}

How to Reset Nessus Password: Complete Step-by-Step Guide [2025]

Last updated: 4 min read

Introduction

Nessus is one of the most widely used vulnerability scanners in cybersecurity. Whether you're a penetration tester, security analyst, or system administrator, you may find yourself locked out of your Nessus installation after forgetting the admin password.

This guide shows you how to reset your Nessus password on Linux (including Kali Linux), macOS, and Windows using the nessuscli command-line tool.

Quick Solution

If you already know where nessuscli is located, here's the quick fix:

# Linux
sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli chpasswd admin

# macOS
sudo /Library/Nessus/run/sbin/nessuscli chpasswd admin

# Windows (run as Administrator)
"C:\Program Files\Tenable\Nessus\nessuscli.exe" chpasswd admin

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Find the nessuscli Location

The nessuscli utility location varies by operating system. If running nessuscli returns "command not found", you need to locate it first.

Linux (Kali, Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS)

Default location:

/opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli

If not found, search for it:

find / -name "nessuscli" 2>/dev/null

Common Linux paths: - /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli (standard installation) - /usr/local/nessus/sbin/nessuscli (older versions)

macOS

Default location:

/Library/Nessus/run/sbin/nessuscli

Search if not found:

sudo find / -name "nessuscli" 2>/dev/null

Windows

Default location:

C:\Program Files\Tenable\Nessus\nessuscli.exe

Step 2: List Available Users

Before resetting a password, check which users exist in your Nessus installation.

Linux

sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli lsuser

macOS

cd /Library/Nessus/run/sbin
sudo ./nessuscli lsuser

Windows (Run Command Prompt as Administrator)

"C:\Program Files\Tenable\Nessus\nessuscli.exe" lsuser

Example output:

admin
scanner_user
auditor

Step 3: Reset the Password

Now reset the password for the desired user (typically admin or root).

Linux

sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli chpasswd admin

macOS

sudo /Library/Nessus/run/sbin/nessuscli chpasswd admin

Windows

"C:\Program Files\Tenable\Nessus\nessuscli.exe" chpasswd admin

You'll be prompted to enter and confirm the new password:

New password: ********
Confirm password: ********
Password changed for admin.

Step 4: Access Nessus Web Interface

After resetting the password, log in to Nessus at:

https://localhost:8834

Or if accessing remotely:

https://your-server-ip:8834

Note: Nessus uses a self-signed SSL certificate, so you'll need to accept the security warning in your browser.

Additional nessuscli Commands

The nessuscli tool offers more functionality beyond password resets:

Add a New User

sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli adduser newusername

You'll be prompted for: - Password - User type (admin or regular) - Custom rules (optional)

Remove a User

sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli rmuser username

Fix Database Issues

If Nessus won't start or has database corruption:

sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli fix --reset

Warning: This resets Nessus to factory defaults, deleting all scans, policies, and settings!

Check Nessus Service Status

Linux (systemd)

sudo systemctl status nessusd

Linux (init.d)

sudo /etc/init.d/nessusd status

macOS

sudo launchctl list | grep nessus

Restart Nessus Service

Linux

sudo systemctl restart nessusd
# or
sudo /etc/init.d/nessusd restart

macOS

sudo launchctl stop com.tenablesecurity.nessusd
sudo launchctl start com.tenablesecurity.nessusd

Windows

net stop "Tenable Nessus"
net start "Tenable Nessus"

Troubleshooting

"nessuscli: command not found"

This means nessuscli isn't in your PATH. Use the full path:

# Linux
sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli chpasswd admin

# macOS
sudo /Library/Nessus/run/sbin/nessuscli chpasswd admin

"Permission denied"

Run the command with sudo (Linux/macOS) or as Administrator (Windows):

sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli chpasswd admin

Cannot Connect to https://localhost:8834

  1. Check if Nessus service is running: bash sudo systemctl status nessusd

  2. Start the service if stopped: bash sudo systemctl start nessusd

  3. Check if port 8834 is listening: bash sudo netstat -tlnp | grep 8834

Password Change Not Working

If the password change doesn't seem to take effect:

  1. Restart the Nessus service after changing the password
  2. Clear your browser cache or try incognito mode
  3. Verify you're using the correct username with lsuser

Summary

To reset your Nessus password:

  1. Locate nessuscli: Usually at /opt/nessus/sbin/nessuscli (Linux) or /Library/Nessus/run/sbin/nessuscli (macOS)
  2. List users: sudo nessuscli lsuser
  3. Reset password: sudo nessuscli chpasswd username
  4. Log in: Access https://localhost:8834 with your new password

This method works for Nessus Essentials, Nessus Professional, and Nessus Expert on all supported platforms.

Related Tutorials