Your Step-by-Step Guide to Installing GVM on Ubuntu 24.04
Proactively identifying and mitigating security weaknesses is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity. For organizations and individuals seeking a powerful, open-source solution for vulnerability scanning, Greenbone Vulnerability Manager (GVM) is an industry-leading choice. This comprehensive suite of tools allows you to scan your network, identify vulnerabilities, and manage remediation efforts effectively.
This guide provides a clear, detailed walkthrough for installing Greenbone Vulnerability Manager on a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 system. By following these steps, you can deploy your own robust vulnerability scanning platform.
Prerequisites
Before you begin the installation process, ensure your system meets the following requirements:
- An up-to-date installation of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
- A user account with sudo or root privileges.
- At least 4 GB of RAM and 20 GB of free disk space. For production environments or large networks, 8 GB of RAM or more is highly recommended.
- A stable internet connection for downloading packages and vulnerability feeds.
Step 1: Update Your System
First, it’s crucial to ensure your system’s package list and installed packages are fully up to date. This prevents potential conflicts and security issues. Open your terminal and run the following commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
Step 2: Add the GVM Personal Package Archive (PPA)
To ensure you get the latest stable version of GVM, we will add the official PPA maintained by the Greenbone community. This repository provides the necessary packages compiled specifically for Ubuntu.
Execute the following commands to add the PPA to your system:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mrazavi/gvm
sudo apt update
Step 3: Install the GVM Packages
With the PPA configured, you can now install the core GVM components. This single command will pull in the vulnerability scanner, manager, web interface (GSA), and all necessary dependencies like PostgreSQL and Redis.
sudo apt install gvm -y
This installation process may take several minutes as it downloads and configures numerous packages.
Step 4: Run the Initial GVM Setup
After the package installation is complete, the next critical step is to run the initial setup script. This is an essential one-time process that configures the database, generates necessary SSL certificates, and begins the initial download of the vulnerability feeds.
Run the setup script with sudo privileges:
sudo gvm-setup
During this process, pay close attention to the terminal output. The script will generate a secure, random password for the default admin user. Be sure to copy and save this password in a secure location, as you will need it to log in for the first time.
The feed synchronization will begin automatically in the background. This is the longest part of the process and can take several hours, depending on your internet speed and system resources.
Step 5: Verify the Installation
To ensure all components are configured correctly, GVM provides a helpful diagnostic script. Running this check will report on the status of your installation and suggest fixes for common issues.
sudo gvm-check-setup
Review the output carefully. If it ends with the message “It seems like your GVM-23.11.0 installation is OK,” you are good to go. If it reports any issues or suggests a “FIX,” follow the on-screen instructions to resolve them before proceeding.
Step 6: Accessing the Greenbone Security Assistant (GSA)
Once the setup is complete and the services are running, you can access the GVM web interface, known as the Greenbone Security Assistant.
The web interface is accessible via HTTPS on port 9392. Open your web browser and navigate to:
https://127.0.0.1:9392
Since the installation uses a self-signed SSL certificate, your browser will display a security warning. This is expected. You can safely accept the risk and proceed to the login page.
Log in with the username admin and the password that was generated during the gvm-setup step.
Important Security Tip: Change the Admin Password
Your first action after logging in should be to change the default admin password.
- Navigate to Administration > Users from the top menu.
- Click the wrench icon next to the
adminuser to edit the account. - Leave the password field blank to be prompted to enter a new password, or click the lock icon to generate a new secure one.
- Save your new password in a password manager or another secure location.
Managing GVM Services
You can manage the GVM services using standard systemctl commands.
- To check the status of GVM:
bash
sudo systemctl status gvmd
- To stop GVM:
bash
sudo systemctl stop gvmd
- To start GVM:
bash
sudo systemctl start gvmd
You now have a fully functional Greenbone Vulnerability Manager instance running on Ubuntu 24.04. You can begin configuring scan targets, creating scan policies, and proactively securing your network infrastructure. Regular feed updates and consistent scanning are key to maintaining a strong security posture.
Source: https://kifarunix.com/install-gvm-vulnerability-scanner-on-ubuntu-24-04/
