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performing-agentless-vulnerability-scanning

Configure agentless vulnerability scans over SSH, WinRM, and cloud snapshot APIs.

954|172|Updated Mar 13, 2026
Search Tags:#vulnerability assessment#ssh#cloud security#winrm#vuls#agentless scanning#aws snapshot
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/xalgord/xalgorix --skill performing-agentless-vulnerability-scanning
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: performing-agentless-vulnerability-scanning
Source: https://github.com/xalgord/xalgorix/tree/main/internal/tools/skills/data/vulnerability-management/performing-agentless-vulnerability-scanning
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/xalgord/xalgorix --skill performing-agentless-vulnerability-scanning

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires paramiko, pywinrm, boto3.

What problem does it solve?

Assessing systems for vulnerabilities without installing endpoint agents is difficult when environments mix Linux servers, Windows hosts, cloud VMs, and network devices. This Skill provides concrete workflows and code for agentless scanning using existing protocols and cloud APIs, avoiding agent deployment overhead.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • SSH-Based Linux Scanning: Enumerate OS info, installed packages (dpkg/rpm), kernel versions, and listening ports over SSH using Python and Paramiko.
  • WinRM-Based Windows Scanning: Collect hotfixes, installed software from the registry, and OS details via PowerShell remoting with pywinrm.
  • Cloud Snapshot Analysis: Create AWS EBS snapshots of EC2 root volumes, analyze them offline, and clean up snapshots automatically with boto3.
  • Vuls Integration: Configure the open-source Vuls scanner for agentless scans against NVD and OVAL data.
  • Use Case: A security team needs to assess 200 mixed Linux/Windows servers and AWS instances without deploying agents. Use this Skill to set up SSH/WinRM credential-based scanning and snapshot analysis, then reconcile results against inventory.

Quick Start

Set up an agentless vulnerability scan of my Linux servers using SSH key authentication and enumerate installed packages for CVE matching.

Frequently Asked Questions about performing-agentless-vulnerability-scanning

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I perform agentless vulnerability scanning on Linux servers?▼

Agentless Linux scanning uses SSH with key-based authentication to run remote commands that enumerate installed packages via dpkg or rpm, check kernel versions, and list listening ports. Python with Paramiko automates connections and collects results for CVE matching.

How to scan Windows machines for vulnerabilities without an agent?▼

Windows agentless scanning uses WinRM (ports 5985/5986) with PowerShell remoting to query installed hotfixes via Get-HotFix, enumerate software from registry uninstall keys, and retrieve OS details with Get-CimInstance. The pywinrm library enables this from Python.

What is the difference between agentless and agent-based scanning?▼

Agentless scanning requires no software installation and works over network protocols like SSH and WMI, but depends on connectivity and credentials. Agent-based scanning provides deeper local access and works offline, but requires deploying agents to every endpoint.

Does cloud snapshot scanning affect running EC2 instances?▼

AWS snapshot-based scanning creates an EBS snapshot via the EC2 API, mounts it in an isolated environment for offline analysis, then deletes it. The running instance is not modified, though snapshots must be cleaned up to avoid storage costs and data exposure.

Why does agentless scanning miss some hosts or return partial results?▼

Common causes include SSH host-key changes, WinRM firewall blocks, and read-only accounts lacking sudo privileges for package enumeration. Agentless scans also miss always-off or roaming endpoints, so results should be reconciled against inventory.

When should I use Vuls for vulnerability scanning?▼

Vuls is suitable for agentless scanning of Linux and FreeBSD systems using NVD and OVAL data over SSH. Configure targets in config.toml with fast or fast-root scan modes, then run vuls scan and generate JSON reports.

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