SSL Labs — TLS/SSL Deep Analysis

Qualys SSL Labs performs a comprehensive TLS/SSL scan and assigns a grade from A+ to F. It checks cipher suite strength, certificate validity and chain, protocol support (TLS 1.0–1.3), forward secrecy, and known vulnerabilities like Heartbleed, POODLE, DROWN, and LOGJAM.

No API key required. Scans can take 60–120 seconds for first-time analysis.

When to Use

• Verify TLS configuration before or after a certificate renewal
• Compliance check: confirm TLS 1.0/1.1 is disabled, HSTS is set
• Incident response: check if a server is vulnerable to Heartbleed or POODLE
• User asks "what grade is my SSL?", "is the TLS cert on X valid?", "does site support TLS 1.3?"

How to Use

Start a scan and poll for results

powershell
$host   = "github.com"
$apiUrl = "https://api.ssllabs.com/api/v3/analyze"

# Start new scan
$result = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "$apiUrl`?host=$host&publish=off&startNew=on&all=done"
Write-Host "Status: $($result.status)"

# Poll until ready (may take 1-2 minutes)
while ($result.status -ne 'READY' -and $result.status -ne 'ERROR') {
    Start-Sleep -Seconds 20
    $result = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "$apiUrl`?host=$host&publish=off&all=done"
    Write-Host "Status: $($result.status) — $(($result.endpoints | Measure-Object).Count) endpoint(s)"
}

$result.endpoints | ForEach-Object {
    Write-Host "  $($_.ipAddress)  Grade: $($_.grade)  $($_.statusMessage)"
}

Check TLS protocols and known vulnerabilities

powershell
$host   = "example.com"
$result = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.ssllabs.com/api/v3/analyze?host=$host&publish=off&all=done"

while ($result.status -ne 'READY') {
    Start-Sleep -Seconds 15
    $result = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.ssllabs.com/api/v3/analyze?host=$host&publish=off&all=done"
}

$ep = $result.endpoints[0]
Write-Host "Grade:      $($ep.grade)"
Write-Host "TLS protocols supported:"
$ep.details.protocols | ForEach-Object { Write-Host "  $($_.name) $($_.version)" }
Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Vulnerabilities:"
Write-Host "  Heartbleed:   $($ep.details.heartbleed)"
Write-Host "  POODLE (SSL): $($ep.details.poodleSsl)"
Write-Host "  FREAK:        $($ep.details.freak)"
Write-Host "  LOGJAM:       $($ep.details.logjam)"
Write-Host "  DROWN:        $($ep.details.drownVulnerable)"

Get the direct report URL (instant — no waiting)

powershell
$host    = "taracod.com"
$encoded = [Uri]::EscapeDataString($host)
$url     = "https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/analyze.html?d=$encoded&hideResults=on&ignoreMismatch=on"
Write-Host "Open in browser: $url"
Start-Process $url

Examples

"What SSL grade does github.com get?" → Scan and poll — typically returns A+ in ~90 seconds.

"Is my server vulnerable to Heartbleed?" → Scan and check endpoints[0].details.heartbleed — should be false.

"Does this server still support TLS 1.0?" → Check endpoints[0].details.protocols — TLS 1.0 and 1.1 should be absent for A grade.

"Just give me the SSL Labs link for my site" → Use quickScan — returns the browser URL instantly without waiting.

Cautions

• First-time scans for a new host take 60–120 seconds — cached results return in seconds
• publish=off is essential — without it, results appear on the public leaderboard
• SSL Labs API rate limits: 1 request per 2 seconds — do not spam the poll loop
• Scans from the same IP on the same host within 24h return cached results by default
• A READY result with gradeTrustIgnored different from grade means there is a certificate trust issue

Requirements

• None — no API key needed
• For bulk scanning, respect the rate limits or use the direct URL and view in browser