This is likely why you are searching for the specific .tar.gz file. If your scanner is in a secure environment with no internet access (air-gapped), you must manually intervene.

Step 1: Download the file On a workstation with internet access, go to the Tenable downloads page (or use your offline plugin feed URL) to download the latest all-2.0.tar.gz file.

Step 2: Transfer the file Move the downloaded file to your Nessus scanner via USB, SCP, or internal network transfer. Place it in a readable directory, like /tmp/.

Step 3: Run the utility pointing to the file This is where the command you searched for comes together. You run the update utility and pass the file path as an argument:

sudo /opt/nessus/sbin/nessus-update-plugins /tmp/all-2.0.tar.gz

What happens here? The script looks at the file you provided (all-2.0.tar.gz), extracts the thousands of .nasl scripts inside, and compiles them into the Nessus database.

Nessus, developed by Tenable, is the gold standard for vulnerability assessment. While most users rely on the built-in automatic update feature (nessuscli update), there are critical scenarios where a manual approach is not just preferred—it’s required.

Enter the file: nessusupdateplugins-all20.tar.gz.

This 20-series tarball contains the complete offline plugin set for Nessus. Whether you are operating in an air-gapped environment, dealing with strict firewall rules, or troubleshooting a broken automatic updater, knowing how to download nessusupdateplugins all20targz top is an essential skill for any security professional.

In this guide, we will break down exactly what this file is, where to find the latest version, how to download it securely, and the step-by-step process to install it on Linux, Windows, and macOS.

No. Nessus 7.x requires the “all-2.0” tarball (different schema). Using “all20” will corrupt your plugin database. Always match the major Nessus version.

This is a Perl script located in the Nessus installation directory (usually /opt/nessus/sbin/ or /usr/local/bin/). Its job is to fetch, unpack, and install the plugin files into the Nessus scanner database.

download_file() local url="$1" local output_file="$2"

log_info "Downloading from: $url"
if command -v wget &> /dev/null; then
    wget --progress=bar:force -O "$output_file" "$url"
elif command -v curl &> /dev/null; then
    curl -L --progress-bar -o "$output_file" "$url"
else
    log_error "Neither wget nor curl is available"
    return 1
fi