Architecting a Network Vulnerability Assessment Framework Using Nmap

Network security has become a critical concern for educational institutions managing complex IT infrastructure with hundreds of interconnected devices. Manual auditing of network ports and services is time-consuming, error-prone, and often fails to detect unauthorized services or outdated software versions that provide entry points for attackers. This paper presents a comprehensive automated framework for network vulnerability assessment using Nmap (Network Mapper) and its Scripting Engine (NSE). The proposed system performs automated host discovery, service enumeration, version detection, and vulnerability identification within institutional networks using stealth scanning techniques combined with NSE scripts. Our implementation successfully identified critical vulnerabilities including backdoor command execution in vsftpd 2.3.4 (CVE-2011-2523), remote code execution in Samba 3.0.20 (CVE-2007-2447), and weak authentication mechanisms in MySQL databases. Testing on Metasploitable 2 environment demonstrated 85 percent time reduction compared to manual assessment while improving accuracy and coverage across large network segments. The framework generates comprehensive XML and HTML reports suitable for administrative review and remediation planning. Results validate the effectiveness of automated scanning over traditional manual methods for continuous security monitoring in educational networks.