This article outlines the root causes and resolutions for two common errors encountered during vulnerability scans within CYRISMA:

"Inaccessible Vulnerability OVAL File"

"No ARF File"

These errors are typically related to incorrect target configurations or PowerShell issues on the scanned machines.

Issue 1: Inaccessible Vulnerability OVAL File

Cause

This occurs when the machine’s vulnerability profile was not properly updated during the Network Discovery Scan. As a result, the profile is set to “Not Required”, preventing the scan from executing successfully.

Resolution

Navigate to Admin > Targets.

Click the pencil icon ✏️ next to the affected machine.

Check the Vulnerability Profile field:

If it says Not Required, it needs to be updated.

Manually assign the appropriate vulnerability profile.

Re-run the vulnerability scan on that target.

Issue 2: No ARF File (PowerShell Timeout or I/O Exception)

Cause

This error is typically caused by:

PowerShell timeouts

I/O exceptions during the scan

These indicate potential system-level issues, such as a corrupted or misconfigured PowerShell environment.

Diagnostic Steps for PowerShell Issues

Follow these steps to verify if PowerShell is functioning correctly on the affected machine:

1. Launch PowerShell

Open PowerShell as Administrator.

Run:

or

If startup is delayed or fails, corruption may be present.

2. Run Test Commands

Try running the following in a new PowerShell session:

If any of these commands fail or time out, investigate PowerShell configuration or integrity.

3. Check Execution Policy

Run:

An error or hang may indicate a policy-related configuration issue.

4. Launch Without Profile

Test PowerShell without loading profile scripts:

If this succeeds, a corrupt profile script (e.g., Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1) may be the cause.

5. Review Event Viewer Logs

Open Event Viewer

Navigate to Windows Logs > Application or System

Look for errors referencing PowerShell or Application Error

Remediation Steps

A. Profile-Related Issue

Rename the user profile script:

B. Repair Windows PowerShell (v5.1)

Run the following in Command Prompt as Admin:

C. Reset PowerShell Core (pwsh)

Uninstall PowerShell Core from Apps & Features.

Download the latest version from PowerShell GitHub Releases.

Reinstall and test for functionality.

Temporary Workarounds

If PowerShell remains non-functional:

Use CMD, WSL, or Windows Terminal to operate.

Alternatively, download the portable PowerShell Core ZIP edition and launch pwsh.exe directly.