timsonner Nikto
Purpose
Use this skill for quick web server and HTTP misconfiguration review after the web surface is confirmed.
Phase Fit
- Primary: Vulnerability Analysis
- Secondary: Retest and Closure
Use When
- Need to review default content, weak headers, and common HTTP misconfigurations.
- Need a quick breadth check before manual verification.
- Need a repeatable retest of server-side hygiene issues.
Avoid When
- The target is highly sensitive to noisy checks.
- A reported issue would not be manually confirmed before escalation.
Inputs
- Confirmed web targets
- Scope exclusions and rate expectations
- Output format needed for evidence handling
Procedure
- Run only against confirmed web assets.
- Triage output into likely misconfigurations, informational noise, and duplicates.
- Manually validate any material findings.
- Tie confirmed issues to business impact and exposure.
- Use the same scoped check set during retest.
Command Syntax
Replace sample targets with approved in-scope assets.
# Basic HTTP scan
nikto -h portal.contoso.com
# HTTPS scan
nikto -h portal.contoso.com -ssl
# Non-standard HTTPS port
nikto -h portal.contoso.com -port 8443 -ssl
# Output to HTML report
nikto -h portal.contoso.com -o contoso-nikto.html -Format htm
# Throttle requests to reduce noise
nikto -h portal.contoso.com -Pause 1
# Scan multiple hosts from file
nikto -h contoso-live.txt -o contoso-nikto-all.txt
# Scan through an authenticated session
nikto -h portal.contoso.com -id admin:<password>
Evidence to Capture
- Confirmed web server hygiene gaps
- Default or administrative content exposed unexpectedly
- Retest deltas after remediation
Safety Boundaries
- Treat output as a starting point, not a finished finding.
- Stop if the target shows instability or rate-sensitive behavior.