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How to Use Nessus for Vulnerability Scanning on Ubuntu

A step-by-step guide to installing Nessus on Ubuntu, activating the scanner, creating network and credentialed scans, configuring SSH with sudo or su, and interpreting results.
Length11 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To scan Ubuntu with Nessus, install the Tenable Nessus Debian package as root, start the nessusd service, finish activation at https://localhost:8834 (or the scanner host’s IP on port 8834), then create a scan under Scans → New Scan. An unauthenticated scan can enumerate exposed network services; an SSH credentialed scan can inspect packages and local configuration. Use credentialed checks when you need evidence from inside the Ubuntu host, and verify that your Ubuntu release and CPU architecture appear in Nessus 10.12’s support list before installing.

Check Ubuntu compatibility before installing

Nessus 10.12 lists the following Ubuntu releases for x86_64 systems:

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Architecture Supported Ubuntu releases
x86_64 16.04, 18.04, 20.04, 22.04 and 24.04
AArch64 18.04, 20.04, 22.04 and 24.04

Ubuntu 16.04 is listed only for x86_64. An ARM server running Ubuntu 16.04 is not in this support list, while AArch64 support starts at Ubuntu 18.04. Confirm the release and architecture on the machine that will run the scanner:

cat /etc/os-release
uname -m

Use the release information to confirm the Ubuntu version, and use uname -m to distinguish x86_64 from AArch64. Do this check before downloading a package so that an otherwise correct installation is not attempted on an unsupported combination.

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Prepare the Nessus package and activation

Obtain the Debian package

You need a Nessus Debian package that matches the scanner’s architecture and an activation code for the Nessus edition you intend to use. Keep the downloaded file on the Ubuntu scanner host, or copy it there through your normal administration channel. The installation command documented by Tenable uses a filename in this form:

Nessus-<version number>-debian6_amd64.deb

The exact version number in the filename depends on the package you obtained. Do not replace it with a filename copied from another release; use the actual file present on your system.

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Choose the scanner host

Nessus runs as a service on the scanner host and exposes its web interface on TCP port 8834. For a local installation, you can administer it from that host with https://localhost:8834. If you administer it from another computer, use the scanner host’s IP address with the same port, for example https://192.0.2.10:8834 using the real address assigned to your scanner.

Before launching scans, make sure the scanner can reach the Ubuntu systems you plan to test and that your administrative path can reach port 8834 on the scanner. The scan targets are separate from the computer running Nessus: the scanner is the system where you install the package, while targets are the hosts whose services or local configuration Nessus examines.

Install Nessus on Ubuntu from the command line

  1. Open a root shell or use a root command. Tenable’s installation procedure requires root privileges. If the package is in your current directory, install it with the Debian package manager:
sudo dpkg -i Nessus-<version number>-debian6_amd64.deb

Substitute the exact package filename. On an AArch64 machine, use the package supplied for that architecture rather than an x86_64 package.

  1. Start the Nessus service. The service name is nessusd:
sudo systemctl start nessusd
  1. Check the service state if the browser cannot connect. This does not change the installation; it gives you the service’s current state and any startup diagnostics:
sudo systemctl status nessusd

If the package installation reports an error, resolve that package error before trying to configure scans. If the service is not active, inspect the status output and system logs on the Ubuntu host, correct the reported issue, and start nessusd again.

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Complete the first-run web configuration

Open the interface

On the scanner itself, browse to https://localhost:8834. From a different workstation, browse to https://<scanner-host-IP>:8834. The interface uses HTTPS and port 8834; entering an HTTP URL or omitting the port will not reach the Nessus console.

Activate the installation

Follow the initial setup screens to provide the activation code and create the administrative account requested by Nessus. Activation is part of the first-run configuration, so an installed service is not the same thing as a ready-to-run scanner. Complete the setup until the console presents the scan-management interface.

Separate administration from target access

The account you create for the Nessus console administers the scanner. It is not automatically an account on every Ubuntu target. For credentialed scans, you separately configure SSH access to each target and grant the permissions required for local checks.

Decide whether the scan needs credentials

Start with the question the scan must answer. If you need to know what an exposed host presents to the network, an unauthenticated scan may be sufficient. If you need package, patch or local configuration evidence, configure an SSH credentialed scan.

