Linux Security Dashboard

A full-stack application for real-time monitoring and analysis of Linux system security. It provides a Node.js/Express backend for gathering critical system data and optionally running vulnerability scans, and a React frontend for visualizing information such as open ports, system logs, and more.

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Table of Contents

1. Key Features
2. Requirements
3. Platform Support
4. Tech Stack
5. Project Structure
6. Installation
7. Usage
8. Default Login Credentials
9. API Endpoints
10. Docker Deployment
11. Troubleshooting
12. Contributing
13. License

Key Features

• System Metrics
  Collect CPU, memory, and uptime details, along with system-wide info (hostname, OS, etc.).

• Open Ports
  Scan and display currently open ports on the host for quick identification of potential threats.

• Vulnerability Scanning
  Perform simple vulnerability scans (using Nmap, for example) to detect common security gaps.

• Logs and Failed Logins
  Fetch and display recent authentication failures or other relevant system logs, highlighting suspicious activity.

• Scalable Architecture
  Separate backend for data collection/processing and frontend for a responsive, user-friendly dashboard.

• Authentication
  JWT-based login protects all dashboard data. Default credentials can be configured via environment variables.

• Optional Docker Support
  Use docker-compose to containerize the application (frontend, backend, and MongoDB if applicable) for easy deployment.

Requirements

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Node.js (v18 or newer) — Download
• npm (comes with Node.js)
• Linux — For full functionality (Open Ports, Logs, Vulnerability Scanner)
• Nmap — Required for Vulnerability Scanner (install: apt install nmap on Ubuntu/Debian)

Platform Support

Feature	Linux	Windows
System Dashboard	✅	✅
Open Ports	✅	❌
Failed Login Logs	✅	❌
Vulnerability Scanner	✅*	⚠️

* Requires Nmap installed
⚠️ Windows: Only works if Nmap is installed; Open Ports and Logs use Linux commands (ss, grep, /var/log/auth.log).

On Windows: Use WSL2 or Docker for full support.

Tech Stack

• Backend

  • Node.js + Express.js
  • (Optional) MongoDB if you want to persist historical data (via Mongoose)

• Frontend

  • React + Bootstrap
  • React Router for routing
  • Axios for API requests

• Deployment

  • Docker & docker-compose (Optional)
  • Can be self-hosted on any server or cloud service (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.)

Project Structure

linux-security-dashboard/
├── backend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── app.js                          # Main Express server setup & configuration
│   │   ├── middleware/
│   │   │   └── auth.js                     # JWT authentication middleware
│   │   ├── routes/
│   │   │   ├── auth.js                     # Login route (public)
│   │   │   ├── system.js                   # Routes for system information & open ports
│   │   │   ├── vulnerabilities.js          # Routes for vulnerability scanning
│   │   │   └── logs.js                     # Routes for failed login logs
│   │   ├── controllers/
│   │   │   ├── authController.js           # Login logic & JWT issuance
│   │   │   ├── systemController.js         # Business logic for system data (info/ports)
│   │   │   ├── vulnerabilityController.js  # Business logic for scanning vulnerabilities
│   │   │   └── logsController.js           # Business logic for handling logs
│   │   ├── models/
│   │   │   └── SystemLog.js                # Mongoose model (example) for storing system logs
│   │   └── utils/
│   │       ├── systemInfo.js               # Helper functions to fetch system info/ports
│   │       └── vulnerabilityScanner.js     # Utility to run Nmap or other scan tools
│   ├── .env.example                        # Environment variables template
│   ├── package.json                        # Backend dependencies & scripts
│   └── Dockerfile                          # Dockerfile for containerizing the backend
├── frontend/
│   ├── public/
│   │   └── index.html                      # Main HTML entry for the React application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/
│   │   │   ├── SystemDashboard.jsx         # Displays system info (CPU, memory, etc.)
│   │   │   ├── PortList.jsx                # Lists open ports fetched from the backend
│   │   │   ├── VulnerabilityScanner.jsx    # UI to trigger vulnerability scans & show results
│   │   │   ├── LogsView.jsx                # Shows recent failed login attempts or logs
│   │   │   ├── Login.jsx                   # Login form component
│   │   │   └── ProtectedRoute.jsx          # Route guard for authenticated users
│   │   ├── services/
│   │   │   └── api.js                      # Axios instance & interceptors for API requests
│   │   ├── App.js                          # Main React component with routes/navigation
│   │   └── index.js                        # React DOM entry point, imports global styles
│   ├── .env.example                        # Frontend environment variables template
│   ├── package.json                        # Frontend dependencies & scripts
│   └── Dockerfile                          # Dockerfile for containerizing the frontend
├── docker-compose.yml                      # Multi-container setup for backend, frontend, DB
├── .gitignore                              # Git ignore rules
├── README.md                               # Project documentation (setup, usage, etc.)
└── LICENSE                                 # License file (MIT)

