You checked your SEO, not your Web Page Security. Guess which one hackers prefer?
I once helped a small nonprofit rebuild their entire site after it got defaced. The breach didn’t happen through some elite hacker trick—it was an exposed admin panel anyone could find with a basic scan.
No zero-days.
No sophisticated payloads.
Just negligence.
What stuck with me wasn’t the hack—it was how preventable it was. This wasn’t some corporate target. It was a grassroots org using FOSS tools, trying to serve their community. And that made the lesson hit harder: Web Page Security isn’t optional when the stakes are real.
That’s where this guide comes in.
In the world of ethical hacking and open-source tools, Termux and Nikto offer a low-cost, high-impact way to scan your web pages for vulnerabilities. If you’re deploying sites—even static ones—without doing this kind of check, you’re leaving the door open.
Let’s change that.
⚠️ Important: These tools are intended for ethical hacking, security research, and education. Use them only on systems and networks you own or have permission to test. Unauthorized use can lead to serious legal consequences.
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Interpreting Nikto Scan Results: A Beginner’s Guide
Running a Nikto scan is just the beginning; understanding its output is where the real value lies. Here’s how to make sense of the results:
Server Information:
Nikto identifies the server type and version, which can hint at known vulnerabilities associated with that specific setup.
Security Headers:
Missing headers like X-Frame-Options or X-XSS-Protection indicate potential security weaknesses that could be exploited.
Exposed Files and Directories:
Entries such as /admin or /config.php suggest accessible areas that might contain sensitive information.
OSVDB References:
These identifiers link to known vulnerabilities, providing a starting point for remediation efforts.
Understanding these elements helps prioritize fixes and strengthens your web page security posture.
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Why Perform a Web Page Security Check?
A web page security check is essential to safeguard your online assets from vulnerabilities like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and weak SSL certificates. Attackers can exploit these weaknesses to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or even take control of the website.
Tools like Nmap and Nikto can automate the process of identifying these risks, helping website owners take preventive actions before an attack occurs.
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Setting Up Nikto in Termux: Your FOSS Web Page Security Toolkit
Before you start scanning, let’s get your tools in place. Both Nikto and Nmap are open source staples in the security world—and installing them on Termux is surprisingly straightforward. No root. No fluff. Just a few commands.
Step-by-Step Installation in Termux
Before diving into the actual scanning process, you need to have the following:
- An Android device with Termux installed
- Basic knowledge of how to use Termux commands
- Root access for advanced scanning features (optional)
To install Nmap and Nikto in Termux, follow these steps:
Step 1: Installing Nmap and Nikto in Termux
Nikto is a powerful, open-source tool designed to scan web servers and applications for security risks. It runs in-depth tests, detecting over 6,700 potentially dangerous files and programs that could compromise a server. Beyond that, Nikto helps identify outdated web server software and flags vulnerabilities tied to specific versions, making it a must-have for uncovering weaknesses and keeping your system secure.
Start by updating Termux packages and installing Nmap and Nikto. Open Termux and enter the following commands:
$ pkg update && pkg upgrade
$ pkg install nmap
$ pkg install niktoThis will install both tools, setting up your environment for a comprehensive web page security check.
Step 2: Running Nmap for Initial Scans
Once Nmap is installed, you can start with a basic scan of the target web page to discover open ports and running services. Let’s assume the target domain is example.com.
Nmap Command:
$ nmap -p 80,443 example.comThis command will scan ports 80 and 443, which are used for HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
Sample Output:
Starting Nmap 7.80 ( https://nmap.org ) at 2024-09-23 12:00 UTC
Nmap scan report for example.com (93.184.216.34)
Host is up (0.040s latency).
PORT STATE SERVICE
80/tcp open http
443/tcp open https
Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 3.21 secondsThis shows that both the HTTP and HTTPS ports are open, meaning web traffic is being served from these ports. However, this is just the first step in a web page security check.
Step 3: Using Nikto for Web Page Vulnerability Detection
After identifying open ports with Nmap, you can now proceed to use Nikto to perform a thorough scan of the web server for vulnerabilities.
Nikto Command:
$ nikto -h http://example.comSample Output:
Nikto v2.1.6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Target IP: 93.184.216.34
+ Target Hostname: example.com
+ Target Port: 80
+ Start Time: 2024-09-23 12:15:22 (GMT)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Server: Apache/2.4.29 (Ubuntu)
+ The X-XSS-Protection header is not defined.
+ /wp-login.php: WordPress login page
+ Scan completed in 10.01 seconds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Nikto detects vulnerabilities such as the lack of X-XSS-Protection headers and exposed admin pages (like /wp-login.php), which could be targets for brute-force attacks. This output shows potential security risks in the web application.
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Integrating Nmap with Other Tools in Termux
To perform a more in-depth web page security check, you can integrate Nmap with other security tools in Termux:
Hydra: To perform brute-force attacks on login pages detected by Nikto.
$ hydra -l admin -P passlist.txt example.com http-post-form "/wp-login.php:log=^USER^&pwd=^PASS^:Invalid username"Metasploit: To exploit detected vulnerabilities in outdated server software.
$ msfconsole use exploit/unix/ftp/vsftpd_234_backdoor set RHOST example.com runCombining these tools creates a powerful workflow for identifying and addressing web security issues.
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Ethical Hacking and Legal Considerations
Before proceeding with any type of web page security check or network scanning, it’s crucial to understand the ethical and legal implications of these activities. Nmap, Nikto, and similar tools can expose vulnerabilities, which is why they are often used for ethical hacking purposes.
Always ensure you have explicit permission to scan and test the security of any website, server, or network. Unauthorized scanning of systems without consent can be illegal and may result in legal consequences.
Ethical hacking is about identifying vulnerabilities to strengthen security, not exploiting them for malicious purposes. If you’re a website owner or working for a client, get written permission before performing any scans. Responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities is key to maintaining ethical standards in cybersecurity.
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Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Build—Secure It
Building with FOSS is empowering. But publishing without checking your Web Page Security is like leaving your home with the door wide open—just because it’s free doesn’t mean it should be fragile.
You’ve just learned how to scan for weak points using Termux, Nikto, and Nmap, all from your phone or CLI setup. That’s one more step toward real-world readiness.
If this kind of no-nonsense, open-source security content helps you stay sharp, consider subscribing to the DevDigest newsletter. It’s where I share hands-on tips, OSINT tools, and CLI-based workflows—built for people who’d rather read code than marketing fluff.
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