Over time, software and services can become outdated, potentially posing security risks and performance issues. In this article, we’ll explain how to find outdated services in cPanel and suggest ways to update and secure your hosting account.
Reasons to update outdated services in cPanel #
Security Vulnerabilities: #
Outdated services, such as software, applications, and plugins, often contain known vulnerabilities. Hackers actively search for these weaknesses to gain unauthorized access to your cPanel hosting account or server. By identifying and updating outdated services, you can significantly reduce the risk of a security breach and protect sensitive data from potential threats.
Data Breach Prevention: #
Websites hosted on cPanel often handle sensitive information, including customer data, payment details, and personal credentials. Outdated services increase the likelihood of data breaches, leading to reputational damage and potential legal consequences. Keeping all services up-to-date ensures your website visitors’ data remains secure.
Performance Optimization: #
Outdated software and services can negatively impact server performance, leading to slow loading times and reduced website responsiveness. When you find and update these services, you ensure that your cPanel environment runs efficiently, providing a better user experience for your website visitors.
Compatibility Issues: #
As cPanel evolves, some outdated services may become incompatible with newer control panel versions or other components in your hosting environment. Updating these services helps avoid compatibility issues that disrupt your website’s functionality or cause downtime.
Improved Feature Set: #
Updates often bring new features and functionalities to your cPanel and its associated services. You can use the latest tools and capabilities to enhance your website management experience by regularly checking for and applying updates.
Compliance Requirements: #
Depending on the nature of your website or online business, you may have specific compliance requirements, such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) or PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). Keeping services up-to-date helps ensure compliance with these regulations and avoids potential fines or penalties.
Staying Supported: #
Software vendors and developers usually provide support and updates for the latest versions of their products. If you continue using outdated services, you may miss out on essential support and troubleshooting assistance, making it harder to address issues that may arise.
Preventing Server Abuse: #
Malicious users can exploit outdated services to abuse your server’s resources. For example, outdated scripts or software could be used to send spam emails or launch denial-of-service attacks, resulting in server blacklisting and potentially suspending your hosting account.
Maintaining Reputation: #
A compromised website due to outdated services can harm your brand’s reputation and erode customer trust. Taking proactive measures to secure your cPanel environment demonstrates your commitment to data protection and maintaining a safe online experience for your visitors.
Option 1 #
To find outdated executable services using the WHM security scan feature, you would need to log in to your WHM account and navigate to the “Security Center” section, and in that section, you should find the “Security Advisor” option. Once you reach the Security Advisor, look for the “Outdated Services” category and run the scan. This will check for any services that are out of date and may be vulnerable to security threats.
WHM >> Security Center >>Security Advisor>> Scan Again
WHM >> Security Center >>Security Advisor>> Scan Again
Option 2 #
Login to the server via SSH and run the following command.
/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/find_outdated_services
This script will show outdated executable services.
You may use the following options with this script:
- –always-restart – This option locates and restarts any outdated services.
- –never-restart – This option locates outdated services but will not restart them.
- –auto – This option locates and restarts the scripts, but if any services are disabled, they will not restart those services.
