Nessus

Overview

This node integrates with the Nessus vulnerability scanning API, allowing users to manage and run network security scans programmatically. Specifically, the Scan - Create operation enables creating a new scan by specifying targets (IP addresses, ranges, or hostnames) and optionally selecting a scan policy template.

Common scenarios where this node is beneficial include:

• Automating vulnerability assessments on specified network segments.
• Scheduling scans for newly deployed infrastructure.
• Integrating security scanning into CI/CD pipelines to detect vulnerabilities early.
• Quickly launching scans with predefined policies without manual intervention.

For example, you can create a scan targeting 192.168.1.0/24 using the "Basic Network Scan" policy template, which will prepare the scan configuration ready for launch.

Properties

Output

The output JSON contains the response from the Nessus API after creating the scan. Typically, this includes details about the newly created scan such as its unique identifier, name, status, and configuration settings.

Example structure (simplified):

{
  "uuid": "policy-template-uuid",
  "settings": {
    "name": "Scan Name",
    "text_targets": "targets string",
    "enabled": false
  },
  "scan_id": 12345,
  "status": "created"
}

No binary data output is produced by this operation.

Dependencies

• Requires access to the Nessus API with appropriate authentication credentials (an API key or token).
• The node depends on a configured credential in n8n that provides access to the Nessus API.
• The node dynamically loads available policy templates from the Nessus server to populate options.

Troubleshooting

• Missing or invalid targets: Ensure the "Targets" field is correctly formatted with valid IPs, ranges, or hostnames.
• Policy template not found: If no policy UUID is provided, the node attempts to default to the "Basic Network Scan" template. If this fails, verify that the Nessus server has this template available.
• API authentication errors: Confirm that the API credentials are valid and have sufficient permissions to create scans.
• Network connectivity issues: Ensure the n8n instance can reach the Nessus API endpoint.
• Error loading policy templates: This may indicate permission issues or API changes; check the error message for details.

If the node throws an error during execution, it typically includes the API error message. Enabling "Continue On Fail" allows processing subsequent items even if one fails.

Links and References

• Nessus API Documentation
• n8n Expressions Documentation
• Nessus Scan Policies