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/m-ah07/linux-security-dashboard.git

2. Install Backend Dependencies

cd linux-security-dashboard/backend
npm install

• (Optional) If you plan on using a database like MongoDB, install mongoose as well:

  npm install mongoose

3. Install Frontend Dependencies

cd ../frontend
npm install

• If react-scripts is not found when running npm start, install it:

  npm install react-scripts

4. Install Nmap (Linux only, for Vulnerability Scanner)

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install nmap

# RHEL/CentOS
sudo yum install nmap

5. Configure Environment

Copy .env.example to .env in both backend and frontend:

Backend (backend/.env):

PORT=5000
JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key-change-in-production
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=24h
ADMIN_USERNAME=admin
ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin

Frontend (frontend/.env):

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api

If using a database, add to backend .env:

DB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/linux_security

RHEL/CentOS — Use /var/log/secure for auth logs:

AUTH_LOG_PATH=/var/log/secure

Usage

1. Run the Backend

   cd linux-security-dashboard/backend
   npm run dev

   • Starts an Express server on http://localhost:5000 by default.

2. Run the Frontend

   cd ../frontend
   npm start

   • Runs the React application on http://localhost:3000.

3. Access the Dashboard

   • Open your browser at http://localhost:3000 (frontend).
   • Do not use http://localhost:5000 in the browser — that is the API server and will show "Cannot GET /".

Default Login Credentials

Field	Default Value
Username	admin
Password	admin

Change these in production via ADMIN_USERNAME and ADMIN_PASSWORD in backend/.env.

API Endpoints

All endpoints except /api/auth/login require a JWT token in the Authorization header: Bearer <token>.

Method	Endpoint	Auth	Description
POST	/api/auth/login	No	Login; returns JWT
GET	/api/system/info	Yes	System metrics (CPU, memory…)
GET	/api/system/ports	Yes	Open ports on the host
POST	/api/vulnerabilities/scan	Yes	Run vulnerability scan (Nmap)
GET	/api/vulnerabilities/results	Yes	Get last scan results
GET	/api/logs/failed-logins	Yes	Failed login attempts
DELETE	/api/logs/cleanup	Yes	Log cleanup info (read-only)

Docker Deployment (Optional)

1. Build and Run

   cd linux-security-dashboard
   docker-compose up --build

2. Containers

   • backend: Exposes http://localhost:5000
   • frontend: Accessible at http://localhost:3000
   • mongo (if configured) on 27017

3. Login — Use admin / admin (or credentials from env vars).

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
"Cannot GET /"	You are on the backend URL. Open http://localhost:3000 (frontend) instead of http://localhost:5000.
"react-scripts is not recognized"	Run npm install react-scripts in the frontend folder.
Open Ports / Logs empty on Windows	These features require Linux. Use WSL2 or Docker.
Vulnerability scan fails	Install Nmap: apt install nmap (Linux).
401 Unauthorized	Log in again. The JWT may have expired (default: 24h).
CORS errors	Ensure backend runs on port 5000 and frontend uses REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a branch for your feature:

   git checkout -b feature/some-new-feature

3. Commit & push your changes:

   git commit -m "Add some new feature"
   git push origin feature/some-new-feature

4. Open a Pull Request on GitHub, describing your changes and any relevant details.

We appreciate your contributions—bug reports, suggestions, and pull requests are always welcome!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.
Feel free to modify and distribute as you see fit.

Enjoy securing your system with the Linux Security Dashboard! For questions or feedback, open an issue or start a discussion in the repository.