openvassd.conf location... no file?

I am testing OpenVAS on Kali Linux for a security deployment solution. Everything is working and "functional", but I need to edit the "max_hosts" setting for the scanner. Running openvassd -s shows the config_file location as being /etc/openvas/openvassd.conf (this is also referenced in other areas of the program), but that file does not exist in that directory. I have tried looking for this on 3 different installations of Kali (all fully up to date) and have had no luck.

I also looked under /usr/local/etc/openvas/openvassd.conf as suggested in this link http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=b...ages/openvassd but also unsuccessful. I even rand a few find commands such as find / -name "*open*.conf" that did not turn up any results.

The scanner itself runs fine, I just need to change the max_hosts setting because it floods my network when I start a scan. I tried editing the setting through the GSAD, but it appears that I can only view the settings from there. I have searched the internet and these forums for a few hours now and have had no luck. What am I missing here? It seems like something painfully obvious, but I'm stumped.

As an fyi, this is not something that can be changed in the scanner policy (which I find very odd... That's where the setting is in Nessus). Everything I see says that it needs to be changed in the openvassd.conf file.

I'm looking for tis as well. Anyone have an answer for us?

So openvas-check-setup looks for a file named /etc/openvas/openvassd.conf. If there is not one there, it will use the default settings. I've successfully gotten openvas-check-setup to read customized settings by making my own file:

Code:

---

# OpenVAS Security Scanner, Debian default configuration file
#
# Empty lines and those starting with '#' are ignored.

# Directory where plug-ins are to be found
plugins_folder = /var/lib/openvas/plugins

# Path to OpenVAS caching folder:
cache_folder = /var/cache/openvas

# Path to OpenVAS include directories:
# (multiple entries are separated with colon ':')
include_folders = /var/lib/openvas/plugins

# E-mail address of the admin
#email = root

# Maximum number of hosts
max_hosts = 1

# Number of plugins that will run against each host,
# i.e. simultaneous tests
# Total number of processes will be max_checks x max_hosts
max_checks = 1

# File used to log activity. Set it to 'syslog' if you want to use syslogd.
logfile = /var/log/openvas/openvassd.messages

# Log every detail of the attack in openvassd.messages
# If disabled only the beginning and end are logged, and
# not the time each plugin takes to execute
log_whole_attack = no

# Log the name of the plugins that are loaded by the server
log_plugins_name_at_load = no

# Dump file for debugging output, use `-' for stdout
dumpfile = /var/log/openvas/openvassd.dump

# File that contains rules database that apply to all users
#rules = /etc/openvas/openvassd.rules

# Users database file
#users = /etc/openvas/openvassd.users

# CGI paths to check for (cgi-bin:/cgi-aws:/ can do)
cgi_path = /cgi-bin:/scripts

# Optimize the test
optimize_test = yes

# Read timeout (in seconds) for the sockets of the tests
# Increase this value if running on a slow network link (dialup)
checks_read_timeout = 5

# Delay (in seconds) to pass for between two tests against the same port
# (to be inetd friendly)
#delay_between_tests = 1

# Maximum time to wait for a plugin to execute
plugins_timeout = 320

# Do not run simultaneous ports for these tests.
# Default value: non_simult_ports = 139, 445
# This setting is necessary for reliable scans of Microsoft Windows targets.
non_simult_ports = 139, 445

# Range of the ports that port scanners will scan
#port_range = default

# Only test the IPs that can be reversely looked up?
#reverse_lookup = no

# Host expansion:
# dns:  performs and AXFR on the remote name server
#      and test the host obtained
# nfs:  test hosts that have the right to mount the
#      filesystems exported by the remote host
# ip:  scan the entire subnet
#host_expansion = dns;ip

# Use the MAC address as host identifier (useful in
# local LANs with dynamic addresses, e.g. DHCP)
# use_mac_addr = yes

# Slice the network IPs into portions and rotate them
# between scanning each slice. Instead of the (default)
# behaviour of scanning a network incrementally.
# slice_network_addresses = yes

# Enable plugins that are depended on
auto_enable_dependencies = yes

# Enable safe checks (this overrides the client's configuration)
# safe_checks = yes

# Public key client server encryption (crypto options)
#force_pubkey_auth = yes
# Define SSL version, use NONE to disable SSL
# ssl_version = 3
# Full path and filename of a trusted certificate authority
# see /usr/share/doc/openvas/README_SSL.gz
# trusted_ca =

# SSL Ciphers to use
# The following removes all SSLv3 ciphers except RC4.
# This has been implemented to workaround an OpenSSL 0.9.8
# bug, for more information please read
# http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=338006
# and
# http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=343487
# ssl_cipher_list = SSLv2:-LOW:-EXPORT:RC4+RSA

# NASL scripts cryptographic checks of some plugins (trusted
# scripts). OpenVAS will refuse to load and execute trusted
# scripts that are not signed. Use extreme caution when
# setting this to 'yes'
nasl_no_signature_check = yes

# Set this to 'yes' if you want each child to be nice(2)d
be_nice = yes

# End of /etc/openvas/openvassd.conf file.

---

However, I was a little disappointed to discover that the setting I was interested in using (max_hosts - same as axtronic) only applies to each individual scan, not all of the scans that are running/queued:

http://lists.wald.intevation.org/pip...st/006678.html

I haven't found a way to control how many Tasks will be executed simultaneously, which is why I've got the number of checks per host also set to 1 :\.