Book ASV Scan

What Is Included in a PCI ASV Scan? Scope, Checklist, and Requirements

April 17, 2026
Binoy Koonammavu
Most organizations view a PCI ASV scan as a “black box” until they receive a 200-page failing report filled with TLS 1.1 errors and legacy encryption flags. Failing a scan days before a compliance deadline is a massive operational bottleneck. Understanding exactly what is being tested; and why; is the only way to move from “failing and fixing” to “continuous compliance.”

A PCI ASV (Approved Scanning Vendor) scan is a mandated quarterly external vulnerability assessment of all internet-facing components that could impact the security of the Cardholder Data Environment (CDE). Under PCI DSS 4.0.1, the scan checks for vulnerabilities with a CVSS score of 4.0 or higher, misconfigured firewalls, outdated software, and weak encryption (TLS 1.2+ is required).

Get Your Pass Certificate Today

Don't let a "Fail" report stall your business. Secusy ASV provides affordable, fast, and audit-ready reports that meet all PCI SSC requirements.

Start Your Free Scan

Technical Scope: What Does a PCI ASV Scan Check?

An ASV scan is not a general “ping” of your network. It is a rigorous, non-intrusive probe of every entry point that could lead to your network. According to the PCI SSC ASV Program Guide, the scan must cover:
01

External Perimeter Vulnerabilities

The scan targets all publicly accessible IP addresses and URLs. This includes:

  • Web Servers: Checking for SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and insecure headers.
  • Mail & DNS Servers: Ensuring these services don't provide a backdoor into your environment.
  • Firewalls & Routers: Identifying open ports that shouldn't be accessible to the public internet.
02

High-Risk Vulnerabilities (CVSS 4.0+)

As of 2026, the threshold for a "Fail" remains any vulnerability with a Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score of 4.0 or higher. This includes:

  • Unpatched operating systems.
  • Default "admin/admin" credentials on public-facing assets.
  • Known exploits (CVEs) relevant to your tech stack.
03

Encryption & SSL/TLS Standards

Secusy ASV scans specifically look for deprecated protocols. If you are still supporting TLS 1.0 or 1.1, the scan will return an automatic failure. You must demonstrate the use of TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3 and strong cipher suites to protect data in transit.

ASV Scan Technical Thresholds

 
CategoryRequirement“Fail” Trigger
CVSS Score
Must be < 4.0
Any score $\ge$ 4.0
TLS Version
1.2 or 1.3
Use of TLS 1.0, 1.1, or SSL
Default Passwords
Changed for all services
Any “factory-default” login detected
Encryption
Strong Ciphers (AES-256+)
Use of DES, 3DES, or RC4
Unnecessary Services
Disabled
Open FTP, Telnet, or RDP

The PCI ASV Scan Checklist

To ensure your environment is ready for an official quarterly scan, verify these five areas:
  • Full Scope Defined: All external-facing IPs and domains identified and added to the scan.
  • Active Remediation: All critical patches applied to web servers and CMS (WordPress, Magento, etc.).
  • Firewall Lockdown: Close all ports except 80 and 443 (unless strictly necessary for business).
  • Certificate Check: Ensure all SSL certificates are valid and not expired.
  • Third-Party Components: Verify that any third-party plugins or scripts are updated to the latest versions.

The Secusy Advantage: Accuracy Without the Bloat

Most legacy ASVs overwhelm SMBs with “False Positives”;vulnerabilities that aren’t actually risks but still cause a “Fail.” Secusy ASV uses refined detection logic to reduce noise. Our platform is built for speed, allowing you to run a scan, identify the 4.0+ CVSS failures, remediate, and rescan without waiting days for “support tickets” or manual reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

An internal vulnerability scan is performed inside your network (often by your own team), whereas a PCI ASV scan is an external test performed by a PCI SSC-approved third party to ensure your "front door" is locked.
You are required to achieve a "Pass" status at least once every 90 days (quarterly). If you change your network configuration significantly, you should run a new scan immediately to remain compliant.
If you fail, you must remediate the identified vulnerabilities (those with a CVSS $\ge$ 4.0) and perform a re-scan. You cannot submit a failing report for compliance. Secusy allows for unlimited re-scans to help you get to "Pass" faster.

Yes. If you believe a result is a false positive or you have a "Compensating Control" in place, you can submit a dispute through the Secusy platform. Our experts review these disputes to ensure they meet PCI SSC requirements.

Yes. If your cloud environment hosts your Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) or connects to it, those external-facing cloud IPs and Load Balancers must be included in the ASV scan scope.

Ready to Pass Your Next Scan?

Stop overpaying for complex enterprise tools. Get the technical precision you need with the human clarity you want.

Join Secusy ASV and Pass Your PCI Scan Today

Share:

Related Post

 

Discover more from Secusy ASV

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading