Nessus Network Auditing, 2nd Edition

Chapter 7

False Positives

Solutions in this chapter:

■ What Are False Positives?

■ Why False Positives Matter

■ Nessus and False Positives

■ Dealing with False Positives

■ Dealing with a False Positive

☑ Summary

☑ Solutions Fast Track

☑ Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Just short of missing a vulnerability entirely, false positives (FPs) are any scanner’s worst nightmare. A false positive is the inverse of a vulnerability that slipped past the scanner; the scanner reports a vulnerability when one doesn’t exist. This chapter discusses what false positives are, why they are a major issue, categories of false positives, how to deal with false positives (specifically within the Nessus framework), and finally looks at some real-world examples ...