Vulnerability Scanner Project (VSP)

A comprehensive web application security scanner that helps identify common vulnerabilities in websites. This tool performs automated security assessments to detect issues like XSS, SQL Injection, CSRF, insecure headers, and more.

Features

• Comprehensive Vulnerability Detection: Scans for 10+ types of common web vulnerabilities
• Detailed Reporting: Provides severity ratings and remediation advice for each vulnerability
• Real-time Progress Tracking: Monitor scan progress in real-time
• Asynchronous Processing: Background processing of scans using Celery
• Modern Tech Stack: Built with Django, React, and Celery

Vulnerabilities Detected

• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• SQL Injection
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
• Missing Security Headers
• SSL/TLS Misconfigurations
• Clickjacking Vulnerabilities
• CORS Misconfigurations
• Sensitive Data Exposure
• Outdated Software/CMS Detection
• Open Redirect Vulnerabilities
• Insecure Cookie Settings
• Server Information Disclosure

Tech Stack

• Backend: Django, Django REST Framework
• Frontend: React, Next JS, Shadcn
• Task Queue: Celery with Redis
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Security Tools: OWASP ZAP integration

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• Node.js 14+
• Redis
• PostgreSQL
• pip and npm

Installation

Backend Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/shamscsediu/vsp.git
   cd vsp

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies:

   cd backend
   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure environment variables:

   • Copy the example .env file:

     cp .env.example .env

   • Edit the .env file with your database credentials and other settings

5. Set up the database:

   python manage.py migrate

6. Create a superuser (optional):

   python manage.py createsuperuser

Frontend Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   cd ../frontend
   npm install

Running the Application

Start Redis (for Celery)

redis-server

Start Celery Worker

cd backend
celery -A config worker --loglevel=info

### Start Backend Server
```bash
cd backend
python manage.py runserver

Start Frontend Development Server

cd frontend
npm start

The application should now be running at:

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:8000/api/
• Admin interface: http://localhost:8000/admin/

Environment Variables

The backend uses environment variables for configuration. These are stored in a .env file in the backend directory. Here are the key variables: Variable Description Default DEBUG

Django debug mode

False SECRET_KEY

Django secret key

None ALLOWED_HOSTS

Comma-separated list of allowed hosts

localhost,127.0.0.1 DB_ENGINE

Database engine

django.db.backends.sqlite3 DB_NAME

Database name

db.sqlite3 DB_USER

Database user

None DB_PASSWORD

Database password

None DB_HOST

Database host

None DB_PORT

Database port

None REDIS_HOST

Redis host

localhost REDIS_PORT

Redis port

6379 REDIS_DB

Redis database number

0 CELERY_BROKER_URL

Celery broker URL

redis://localhost:6379/0 CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND

Celery result backend

redis://localhost:6379/0 CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS

Comma-separated list of allowed CORS origins

http://localhost:3000

Usage

1. Navigate to the web interface at http://localhost:3000
2. Enter the URL of the website you want to scan
3. Click "Start Scan" and wait for the results
4. View detailed vulnerability information and remediation advice

API Endpoints

• POST /api/scanner/start-scan/ : Start a new scan
• GET /api/scanner/scan-status/<scan_id>/ : Get scan status and results
• GET /api/scanner/vulnerability/<scan_id>/<vuln_id>/ : Get detailed vulnerability information
• POST /api/scanner/rescan/<scan_id>/ : Start a new scan of a previously scanned URL
• GET /api/scanner/compare/<scan_id1>/<scan_id2>/ : Compare results between two scans

Project Structure

vsp/
├── backend/
│   ├── config/             # Django project settings
│   ├── scanner/            # Main scanner application
│   │   ├── models.py       # Database models
│   │   ├── serializers.py  # API serializers
│   │   ├── services.py     # Scanner implementation
│   │   ├── tasks.py        # Celery tasks
│   │   ├── urls.py         # API endpoints
│   │   └── views.py        # API views
│   ├── .env                # Environment variables
│   └── requirements.txt    # Python dependencies
├── frontend/
│   ├── public/             # Static files
│   ├── src/                # React source code
│   │   ├── components/     # UI components
│   │   ├── pages/          # Page components
│   │   ├── services/       # API services
│   │   └── App.js          # Main application
│   └── package.json        # Node.js dependencies
└── README.md               # This file

Security Considerations

• This tool is designed for security professionals and website owners to test their own websites
• Always obtain proper authorization before scanning any website
• Some vulnerability checks may trigger security systems or cause unexpected behavior
• Use with caution on production systems

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Redis Connection Error :

   • Ensure Redis server is running
   • Check Redis connection settings in .env file

2. Celery Worker Not Starting :

   • Verify Redis is running
   • Check for missing Python dependencies
   • Ensure the virtual environment is activated

3. Database Connection Issues :

   • Verify PostgreSQL is running
   • Check database credentials in .env file
   • Ensure the database exists

4. Scan Failures :

   • Check network connectivity to target website
   • Verify the URL format is correct
   • Some websites may block automated scanning tools

Acknowledgements

• OWASP for security best practices and guidelines
• Django for the backend framework
• React for the frontend framework
• Celery for task queue management

Disclaimer

This tool is meant for educational purposes and authorized security testing only. Always obtain proper permission before scanning any website. The developers are not responsible for any misuse of this tool.