comprehensiveness and performance, with some organizations reporting that achieving the same scan depth and performance as commercial alternatives requires significant additional infrastructure and optimization effort, partially offsetting the licensing cost savings.
Client Voice
Educational institutions implementing OpenVAS have reported particularly strong results, with one major university successfully scanning over 5,000 network devices and servers across multiple campuses while reducing their security tools budget by approximately 60% compared to previously used commercial alternatives. Non-profit organizations have effectively utilized OpenVAS as their primary vulnerability management solution, with one international humanitarian organization implementing regular scanning across 200+ field offices worldwide, providing basic security coverage that would have been financially impossible with commercial tools given their limited technology budget. Small businesses have successfully implemented OpenVAS to meet compliance requirements, with one regional financial services firm using the platform to conduct quarterly PCI DSS scans across their infrastructure, achieving compliance while avoiding the substantial costs of commercial scanning solutions.
Users typically report detection rates that are competitive with commercial solutions for known vulnerabilities and common misconfigurations, though they note that achieving these results often requires more tuning and customization compared to commercial alternatives. Implementation timelines reported by organizations range from 2-4 weeks for basic deployments to 2-3 months for more complex implementations with extensive customization, with success heavily dependent on the technical expertise of the implementing team. Technical organizations consistently highlight the value of OpenVAS's transparency and customizability, with one software development company noting that the ability to examine and customize vulnerability checks allowed them to adapt scanning for their proprietary software environments in ways that would be impossible with closed-source commercial alternatives.
Ongoing maintenance requirements reported by organizations are moderate to high, with most allocating at least 0.5-1 full-time equivalent (FTE) resources for platform management, significantly more than might be required for more automated commercial solutions but justified by the licensing cost savings. Organizations in resource-constrained environments particularly value OpenVAS's cost-effectiveness, with one government agency in a developing country noting that OpenVAS provided them with vulnerability scanning capabilities that would have been completely inaccessible given their limited cybersecurity budget, enabling them to identify and remediate critical security issues that would otherwise have remained undetected.
Bottom Line
When evaluating OpenVAS as a vulnerability management solution, potential buyers should consider several critical points: its comprehensive vulnerability detection capabilities available without licensing costs, the technical expertise required for effective implementation and management, its active open-source community and regular updates, and the trade-offs between cost savings and the more polished user experiences offered by commercial alternatives. Organizations that should consider implementing OpenVAS include budget-conscious entities seeking to reduce security tooling costs, educational institutions and non-profits with limited security budgets, technically proficient security teams that value transparency and customizability, and organizations in emerging markets where commercial security tools may be prohibitively expensive. OpenVAS positions itself as a leading open-source vulnerability scanner, offering a cost-effective alternative to commercial solutions while maintaining competitive detection capabilities for organizations with the technical resources to effectively implement and manage it.
The platform is best suited for organizations with technical security staff or IT personnel willing to invest time in learning the platform, environments where cost-effectiveness is a primary consideration over ease of use, security-conscious organizations that value the transparency of open-source security tools, and educational institutions or non-profits with limited security budgets but substantial security needs. Organizations that would not be well-served by OpenVAS include enterprises without dedicated technical security resources to manage the platform, companies in highly regulated industries with strict vendor security certification requirements, organizations seeking comprehensive managed security services rather than tools, and businesses that prioritize polish and ease of use over cost savings in their security tooling. OpenVAS has demonstrated the strongest value proposition in educational environments, non-profit organizations, government agencies with budget constraints, and small to medium-sized businesses seeking to implement vulnerability management without substantial security tool investments.
Key factors that should guide the decision to select OpenVAS include the organization's budgetary constraints for security tools, the technical capabilities of their security or IT staff, requirements for transparency and customizability in security scanning, and the acceptability of investing more time in implementation and management versus paying for the convenience of commercial alternatives. The minimum viable commitment required to achieve meaningful business outcomes with OpenVAS typically includes allocation of sufficient technical staff resources (at least 0.5 FTE for a moderate-sized environment), adequate infrastructure for scanning operations, an implementation timeline of 1-3 months depending on environment complexity, and ongoing commitment to maintaining the platform and responding to identified vulnerabilities, though these requirements vary based on organizational size and technical expertise.