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Factor Unauthenticated network scan Credentialed Linux scan
Visibility Enumerates services and other exposure visible from the scanner’s network position. Can inspect packages and local security configuration from inside Ubuntu.
Access requirements No login to the target host. SSH access plus the required user privileges through sudo or su.
Operational setup Fewer account, key and privilege-management tasks. Requires a target account, an authentication method and a controlled privilege path.
Evidence and confidence Reports what can be observed externally; an inaccessible service or filtered port can limit the view. Provides deeper host-level evidence when authentication and privilege escalation work correctly.
Scale One scanner can test reachable targets without adding a login on each host. Each target needs working credentials and access administration, which matters at larger scale.

These approaches are complementary. A credentialed scan does not remove the value of checking the network-facing attack surface, and an unauthenticated scan cannot substitute for local package and configuration checks that require a login.

Run host discovery before a detailed scan

Host discovery helps establish which systems respond in the range you intend to assess. Use it to validate target addresses and reduce the chance of launching a detailed scan at the wrong hosts. Discovery is also useful when inventory is incomplete: the results can show which addresses are reachable from the scanner before you invest time configuring credentials and plugins.

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Define the target range carefully. A single IP, a list of addresses or a network range should represent systems you are authorized to test. Confirm ownership and maintenance windows before launching any scan that could generate significant traffic or interact with production services.

Create and launch a Nessus scan

Open a new scan

  1. Sign in to the Nessus web interface.
  2. Select Scans.
  3. Select New Scan.
  4. Choose a template that matches the assessment you are performing.
  5. Configure the template’s settings.
  6. Select Launch to run it immediately, or Save to keep the configuration for later.

The available settings depend on the template. Common configuration areas include targets, optional live results, credentials, compliance audits and plugin selections. Configure only the options needed for the assessment so that the scan remains understandable and its findings can be traced to a deliberate scope.

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Set targets

Enter the Ubuntu IP addresses, hostnames or ranges that you have permission to scan. Verify that names resolve to the intended systems from the scanner host. If you are testing a single server, begin with that address rather than an entire subnet; this makes it easier to validate connectivity and credentials before expanding the scope.

Choose live-result behavior

If the selected template offers live results, decide whether you need findings while the scan is still running. Live output can help you identify an obvious configuration problem early, while a final report gives you the complete result after all selected checks finish. Use the option that fits your monitoring and change-control process.

Select credentials and checks

For an external scan, leave target credentials unconfigured and focus on network-visible checks. For a local Ubuntu assessment, add the SSH credentials and privilege-escalation settings described in the next section. Plugin and compliance selections should reflect the question you are trying to answer; enabling every possible check can make results harder to triage.

Launch or save

Review the target list, credential settings and any audit or plugin selections before starting. Choose Launch for an immediate run. Choose Save when you want to review the configuration, obtain approval or schedule execution through your normal operating process.

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Configure credentialed SSH checks on Ubuntu

Create a dedicated target account

Tenable recommends a dedicated account on each target. A dedicated identity makes it clear which access belongs to Nessus, allows you to restrict or revoke that access independently, and avoids coupling scans to a person’s everyday account.

Create the account according to your organization’s Ubuntu administration standard, install its authorized public key if you use key authentication, and grant only the permissions required for the checks you selected. If your policy permits password authentication instead, use a separate scanning account rather than reusing a personal password.

Choose an SSH authentication method

Nessus can use either a private/public key pair or user credentials. In the scan’s SSH credential settings, provide the authentication details that correspond to the account on the target. A key-based configuration requires the private key to be available to Nessus and the matching public key to be authorized for the target account. A user-credential configuration requires the username and password accepted by the target’s SSH service.

Provide privilege escalation

Local security checks may need elevated privileges. Configure the scan to use sudo or su according to the target’s policy and the account’s permissions. If the account cannot perform the configured escalation, Nessus may be able to log in but still lack the access needed for local checks. Test the exact account and escalation path outside Nessus before relying on the results.

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Check the target shell prompt

Tenable specifies that the target shell must expose a PS1 variable containing four or more characters. A shorter prompt can drastically increase total scan time. Check the effective shell environment for the scanning account and adjust the account’s shell configuration so that the prompt meets this requirement without changing the behavior of other administrative accounts.

printf '%sn' "$PS1"

Run the check in the same kind of SSH session Nessus will use. A prompt that appears correctly in an interactive terminal but is absent or shorter in the non-interactive environment can still cause problems.

