Software Alternatives & Startups

lsof VS OpenVAS

Compare lsof VS OpenVAS and see what are their differences

lsof

Lsof lists open files for running UNIX processes. It is a

Rating
0 reviews
OpenVAS

The Open Vulnerability Assessment System (OpenVAS) is a framework of several services and tools...

Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, OpenVAS seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 6 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 6
Command Line Tools popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
22 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

l
lsof
OpenVAS
Website people.freebsd.org openvas.org
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

l
lsof 0 features
OpenVAS 5 features

No features have been listed yet.

  • Open Source
    OpenVAS is an open-source vulnerability scanning tool, which means it is free to use and the source code is available for customization.
  • Comprehensive Scanning
    It offers comprehensive vulnerability scanning capabilities, including a wide range of tests for network vulnerabilities, web application security, and compliance checks.
  • Regular Updates
    The tool receives regular updates, ensuring that it keeps up with the latest vulnerabilities and security threats.
  • Community Support
    OpenVAS has a strong community of users and developers who contribute to its development and provide support through forums and other channels.
  • Integration Capabilities
    OpenVAS can be integrated with other security tools and systems, enhancing its utility in a broader security infrastructure.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up OpenVAS can be complex and time-consuming, requiring a fair amount of technical expertise.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running OpenVAS can be resource-intensive, potentially requiring significant CPU and memory, especially during large-scale scans.
  • False Positives
    Like many vulnerability scanning tools, OpenVAS can generate false positives, which can result in additional effort to validate findings.
  • User Interface
    The user interface can be less intuitive compared to some commercial vulnerability scanners, potentially increasing the learning curve for new users.
  • Limited Real-Time Capabilities
    OpenVAS is more focused on periodic scanning rather than real-time vulnerability detection and management.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

l
lsof
OpenVAS

Overall verdict

  • lsof (List Open Files) is a mature, battle-tested Unix/Linux utility that reliably reveals which files, sockets, and resources are opened by processes, making it an indispensable diagnostic tool for system administrators and developers.

Why this product is good

  • Provides comprehensive visibility into open files, network sockets, pipes, and devices tied to running processes
  • Extremely useful for troubleshooting 'device busy' errors, port conflicts, and locating processes holding onto deleted files
  • Highly portable across many Unix-like systems including FreeBSD, Linux, macOS, and Solaris
  • Long history of stable, well-maintained releases with extensive documentation and community support
  • Powerful filtering options let you query by user, process, port, file, or network connection

Recommended for

  • System administrators diagnosing resource and file-locking issues
  • Developers debugging network connections and socket usage
  • Security professionals investigating suspicious process activity and open network ports
  • Anyone needing to identify which process is using a specific file, directory, or port before unmounting or killing

Overall verdict

  • OpenVAS is a good choice for those seeking a reliable and free vulnerability management solution. However, users should be prepared for a potentially steep learning curve and the need for manual configuration to tailor the scanner to their specific environment.

Why this product is good

  • OpenVAS is a comprehensive open-source vulnerability scanner that is widely respected within the cybersecurity community. It provides extensive scanning capabilities, a regularly updated database of vulnerabilities, and supports a wide range of network protocols. The tool is versatile and can be integrated with other software for enhanced security operations. It is well-suited for detecting vulnerabilities in the network and identifying security issues that need to be addressed.

Recommended for

    OpenVAS is ideal for small to medium-sized organizations looking for a cost-effective vulnerability scanning solution. It's also suitable for cybersecurity professionals who have the technical expertise to configure and maintain the scanner, as well as enthusiasts or students who are keen on learning more about vulnerability management using open-source tools.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

l
lsof 2 videos + Add
OpenVAS 3 videos + Add

8 Basic lsof Commands Every Sysadmin Needs to Know

More videos

  • - HakTip - Network monitoring in Linux with lsof

How to find Exploits with OpenVAS

More videos

  • - Vulnerability Analysis with OpenVAS | Scanning and Reconnaissance
  • - Vulnerability Identification and Remediation Cybrary Lab | Ep. 3 Kali Linux, OpenVAS, + more

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
l
lsof
OpenVAS
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using lsof and OpenVAS. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Log in or Post with

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

l
lsof no reviews yet
OpenVAS no reviews yet

We have no reviews of lsof yet. Be the first one to post

View more

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

l
lsof 0 mentions
OpenVAS 6 mentions

Tracking lsof since Mar 2021.

  • Link CVE to installed applications?
    Otherwise your on the right path checkout the open source Greenbones OpenVAS (this was Nessus before they closed source and became corporate) or Project Discovery Nuclei. Source: over 3 years ago
  • What should I be doing as the sole sysadmin for a company to keep up with security?
    Personally, I was lucky enough to get a license to Nessus for my own scanning, however you can use OpenVAS for some free to scan. Scanners aren't 100% correct no matter where you go but it'll give you some things to look at. OpenVAS. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Wanting to protect my own homelab
    Https://openvas.org/ OpenVAS is free and fairly capable. It might struggle cpu on a pi... Might need quite a bit of ram, but I'm hoping you've got some beefier kit in your stack. Source: over 4 years ago

View more

Alternatives to lsof and OpenVAS

When comparing lsof and OpenVAS, you can also consider the following products.

  • htop

    htop - an interactive process viewer for Unix. This is htop, an interactive process viewer for Unix systems. It is a text-mode application (for console or X terminals) and requires ncurses. Latest release: htop 2.

    Compare htop to lsof or OpenVAS:

  • Nessus

    Nessus Professional is a security platform designed for businesses who want to protect the security of themselves, their clients, and their customers.

    Compare Nessus to lsof or OpenVAS:

  • Sysdig

    Sysdig is an open source, system-level exploration that capture system state and activity from a running Linux instance, then save, filter and analyze.

    Compare Sysdig to lsof or OpenVAS:

  • Intruder

    Intruder is a security monitoring platform for internet-facing systems.

    Compare Intruder to lsof or OpenVAS:

  • vtop

    vtop is a graphical command-line tool that uses unicode braille to chart CPU and memory usage.

    Compare vtop to lsof or OpenVAS:

  • Acunetix

    Audit your website security and web applications for SQL injection, Cross site scripting and other...

    Compare Acunetix to lsof or OpenVAS: