Perform an Offline Nessus Plugin Update

Required User Role: Administrator

Before you begin:

  • If you installed Tenable Security Center in an environment other than Tenable Core, install a temporary Tenable Nessus scanner on the same host as Tenable Security Center. You will use this temporary Tenable Nessus scanner to generate a challenge code for offline Tenable Security Center registration. Do not start or otherwise configure the temporary Tenable Nessus scanner.

To perform an offline Tenable Nessus plugin update:

  1. In the command line interface (CLI), run the following command to prevent the Tenable Nessus scanner from starting automatically upon restarting the system:

    /usr/bin/systemctl disable nessusd

  2. Run the following command and save the challenge string that is displayed:

    # /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli fetch --challenge

  3. In your browser, navigate to https://plugins.nessus.org/offline.php.

    Note: Do not click here, even if you have a newer version of Tenable Nessus installed. You cannot use the https://plugins.nessus.org/v2/offline.php page for Tenable Security Center downloads.

  4. Paste the challenge string from Step 3 and your Activation Code in the appropriate boxes on the web page.

  5. Click Submit.

  6. On the next page, copy the link that starts with https://plugins.nessus.org/get.php... and save it as a favorite. Within the saved link change all-2.0.tar.gz to sc-plugins-diff.tar.gz. This link will be needed for future use.

    Caution: Do not click the link for nessus-fetch.rc.

  7. Go to the favorite you created.

    The page prompts you to download a file.

  8. Download the file, which is called sc-plugins-diff.tar.gz.

  9. Verify the file using the MD5 checksum, as described in the knowledge base article.

  10. Save the sc-plugins-diff.tar.gz on the system used to access your Tenable Security Center web interface.

  11. Log in to Tenable Security Center via the user interface.

  12. Click System > Configuration.

    The Configuration page appears.

  13. Click Plugins/Feed.

    The Plugins/Feed Configuration page appears.

  14. In the Schedules section, expand the Active Plugins options.

  15. Click Choose File and browse to the saved sc-plugins-diff.tar.gz file.

  16. Click Submit.

    After several minutes, the plugin update finishes and the page updates the Last Updated date and time.

What to do next:

  • If you installed a temporary Tenable Nessus scanner on the same host as Tenable Security Center, uninstall the Tenable Nessus scanner.