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Enter the credentials in the scan

  1. Open the scan configuration and locate its credential settings.
  2. Select the SSH credential type that matches your key pair or user credentials.
  3. Enter the target username and authentication material.
  4. Configure sudo or su if local checks require elevation.
  5. Save the scan and verify connectivity with a narrowly scoped target before adding more hosts.

Keep private keys and passwords protected according to your organization’s secrets policy. Remove or disable the dedicated account when the assessment ends if your access process does not require it to remain available.

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Review findings and export a report

After launch, open the scan from the Scans view and review the findings in the context of the scan type. For an unauthenticated scan, confirm that the reported services are actually reachable from the scanner’s network position. For a credentialed scan, check that SSH authentication and privilege escalation succeeded; otherwise, an apparently clean result may simply reflect missing local visibility.

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Use the finding details to distinguish an externally observable issue from a package or configuration condition discovered on the host. Record the affected target, the evidence Nessus provided and the remediation owner in your normal vulnerability-management workflow. Export a report when you need to share results, retain an assessment record or provide findings to a team that does not use the Nessus console.

Troubleshoot common setup and scan failures

The package will not install

  • Confirm that you are using root privileges.
  • Check that the filename passed to dpkg -i exactly matches the package in the current directory.
  • Verify that the package architecture matches the Ubuntu machine and that the release is in the Nessus support list.
  • Read the package-manager error, correct the stated dependency or file problem, and rerun the installation before starting the service.

The web interface does not open

  • Check sudo systemctl status nessusd and start the service if it is inactive.
  • Use HTTPS and include port 8834: https://localhost:8834 locally or the scanner host IP remotely.
  • If remote administration fails but local access works, check the network path and firewall policy between the browser and the scanner.

The scan cannot reach a target

  • Confirm that the target address is correct and reachable from the scanner host.
  • Check routing and any firewall rules that block the services the scan needs to examine.
  • For an SSH scan, verify that the target’s SSH service accepts the configured account and authentication method.

SSH login works but local findings are incomplete

  • Confirm that the scan contains the intended SSH credentials.
  • Test the configured sudo or su path with the dedicated account.
  • Check that the target shell exposes a PS1 value of at least four characters.
  • Review the scan output for authentication or privilege-escalation errors before interpreting the absence of a finding as a clean result.

The credentialed scan takes much longer than expected

First inspect the shell prompt requirement. Tenable warns that a PS1 shorter than four characters can drastically increase total scan time. Then check target reachability, SSH responsiveness and privilege escalation. Expand the target list only after a single-host test completes normally.

Use a repeatable Ubuntu scanning workflow

  1. Inventory: record the Ubuntu release, architecture, target addresses and authorization scope.
  2. Install: install the matching Debian package with root privileges and start nessusd.
  3. Activate: complete the web setup at port 8834 and protect the Nessus administrator account.
  4. Discover: run host discovery or otherwise validate which intended targets are reachable.
  5. Baseline externally: run an unauthenticated scan to document network-visible services.
  6. Add local evidence: create a dedicated SSH account, configure key or user authentication, set up sudo or su, and verify PS1.
  7. Scan narrowly first: test one authorized Ubuntu host with the selected template and credentials.
  8. Expand carefully: add additional targets only after the first result confirms that connectivity and authentication work.
  9. Review and report: validate the scan type and access status, investigate findings, and export the report required by your process.

This sequence keeps installation, network discovery, external testing and host-level checks distinct. That separation makes it easier to diagnose failures and prevents missing credentials from being mistaken for an absence of vulnerabilities.

Key limitations to keep in mind

  • An unauthenticated scan can report only what the scanner can observe over the network; it does not provide the same package and local-configuration evidence as an SSH credentialed scan.
  • A credentialed result depends on working SSH authentication and the required sudo or su permissions on every target.
  • Credential administration grows with the number of Ubuntu hosts, so document ownership, rotation and revocation for the dedicated accounts or keys.
  • Support depends on both Ubuntu release and architecture. The Nessus 10.12 list covers x86_64 Ubuntu 16.04–24.04 and AArch64 Ubuntu 18.04–24.04; an unlisted combination should not be treated as supported.

With those constraints accounted for, Nessus provides a practical two-layer assessment: network-visible exposure from the scanner’s position and deeper Ubuntu evidence obtained through controlled SSH access.

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