An open scanner core means transparency instead of a black box, but it will not replace every enterprise feature. Identify and prioritise vulnerabilities automatically with OPENVAS.
Book a Free ConsultationChecking the security of your IT infrastructure does not have to mean buying into a closed, expensive solution. Open source vulnerability management uses a publicly viewable scanner core to find, assess and prioritise vulnerabilities, transparently rather than as a black box. This overview shows how far the approach carries on its own, and where a commercial add-on makes sense.
Open source vulnerability management describes the use of security scanners whose source code is publicly available to automatically identify, assess and prioritise vulnerabilities in networks, servers and endpoints. The point is not primarily the licence price, but traceability: every detection routine can be inspected instead of having to rely solely on a vendor’s promise.
The term is often confused with a different discipline: securing open source components inside your own software, also known as software composition analysis. That is about finding vulnerabilities in the libraries a codebase depends on, not about the choice of scanning tool itself. Open source vulnerability management as described here instead means searching for vulnerabilities across the entire IT infrastructure with an openly viewable tool. The technical foundation for this is covered on the page IT Security & Information Security.
The best-known example is OPENVAS: it emerged in 2005, when its predecessor Nessus switched from an open to a proprietary licence. The scanner has since been developed under the GPL, originally with support from Germany’s BSI, and today under the stewardship of the German company Greenbone AG. The page OPENVAS vs. Nessus covers the history and a comparison with the commercial counterpart in more detail.
Whether an open scanner on its own is enough, or a commercial add-on makes sense, depends on your own IT environment:
This is exactly where the OPENVAS ENTERPRISE FEED comes in: it adds a commercially maintained, daily updated data set, compliance policies and vendor support on top of the open scanner core.
Current figures show how quickly the threat landscape is moving, and why purely manual review has its limits:
Sources: CVE Program (2025); Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (2026); National Vulnerability Database, NIST (2025).
An overview of the most common limitations of relying solely on a free community scanner:
Depending on company size and requirements, a different combination of open scanner and commercial feed makes sense:
The key difference between the free and the commercial open source approach lies in the underlying feed:
| Feature | OPENVAS COMMUNITY FEED | OPENVAS ENTERPRISE FEED |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Paid subscription |
| Home-user software coverage | Yes | Yes |
| Business software coverage | No | Yes |
| Update frequency | Irregular | Several times a day |
| Compliance policies (e.g. CIS Benchmarks) | No | Yes |
| Vendor support with SLA | No | Yes |
A detailed comparison is available on the page OPENVAS Feed Comparison.
OPENVAS is itself an open source project: the scanner core is licensed under the GPL and developed further by the German company Greenbone AG. Depending on your needs, it can run on the free Community Feed or the commercial Enterprise Feed.
For a no-obligation test at your own pace, OPENVAS FREE is also available.
A first, concrete plan to find the right open source approach for your IT:
What is open source vulnerability management?
Open source vulnerability management means using scan technology with publicly viewable source code to find, assess and prioritise vulnerabilities in your own IT infrastructure.
Is this the same as vulnerability management for open source software?
No. That discipline is about securing open source libraries inside your own software, also known as software composition analysis. Open source vulnerability management instead refers to choosing an open scanning tool for the entire IT infrastructure.
Is OPENVAS really open source?
Yes, the OPENVAS scanner core is licensed under the GPL and freely viewable. The commercial products OPENVAS BASIC and OPENVAS SCAN add a paid Enterprise Feed and support on top of this open core.
What is the difference between the Community Feed and the Enterprise Feed?
The Community Feed mainly covers home-user software and is updated irregularly. The Enterprise Feed additionally tests common business software, is updated several times a day and includes compliance policies and support.
Is the free Community Feed enough for a business?
For a first step or private environments, yes. Once business software is in use or compliance evidence is required, the commercial Enterprise Feed usually becomes necessary.
Is an open source solution as secure as a proprietary scanner?
Publicly viewable source code is reviewed by a wide community, which often surfaces flaws faster than in closed software. However, the actual detection rate still depends on how current the tests being used are.
What does open source vulnerability management cost?
The scanner itself is free to use. Costs only arise from the optional Enterprise Feed, priced according to the environment being scanned, ranging from a few euros a month to larger enterprise licences.
How does this differ from classic vulnerability management?
Classic vulnerability management describes the general process of identifying, assessing and remediating vulnerabilities, regardless of the tool used. Open source vulnerability management additionally focuses on choosing transparent, openly viewable scan technology as the basis for that process.
Let’s work out together whether the open approach is enough for your IT, or where a commercial add-on makes sense.
