DNS Vulnerability Scanner

The DNS Vulnerability Scanner is a security tool that allows you to scan .edu domain names for known vulnerabilities. This tool helps identify potential security issues associated with your .edu domain by querying external vulnerability databases and presenting the results in an organized, actionable format.

DNS Scanner

Accessing the DNS Vulnerability Scanner

To access the DNS Vulnerability Scanner, click DNS Scanner in the Security Tools section of the left menu sidebar. The DNS Vulnerability Scanner page provides an interface for scanning domains and reviewing scan results.

Scanning a .edu domain

To scan a .edu domain for vulnerabilities:

  1. Navigate to the DNS Vulnerability Scanner page
  2. Enter the .edu domain name you want to scan in the Domain field (e.g., duke.edu)
  3. Click the [Scan] button or press Enter

The scanner will:

  • Submit your domain & query external vulnerability databases for known issues associated with your domain
  • Return a list of URLs with identified vulnerabilities
  • Display the results in a tabular format
Note: Domain scans are processed asynchronously. After initiating a scan, you may need to wait a few moments for the results to appear. The scan status will be displayed in the Recent Scans section.

Understanding Scan Results

Once a scan completes, the results are displayed in a table format showing:

  • URL - The specific URL where a vulnerability was detected
  • Alert Type - The category of vulnerability (e.g., DNS(default), SSL, Security)
  • Severity - The severity level of the vulnerability
  • Description - Detailed information about the vulnerability
  • Fixed Status - A checkbox to track whether you've addressed the vulnerability

Scan Status

Scans can have the following statuses:

  • Pending - The scan has been submitted and is waiting to be processed
  • In Progress - The scan is currently being processed
  • Completed - The scan has finished and results are available
  • Failed - The scan encountered an error and could not complete

Managing Scan Results

Tracking Fixed Vulnerabilities

You can track which vulnerabilities have been addressed:

  1. Review the vulnerabilities listed in the scan results table
  2. Check the Fixed checkbox next to each vulnerability you have resolved
  3. Optionally add notes in the Notes field to document how the issue was fixed
  4. The fixed status is saved and will persist when you return to view the scan results
Note: The fixed status and notes are stored locally in your browser. If you clear your browser cache, this information will be lost. For permanent tracking, consider documenting fixes in your organization's issue tracking system.

Recent Scan

The DNS Vulnerability Scanner maintains a list of results from your most recent scan, showing:

  • Domain - The domain that was scanned
  • Status - Current status of the scan

Best Practices

When using the DNS Vulnerability Scanner:

  • Regular Scanning - Scan your domains periodically to identify new vulnerabilities as they are discovered
  • Review Results Promptly - Check scan results soon after completion to address critical issues quickly
  • Document Fixes - Use the Notes field to document how vulnerabilities were resolved
  • Verify Fixes - Re-scan domains after making changes to verify that vulnerabilities have been resolved

Technical Details

The DNS Vulnerability Scanner:

  • Uses external vulnerability databases to identify known issues
  • Processes scans asynchronously to avoid blocking the user interface
  • Caches scan results for improved performance

The scanner does not store sensitive domain information beyond what is necessary to display scan results.