lynis is a popular open-source system and security auditing tool for Linux, macOS, and Unix-based systems. It is used to perform automated security scans and generate reports on the system’s security posture.
lynis performs a wide range of tests, including checks for security vulnerabilities, hardening measures, and best practices for system and network security. The tool scans the system for known vulnerabilities and potential security risks, and provides recommendations for remediation. The scan results are presented in a detailed report, which includes an overview of the system’s security posture and actionable recommendations for improving security.
lynis is a powerful tool for system administrators and security professionals, allowing them to easily and quickly assess the security of a system. The tool is highly configurable, allowing administrators to customize the tests and scans performed by the tool, as well as the format of the report. lynis is designed to be easy to use, even for those with limited security expertise. The tool requires no special configuration or setup, and can be run directly from the command line. The tool is highly versatile and can be used on a wide range of systems, from personal computers to large enterprise networks.
If you encounter the below error while running the command lynis:
lynis: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install lynis |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install lynis |
| Arch Linux | pacman -S lynis |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install lynis |
| Fedora | dnf install lynis |
| OS X | brew install lynis |
| Raspbian | apt-get install lynis |
lynis Command Examples
1. Check that Lynis is up-to-date:
# sudo lynis update info
2. Run a security audit of the system:
# sudo lynis audit system
3. Run a security audit of a Dockerfile:
# sudo lynis audit dockerfile path/to/dockerfile