How to install and run Nessus 3.0.

Installing Nessus Server

1) Download Nessus 3.0.3 rpm from http://www.nessus.org/download/
2) rpm -Uvh Nessus-3.0.3-fc5.i386.rpm
3) Please run /opt/nessus/sbin/nessus-add-first-user to add an admin user
4) Register your nessus installation by running
/opt/nessus/bin/nessus-fetch --register xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
You will get the registration key by registering on
http://www.nessus.org/register/
5) vi /opt/nessus/etc/nessus/nessusd.conf
Check if auto_update = yes is set to yes.If not set it to yes to enable auto
aupdate
6) /sbin/service nessusd start

B) Running the Nessus client from the Linux shell

1) cd /root
mkdir nessus
vi /root/nessus/target
#Enter the target server/ips to scan separated by commas

2) Run the nessus client for the first time using the following command
/opt/nessus/bin/nessus -T html -qxV serverip 1241 username pass
/root/nessus/target /root/nessus/results.html

3)cp -a /root/.nessusrc /root/nessus/.nessusrc

cd /root/nessus
wget http://www.tifaware.com/code/update-nessusrc/update-nessusrc

Edit the file as required .

Execute the following

/opt/nessus/sbin/nessus-update-plugins

perl /root/nessus/update-nessusrc /root/nessus/.nessusrc

Verify the newly created .nessusrc and make changes if required.

Run the following command subsequently to scan a target

/opt/nessus/bin/nessus -c /root/nessus/.nessusrc -T html -qx localhost 1241

username pass /root/nessus/target /root/nessus/results.html

To enable all plugins including ones which can crash a remote host , do the
following

a)
vi /usr/local/etc/nessus/nessusd.conf
Replace yes with no on the line safe_checks

b)
run the following command

/opt/nessus/sbin/nessus-update-plugins

c)
perl /root/nessus/update-nessusrc -c
"attack,infos,mixed,scanner,settings,denial,destructive_attack,kill_host"
/root/nessus/.nessusrc

d)
cd /root/nessus
vi .nessusrc
Search for the line safe_checks and replace yes with no
Search for the line
begin(PLUGIN_SET)
Replace no with yes after every plugin id for where you find a no

Verify the newly created .nessusrc and make changes if required.

Run the following command subsequently to scan a target

/opt/nessus/bin/nessus -c /root/nessus/.nessusrc -T html -qx localhost 1241
username pass /root/nessus/target /root/nessus/results.html