Problem

When submitting an internal authenticated vulnerability scan, a significant number of targets fail due to configuration or accessibility issues. This can result from:

• Lack of proper credentials for remote scanning.
• Inefficiencies in the scanning method (e.g., remote vs. agent-based scanning).

Solution

1. Identify the Issue

• For the internal authenticated scan, ensure the agent conducting the scan can access the targets.
• If the scanning agent  lacks alternative credentials or cannot reach certain targets remotely, the scan may fail.

2. Switch to Agent-Based Scanning

Agent-based scanning is the preferred method when agents are already installed on target machines. This approach offers:

• Improved Success Rates: Each target with an agent scans itself, avoiding remote access issues.
• Faster Scans: Distributed scanning minimizes bottlenecks caused by a single scanning agent.

3. Configure Agent-Based Scanning

• Navigate to the scan setup page.
• Select the Agent_Group option.
• Ensure all target machines have agents installed. This allows them to run scans simultaneously.

4. Use Alternative Credentials for Remote Scans

If agent-based scanning is not feasible:

• Configure alternative credentials for the scanning agent.
• Ensure the agent has the necessary permissions to access all targets.

Recommendations

• For large organizations, use agent-based scanning for scalability and reliability.
• Verify that all target machines have agents installed and are up to date.
• Schedule scans during off-peak hours to reduce network load and avoid conflicts.