Nessus Parser (Python Edition)

A modern, containerized Python tool to parse Nessus XML v2 (.nessus) files into user-friendly Excel reports.

Features

• Excel Reporting: Generates a multi-sheet Excel file with:
  • Dashboard: Summary charts and statistics.
  • Host Summary: Detailed breakdown of vulnerabilities per host.
  • Vulnerabilities: Separate sheets for Critical, High, Medium, Low, and Info findings.
  • Compliance: Dedicated sheet for compliance/audit results.
• Dockerized: Easy to run without installing Python dependencies locally.

Usage

Setup

Prerequisites

• Docker: For containerized execution (Recommended across Windows 11 and Linux 2026.x).
• Python 3.12+: If running locally.

Installation (Local Python)

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/nessus_parser.git
   cd nessus_parser

2. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Option 1: Docker (Recommended)

Build and run the container without installing Python dependencies on your host.

1. Build the image:

   docker build -t nessus_parser .

2. Run the parser: Mount your current directory ($(pwd) or ${PWD}) to /app so the container can read your .nessus file and write the Excel report back.

   # Linux/Mac
   docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/app nessus_parser -f your_scan.nessus
   
   # Windows 11 PowerShell
   docker run --rm -v ${PWD}:/app nessus_parser -f your_scan.nessus

Option 2: Python (Local)

Run the script directly if you have Python installed.

python nessus_parser.py -f input_file.nessus [-o output_report.xlsx]

Arguments:

• -f, --file: (Required) Path to the .nessus XML v2 file.
• -o, --output: (Optional) Filename for the generated Excel report. Defaults to nessus_report_YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.xlsx.

Legacy Code

The original Perl script (parse_nessus_xml.v24.pl) has been moved to the archive/ directory for reference. It is no longer maintained.