needrestart — Services using outdated libraries¶
Services started before their libraries were upgraded keep using the old copies in memory — including old versions with security holes — until they restart.
At a glance
| ID | needrestart |
| Category | Services |
| Needs root | yes (skipped without it) |
| Needs programs | needrestart |
| Compares with a snapshot | no |
| Options | 0 |
What it checks¶
needrestartin batch mode, listing services that use outdated libraries and whether a newer kernel is pending.
Findings¶
| Severity | Finding | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| warning | N services run outdated libraries | Restart them (the remediation lists the exact systemctl restart command), or reboot. |
| warning | needrestart reports a pending kernel upgrade | sudo reboot. |
Commands it runs¶
-r l is list mode: needrestart only reports; it never restarts anything.
Limitations¶
- Needs the
needrestartpackage (recommended by pydebuprep's package) and root. - After a reboot there's usually nothing to report; it matters most when you can't reboot right away.
Options¶
This check has no options. Turn it off with enabled: false under checks: needrestart: in the configuration file, or for one run with --skip needrestart.