Common Issues

Solutions to frequently encountered errors when using AutoPentestX

Installation Errors

Virtual Environment Not Found

Error Message:

bash: venv/bin/activate: No such file or directory

Cause: The virtual environment was not created during installation or was deleted.

Solution:

1. Recreate the virtual environment

   python3 -m venv venv
   
2. Activate the environment

   source venv/bin/activate
   
3. Reinstall dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

Always activate the virtual environment before running AutoPentestX to ensure all dependencies are available.

Module Import Errors

Error Message:

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'nmap'
ImportError: No module named 'reportlab'

Cause: Python dependencies were not installed or the virtual environment is not activated.

Solution:

Virtual Environment

# Activate virtual environment first
source venv/bin/activate

# Reinstall all requirements
pip install -r requirements.txt

Never install packages globally with sudo pip. Always use the virtual environment to avoid system-wide conflicts.

Installation Script Fails

Error Message:

E: Unable to locate package nmap
E: Package 'nikto' has no installation candidate

Cause: Package lists are outdated or repository issues.

Solution:

1. Update package lists

   sudo apt-get update
   
2. Upgrade system packages

   sudo apt-get upgrade
   
3. Install packages manually

   sudo apt-get install -y python3 python3-pip python3-venv nmap nikto sqlmap git curl wget
   
4. Rerun installation script

   ./install.sh
   

---

Runtime Errors

Target Not Reachable

Error Message:

[✗] Invalid target: 192.168.1.100
socket.gaierror: [Errno -2] Name or service not known

Cause: Target IP/domain cannot be resolved or is unreachable.

Solution:

1. Verify network connectivity

   ping -c 4 192.168.1.100
   
2. Check DNS resolution (for domains)

   nslookup example.com
   dig example.com
   
3. Verify target format

   Make sure you’re using a valid IP address or domain:

   • Valid: 192.168.1.100, example.com, 10.0.0.1
   • Invalid: 192.168.1.1000, example .com, http://example.com
4. Check firewall rules

   # Check if your firewall is blocking outbound connections
   sudo ufw status
   sudo iptables -L
   

Ensure you have network access to the target and that no firewall is blocking your scans.

Scan Returns No Results

Symptoms:

• Scan completes but shows 0 open ports
• All ports appear filtered or closed
• PDF report has minimal information

Possible Causes:

1. Target has no open ports (unlikely)
2. Firewall is blocking scan traffic
3. Insufficient permissions (no sudo)
4. Network restrictions

Solutions:

Run with sudo

# Many scan techniques require root privileges
sudo python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100

Start with a quick scan on localhost (127.0.0.1) to verify AutoPentestX is working correctly before scanning remote targets.

Report Generation Fails

Error Message:

[✗] Report generation failed
ImportError: cannot import name 'ImageReader' from 'PIL'
ReportLabError: Unable to generate PDF

Cause: PDF generation libraries are corrupted or missing dependencies.

Solution:

1. Reinstall PDF libraries

   pip install --upgrade reportlab pillow
   
2. Install system dependencies

   sudo apt-get install -y libjpeg-dev zlib1g-dev
   
3. Verify installation

   python3 -c "from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter; print('ReportLab OK')"
   python3 -c "from PIL import Image; print('Pillow OK')"
   
4. Check reports directory

   # Ensure reports directory exists and is writable
   ls -la reports/
   chmod 755 reports/
   

Even if report generation fails, scan data is still saved to the SQLite database in database/autopentestx.db.

Database Errors

Error Message:

sqlite3.OperationalError: unable to open database file
sqlite3.DatabaseError: database disk image is malformed

Solutions:

Permissions Issue

# Fix database directory permissions
mkdir -p database
chmod 755 database/

Keyboard Interrupt Handling

When pressing Ctrl+C during a scan:

Expected Behavior:

[!] MISSION ABORT - Operator initiated shutdown

The scan will gracefully terminate and mark the status as “interrupted” in the database.

If AutoPentestX hangs:

1. Force terminate

   Press Ctrl+C multiple times or use:

   # In another terminal
   pkill -f "python3 main.py"
   
2. Check for zombie processes

   ps aux | grep -E "nmap|nikto|sqlmap"
   # Kill any remaining processes
   sudo pkill nmap
   sudo pkill nikto
   sudo pkill sqlmap
   

Some subprocesses (Nmap, Nikto, SQLMap) may continue running even after terminating AutoPentestX. Always verify they’re stopped.

---

Tool-Specific Errors

Nmap Not Found

Error Message:

nmap.nmap.PortScannerError: 'nmap program was not found in path'

Solution:

# Install Nmap
sudo apt-get install nmap

# Verify installation
which nmap
nmap --version

Nmap is required for all network scanning operations. AutoPentestX cannot function without it.

Nikto Fails to Run

Error Message:

FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'nikto'
nikto: command not found

Solution:

# Install Nikto
sudo apt-get install nikto

# Alternative: Install from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/sullo/nikto.git
cd nikto/program
./nikto.pl -h

Workaround:

# Skip web scanning if Nikto is not available
python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-web

SQLMap Issues

Error Message:

sqlmap: command not found

Solution:

# Install SQLMap
sudo apt-get install sqlmap

# Or download latest version
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sqlmapproject/sqlmap.git

Skip SQL injection testing:

python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-web

Metasploit Not Installed

Warning Message:

[!] Metasploit Framework not found
[!] Exploitation features will be limited

Solution:

1. Install Metasploit

   curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-omnibus/master/config/templates/metasploit-framework-wrappers/msfupdate.erb > msfinstall
   chmod 755 msfinstall
   sudo ./msfinstall
   
2. Verify installation

   msfconsole --version
   

Workaround:

# Skip exploitation phase entirely
python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-exploit

Metasploit is optional. AutoPentestX can perform reconnaissance and vulnerability scanning without it.

---

Performance Issues

Scan Takes Too Long

Symptoms: Scan runs for 30+ minutes

Solutions:

Skip Web Scanning

# Nikto and SQLMap are time-intensive
python3 main.py -t 192.168.1.100 --skip-web
# Reduces scan time by 10-15 minutes

Use --skip-web --skip-exploit for quick reconnaissance, then run a full scan later if needed.

---

Getting Help

If your issue is not listed here:

1. Check the logs: ls -lh logs/ and examine recent log files
2. Review scan database: sqlite3 database/autopentestx.db "SELECT * FROM scans ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 5;"
3. Test components individually: Run Nmap, Nikto, and SQLMap manually to isolate the issue
4. Consult other troubleshooting pages:
   • Permission Issues
   • Dependency Problems

Still Need Help?

Open an issue on GitHub with your error logs and system information