Update cnspec

Keeping cnspec up to date ensures you have the latest security policies, bug fixes, and features. cnspec is a versioned binary. To identify the currently installed version, run:

cnspec version

To learn about cnspec provider versioning, read Manage cnspec Providers.

How cnspec versioning works

Mondoo's versioning policy is based on the semantic versioning standard. For example, in version 12.1.2, 12 is the major version, 1 is the minor version, and 2 is the patch. When we release a new version, we increment one of these three version components depending on the type of changes we introduce.

Breaking changes policy

Major version releases of cnspec contain soft-breaking changes. These may require you to update your policies, query packs, or automation scripts in order to avoid disruption, but you have a long time to make those updates. We provide advanced warning before we make these changes, and they don't become hard-breaking changes until the next major release.

Supported releases

cnspec follows an N-1 support cycle, meaning the current version (N) and the immediate previous version (N-1) are officially supported. During this time, both major versions can communicate with the Mondoo Platform and execute all published policies and query packs. For example, if the current release of cnspec is 12.1.2, the Mondoo Platform supports all versions from 11.0 through 12.1.2. When cnspec 13.0 is released, the minimum supported version will become 12.0, and all earlier 11.x releases will reach end of life (EOL).

Update cnspec

Update using the install script

The simplest way to update cnspec is to re-run the installation script.

bash -c "$(curl -sSL https://install.mondoo.com/sh)"

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope Process -Force;
[System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072;
iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://install.mondoo.com/ps1/cnspec'));
Install-Mondoo -Product cnspec;

Update using a package manager

If you installed cnspec through a package manager, use the same package manager to update.

brew upgrade mondoo

choco upgrade mondoo -y

apt update && apt install --only-upgrade -y mondoo

yum update -y mondoo

dnf update -y mondoo

zypper update -y mondoo

Verify the update

After updating, confirm the new version:

cnspec version

If cnspec is registered with Mondoo Platform, check that it's communicating properly:

cnspec status

Learn more

• Extended installation options
• Manage cnspec providers