Transfer Activation Code

In Tenable Nessus Professional and Tenable Nessus Expert, you can use an activation code on multiple systems. This allows you to transfer a Tenable Nessus license from one system to another easily and without resetting your activation code each time.

When you transfer the activation code to a system, it becomes the active instance of Nessus for that license. Only the most recently activated system can receive plugin updates. All previous instances of Nessus with that activation code still function, but cannot receive plugin updates. On inactive instances, the following error message appears: Access to the feed has been denied, likely due to an invalid or transferred license code.

To transfer an activation code, use one of the following procedures on the system that you want to make the active instance of Nessus.

Nessus User Interface

  1. Install Nessus as described in the appropriate procedure for your operating system.
  2. Access the system in a browser.
  3. In the Create an account window, type a username and password.
  4. Click Continue.

  5. In the Register your scanner window, in the Scanner Type drop-down box, select Tenable Nessus Essentials, Professional, or Manager.

  6. In the Activation Code box, type your activation code.

  7. Click Continue.

    Nessus finishes the installation process, which may take several minutes. Once installation is complete, the license is active on this instance of Nessus.

  1. Access the system on which you want to activate Nessus.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click Settings.
  3. In the Overview tab, click the edit button next to the activation code.

  4. Type the activation code and click Activate.

    The license is now active on this instance of Nessus.

Note: If you are using Tenable Nessus Scanner, the License Expiration and Activation Code values on the About page show as N/A.

Command Line Interface

Perform the following procedure as root, or use sudo as a non-root user.

  1. On the system on which you want to activate Nessus, open a command prompt.

  2. Run the nessuscli fetch --register <Activation Code> command specific to your operating system.

    Platform Command

    Linux

    # /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli fetch --register xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

    FreeBSD

    # /usr/local/nessus/sbin/nessuscli fetch --register xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

    macOS

    # /Library/Nessus/run/sbin/nessuscli fetch --register xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

    Windows

    C:\Program Files\Tenable\Nessus>nessuscli.exe fetch --register xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

    Nessus downloads and installs the Nessus engine and the latest Nessus plugins, and then restarts.