Tenable Vulnerability Management Integration Setup
This guide walks you through integrating Tenable Vulnerability Management (formerly Tenable.io) with RAD Security, enabling you to import vulnerability findings and correlate them with runtime security events. Tenable VM provides comprehensive vulnerability assessment, asset discovery, and continuous monitoring across your entire attack surface.Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:- Admin access to Tenable Vulnerability Management
- Ability to create users or access to an existing user account
- Access to RAD Security workspace with integration permissions
Service Account Recommended: For production environments, create a dedicated service user with an email not tied to a specific employee to ensure continuity.
Step 1: Log in to Tenable Vulnerability Management
1
Access Tenable Console
Log in to Tenable Vulnerability Management with an administrator account
2
Navigate to Access Control
Click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner and select Access Control
Step 2: Create or Select Service User
You have two options for setting up the integration:- Create New Service User (Recommended)
- Use Existing User
1
Create Service User
In the Access Control section, create a new user account for the integration
2
Configure User Details
Enter the following information:
- Username (e.g., “RAD Security Integration”)
- Email - Use a service email not tied to a specific employee (e.g.,
security-integrations@company.com) - Name (e.g., “RAD Security Service Account”)
Using a service email ensures the integration continues working when employees change roles or leave the organization.
3
Assign User Role
Assign the Basic User role to the account
Basic User is the minimum role required for reading vulnerability data. This follows the principle of least privilege.
4
Save User
Click Save to create the user account
5
Switch to Service User
- Log out of your administrator account
- Log in using the newly created service user account
Step 3: Generate API Keys
1
Access User Profile
Click on the profile avatar in the top right corner and select My Profile
2
Navigate to API Keys
In the left-side navigation menu, select API KEYS
3
Generate New Keys
In the bottom-right corner, click the Generate button
Important: A warning will appear stating that this operation will overwrite any previously generated keys. If you’re regenerating keys, make sure no other integrations are using the existing keys.
4
Confirm Generation
Click Continue to proceed with key generation
5
Copy and Save Keys
You will be provided with two keys:
- Access Key - Copy this value
- Secret Key - Copy this value
Store these keys securely! You’ll need both for the integration configuration. If you lose them, you’ll need to generate new keys.
Step 4: Configure in RAD Security
Navigate to your RAD Security workspace and configure the Tenable VM integration with the following parameter:Required Parameter
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Base URL | Base URL for the Tenable Cloud API | https://cloud.tenable.com |
| API Keys | Combined access key and secret key in the format: accessKey=YOUR_ACCESS_KEY;secretKey=YOUR_SECRET_KEY | accessKey=abc123...;secretKey=xyz789... |
Formatting the Secret Parameter
The secret parameter must be formatted exactly as shown below:- There are no spaces in the format
- Use a semicolon (
;) to separate the two key-value pairs - Replace
YOUR_ACCESS_KEYwith your actual Access Key - Replace
YOUR_SECRET_KEYwith your actual Secret Key
Verify Integration
After completing the setup, verify your integration is working:- Navigate to Data Sources > Integrations > Vulnerabilities in RAD Security
- Locate your Tenable VM integration
- Check the connection status shows as Connected
- Verify vulnerability data is being synced
Your Tenable Vulnerability Management integration is now configured! RAD Security can now import vulnerability findings and correlate them with runtime security events.
What Data is Synced
Once configured, RAD Security will sync the following data from Tenable VM:Vulnerability Findings
Vulnerability Findings
- Plugin ID and details
- CVE identifiers
- Vulnerability severity (Critical, High, Medium, Low, Info)
- CVSS v2 and v3 scores
- VPR (Vulnerability Priority Rating) scores
- Exploit availability
- Vulnerability publication and modification dates
- See Also references and solutions
Asset Information
Asset Information
- Asset inventory and UUIDs
- Hostnames and FQDNs
- IP addresses (IPv4 and IPv6)
- MAC addresses
- Operating systems
- Installed software
- Asset tags and groups
- Last scan and authentication status
Risk and Compliance
Risk and Compliance
- Asset Exposure Scores (AES)
- Asset Criticality Ratings (ACR)
- VPR context and trends
- Compliance scan results
- Policy violations
Scan Data
Scan Data
- Scan schedules and history
- Scan targets and zones
- Plugin families used
- Credential scan status
- Scan duration and completeness
Use Cases
Attack Surface Visibility
Maintain comprehensive visibility of your attack surface with continuous vulnerability assessments.
