Configuring Vulnerability Response using the Setup Assistant

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated April 28, 2026
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    Summary of Configuring Vulnerability Response using the Setup Assistant

    The Setup Assistant in ServiceNow guides you through configuring Vulnerability Response (VR) and supported third-party integrations efficiently. It centralizes key setup steps, from user role assignments to integration configurations, enabling you to deploy VR with minimal manual effort. This process requires two roles:adminandvulnerability admin.

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    System Administration

    Using the Setup Assistant, administrators assign VR personas and granular roles to users and groups to control access and capabilities within the VR application. Key roles include:

    • snvul.admin for VR administration and configuration tasks.
    • snvulvulnerabilitywrite for creating and updating remediation tasks and vulnerable items.
    • snvulvulnerabilityread for viewing remediation tasks and vulnerability data.
    • Users with the itil role automatically receive permissions to view assigned remediation tasks without extra role assignments.

    The Setup Assistant also supports installing third-party integration applications that extend VR capabilities. This includes integrations with scanners and solution providers.

    Vulnerability Response Settings

    Vulnerability administrators or admins define global settings and rules that govern VR behavior:

    • Vulnerability Assignment Rules: Automatically assign remediation tasks. A baseline rule is provided, and changes can be scheduled via a "Reapply all vulnerability assignment rules" job to maintain consistency.
    • Remediation Task Rules: Automatically create remediation tasks based on defined criteria. Rules can be reapplied or deleted with options to manage existing open groups.
    • Risk Calculators: Enable and customize scoring to prioritize vulnerabilities effectively. Several calculators come preconfigured.
    • Remediation Target Rules: Define categories and targets for remediation efforts.

    Integration Configuration

    The Setup Assistant facilitates configuring, scheduling, and managing third-party vulnerability scanner integrations such as Qualys and Tenable. When the Solution Management for Vulnerability Response application is installed, it also supports configuring solution providers like Red Hat and Microsoft Security Response Center.

    • Multiple deployments of the same integration type are supported via templates, enabling flexible multi-sourced data ingestion.
    • Deleting original integrations requires selecting new templates; disabling is recommended over deletion to maintain template availability.
    • Rapid7 InsightVM integrations require separate configuration outside Setup Assistant for domain separation.

    Additional Considerations

    Further setup and configuration tasks not covered by the Setup Assistant may be necessary. Refer to additional documentation for comprehensive configuration guidance beyond the assistant's scope.

    Setup Assistant walks you through setting up Vulnerability Response and certain third-party integrations for your environment. Setup Assistant provides almost everything you need to install and set up your environment so that you can use Vulnerability Response.

    Figure 1. Setup Assistant functionality
    Setup Assistant functionality with System Administration, Vulnerability Response Settings, and Integration Configuration sections.

    Using Setup Assistant requires two different ServiceNow AI Platform® roles: admin and vulnerability admin.

    Refer to the following sections to supplement the instructions and prompts provided in Setup Assistant.

    System Administration - assign users and groups and install integration applications

    Role required: admin

    A list of users and integrations should be obtained from the Vulnerability Manager prior to beginning these tasks.

    1. Navigate to All > Vulnerability Response > Administration > Setup Assistant.
    2. In the first section, System Administration, the admin the assigns roles to users and groups and installs supported integrations.

      Assign Vulnerability Response personas and roles to users and groups in Setup Assistant.

      Persona and granular roles are available to help you manage what users and groups can see and do in the Vulnerability Response application. For an initial assignment of the persona roles in Setup Assistant, see Assign the Vulnerability Response persona roles using Setup Assistant. For more information about managing granular roles, see Manage persona and granular roles for Vulnerability Response.

    3. Assign roles in Setup Assistant.
      • Assign the role of sn_vul.admin to users or groups.
      • Assign the sn_vul.admin role for Vulnerability Response administration and configuration including vulnerability integrations, remediation task rules, calculators, and time-to-remediate rules.
      • Assign the sn_vul_vulnerability_write role for the creation and update of remediation tasks and vulnerable items.
        Note:
        All other users automatically receive Write access only to remediation tasks that are assigned to them.
      • Assign the sn_vul_vulnerability_read role to view remediation tasks, vulnerable items, and other vulnerability information.
        Note:
        Users with the itil role are automatically granted the sn_vul.remediation_owner role allowing them to see remediation tasks and vulnerable items assigned to them, vulnerability entries, and, solutions in the Vulnerability Response application on their instance and in the Mobile Agent application. No additional assignment is needed.
    4. Install third-party integration applications.

    Vulnerability Response Settings

    Role required: sn_vul.vulnerability_admin or sn_vul.admin (deprecated), or admin

    Setup Assistant Vulnerability Response Settings section, which includes Vulnerability Assignment Rules, Remediation Task Rules, Risk Calculators, and Remediation Target Rules.

    In Vulnerability Response Settings, the vulnerability administrator defines application-wide settings and defines rules for Vulnerability Response. Alternatively, the admin can perform these tasks.

    1. Create Vulnerability Assignment Rules.

      Create rules that define the automatic assignment of remediation tasks for resolution. At least one rule is shipped with the base system. See for more information.

      Note:

      The reapply feature requires a baseline application of the rules. Once your rules are created, activate the Reapply all vulnerability assignment rules scheduled job to execute, at your convenience. Otherwise, you will be required to reapply all rules to all Open VIs prior to changing them.

      When the job is complete, set the Run field in the scheduled job to fit your environment. Depending on the number of active VIs you have, evaluating and updating them daily can have non-trivial performance impact. For larger environments, consider updating once a week or even once a month.

      Reapplying assignment rules does not regroup the vulnerable items.

    2. Create remediation task rules.

      Create rules that define the automatic creation of remediation tasks for resolution. At least one rule, Vulnerability, is shipped with the base system. You can reapply the rules from the form or list view.

    3. Create and enable Risk Calculators.

      Enable risk calculators that define how vulnerable items are scored for prioritization. Several risk calculators are shipped with the base system. See Vulnerability Response calculators and vulnerability calculator rules information on creating or editing risk calculators for your environment.

    4. Create Remediation Target Rules.

      Create remediation target rules for categories of remediation. At least one rule is shipped with the base system. See Vulnerability Response remediation target rules for more information on creating rules for your environment.

    Integration Configuration

    Role required: sn_vul.vulnerability_admin or sn_vul.admin (deprecated), or admin.

    Setup Assistant Integration Configuration section that includes Scanner Integrations.

    In the Integration Configuration section, configure, schedule, edit, and launch on-demand the following third-party vulnerability scanner integrations and, if the Solution Management for Vulnerability Response application is installed, solution providers.

    Note:
    Multiple vulnerability integrations for Rapid7 InsightVM are not available within Setup Assistant. See Create domain-separated imports for an integration for information on configuring and creating multiple Rapid7 InsightVM integrations.

    Additional tasks

    See Additional Vulnerability Response setup and configuration tasks for more information on setup tasks not included in Setup Assistant.