Top 21 Nikto Commands for Web Vulnerability Scanning

Nikto is a powerful open-source web server scanner that detects vulnerabilities, outdated server software, and security misconfigurations. Below are the top 21 Nikto commands that security professionals can use to identify and mitigate risks on web servers.

1. Basic Web Server Scan
2. Run Specific Plugins
3. Comprehensive Scan with All Tests
4. Tuning Scan for Interesting Files
5. Export Vulnerabilities to Metasploit
6. Check for robots.txt Vulnerabilities
7. Check for File Upload Vulnerabilities
8. Scan for Shellshock Vulnerability
9. Scan for Heartbleed Vulnerability
10. Scan for POODLE Vulnerability
11. Generate a Vulnerability Report
12. Check for CGI Vulnerabilities
13. Scan for Apache-Specific Vulnerabilities
14. Scan for IIS-Specific Vulnerabilities
15. Scan for Horde-Specific Vulnerabilities
16. Check for Nessus Compatibility
17. Scan for PHP-Specific Vulnerabilities
18. Check for SSL/TLS Vulnerabilities
19. Run Generic Tests for Common Vulnerabilities
20. Check for Metasploit Integration
21. Scan for Tomcat-Specific Vulnerabilities

1. Basic Web Server Scan

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1

This command scans the target web server for known vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and potential security threats.

2. Run Specific Plugins

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins

Executes specified plugins to check for specific vulnerabilities.

3. Comprehensive Scan with All Tests

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -C all

Performs a complete scan using all available Nikto tests.

4. Tuning Scan for Interesting Files

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Tuning 1

Focuses on scanning for interesting files instead of running a full vulnerability check.

5. Export Vulnerabilities to Metasploit

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Format msf+

Formats the scan results for Metasploit integration.

6. Check for robots.txt Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins robots

Analyzes robots.txt for security flaws.

7. Check for File Upload Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins fileupload

Detects insecure file upload mechanisms that attackers might exploit.

8. Scan for Shellshock Vulnerability

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins shellshock

Checks if the server is vulnerable to the Shellshock exploit.

9. Scan for Heartbleed Vulnerability

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins heartbleed

Detects Heartbleed SSL vulnerabilities.

10. Scan for POODLE Vulnerability

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins poodle

Detects SSLv3 POODLE attack susceptibility.

11. Generate a Vulnerability Report

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -output report.html

Outputs the scan results into an HTML report.

12. Check for CGI Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins cgi

Scans for CGI script-related vulnerabilities.

13. Scan for Apache-Specific Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins apache

Checks Apache web servers for known security issues.

14. Scan for IIS-Specific Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins iis

Checks Microsoft IIS web servers for security weaknesses.

15. Scan for Horde-Specific Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins horde

Detects vulnerabilities specific to Horde web applications.

16. Check for Nessus Compatibility

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins nessus

Ensures scan results are compatible with Nessus security scanner.

17. Scan for PHP-Specific Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins php

Finds security risks in PHP-based web applications.

18. Check for SSL/TLS Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins ssl

Analyzes SSL/TLS configurations and vulnerabilities.

19. Run Generic Tests for Common Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins generic

Performs a general security assessment.

20. Check for Metasploit Integration

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins msf

Identifies vulnerabilities that can be exploited using Metasploit.

21. Scan for Tomcat-Specific Vulnerabilities

nikto -h http://192.168.1.1 -Plugins tomcat

Finds security flaws in Apache Tomcat servers.

Conclusion

Nikto is a powerful tool for web security assessments, capable of identifying vulnerabilities and misconfigurations across various web platforms. By using these 21 commands, security analysts can perform comprehensive scans and generate reports to strengthen web security defenses.