Predictive Prioritization
Use Tenable’s VPR scores combined with RAD’s runtime context for intelligent vulnerability prioritization.
Compliance Monitoring
Track compliance posture and policy violations across your infrastructure.
Exploit Detection
Correlate Tenable vulnerability data with runtime exploitation attempts detected by RAD Security.
Troubleshooting
Authentication Failed
Authentication Failed
Possible causes:
- Access Key or Secret Key is incorrect
- Keys were regenerated and not updated in RAD Security
- Secret parameter format is incorrect
- User account was disabled or deleted
- Verify both keys are copied correctly without extra spaces
- Check the format:
accessKey=YOUR_KEY;secretKey=YOUR_KEY - Ensure there’s a semicolon (
;) separating the keys, not a space or comma - Verify the user account is still active in Tenable
- Try regenerating keys if necessary
Insufficient Permissions
Insufficient Permissions
Possible causes:
- User doesn’t have Basic User role or higher
- User account permissions were reduced
- User was moved to a restricted group
- Log in to Tenable as admin
- Navigate to Settings > Access Control
- Verify the service user has at least Basic User role
- Check that user permissions haven’t been restricted
No Data Syncing
No Data Syncing
Possible causes:
- No scans have been completed yet
- Assets are not in scope for the user
- Initial sync is still in progress
- API rate limits reached
- Verify scans have been completed in Tenable VM
- Check that the user has access to the relevant assets
- Allow up to 15 minutes for initial data sync
- Review Tenable API usage to ensure you’re within rate limits
- Check integration logs in RAD Security for specific errors
Secret Parameter Format Error
Secret Parameter Format Error
Possible causes:
- Wrong format used (spaces, commas, or incorrect syntax)
- Keys not properly concatenated
- Special characters not escaped
- Use exact format:
accessKey=KEY1;secretKey=KEY2 - No spaces anywhere in the string
- Use semicolon (
;) as separator, not comma or space - Don’t add quotes around the entire string or individual keys
- Example:
accessKey=abc123;secretKey=xyz789
Keys Regenerated by Accident
Keys Regenerated by Accident
Possible causes:
- Keys were regenerated, breaking existing integrations
- Multiple integrations using same user account
- If you accidentally regenerated keys, update all integrations using those keys
- Consider creating separate service users for different integrations
- Document which integrations use which API keys
- Update the Secret parameter in RAD Security with the new keys
Security Best Practices
Use Service Accounts
Create dedicated service users with service email addresses for integrations, not personal accounts.
Least Privilege Access
Use Basic User role for integrations. Only escalate permissions if absolutely necessary.
Secure Key Storage
Store API keys in a secure password manager or secrets vault. Never commit them to version control.
Regular Key Rotation
Periodically rotate API keys as part of your security hygiene. Update all integrations when rotating.
Document Key Usage
Maintain documentation of which integrations use which API keys to avoid accidental key regeneration.
Monitor API Activity
Review API usage in Tenable to detect anomalous activity and ensure compliance with rate limits.
Important Notes
Key Regeneration Warning: Generating new API keys will immediately invalidate the previous keys. Make sure to update all integrations using those keys to avoid service disruptions.
One User, One Set of Keys: Each Tenable user can only have one active set of API keys at a time. If you need multiple integrations, create separate service users for each.
Rate Limits: Tenable enforces API rate limits. If you have multiple integrations or heavy API usage, monitor your usage to avoid hitting limits.