AWS First Steps
Amazon Inspector icon

Amazon Inspector Popularsince 2015

A service that automatically scans EC2 instances, container images, and Lambda functions for vulnerabilities

About 2 min readWritten and edited by Awashiro

What It Does

Amazon Inspector is a service that automatically scans EC2 instances, ECR container images, and Lambda functions for software vulnerabilities and network exposure. It detects vulnerabilities based on the CVE database and provides severity scores along with remediation guidance.

Use Cases

Used for scanning OS packages on EC2 instances for vulnerabilities, performing pre-deployment security checks on container images, detecting vulnerabilities in Lambda function dependencies, and managing vulnerabilities for compliance requirements.

Everyday Analogy

Think of it like a regular building safety inspection. A professional inspector examines the structure (software) of a building (instance), finds cracks (vulnerabilities), and reports repair methods (remediation guidance).

What Is Inspector?

Amazon Inspector is a service that continuously scans your workloads for vulnerabilities. Simply enable it, and target resources are automatically discovered and scanning begins. When new CVEs are published, automatic re-scans are triggered, ensuring assessments are always based on the latest vulnerability information.

Scan Targets and Findings

Inspector scans OS packages on EC2 instances, packages in ECR container images, and dependencies in Lambda functions. Findings include the CVE ID, severity score (Inspector score), affected packages, and the fixed version. You can aggregate findings in Security Hub for centralized management.

Getting Started

Just click 'Enable Inspector' in the Inspector console to get started. You can enable scanning for EC2, ECR, and Lambda individually. A 15-day free trial is available. With Organizations integration, you can enable it across all accounts at once.

Things to Watch Out For

  • EC2 instance scanning requires the SSM Agent to be installed
  • Billed monthly based on the number of scanned instances and container images. A 15-day free trial is available

References (Official AWS Resources)

The primary sources for this page are the official AWS website and documentation. Check the official pages below for the latest specifications and pricing.

If this page and the official documentation disagree, treat the official documentation as authoritative.

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