Auto update check, checks for updates to base system + packages and sends email alerts

luckman212

Here's an "automatic update checker" for pfSense. The script will check for major updates to the base pfSense system, as well as updates to any builtin or installed packages. If any updates are found, an email summary will be sent out with the details.

I wanted to put this out there now, get feedback, comments etc. My goal is to make this into an actual pfSense package to make it simpler to install, but I'm still learning how to create packages. This should still be useful as-is. (Any pointers anyone has on getting this cobbled together into a real package would be greatly appreciated!)

To install:

Save the script below as pkg_check.php in your /root directory
Set it up to run on whatever schedule you like using the Cron package. A sample screenshot* of how to configure the script is below.
Make sure you have valid SMTP (or Pushover) settings defined on your firewall so you can get the alerts!
For a Pushover version, use this gist instead (n.b: if you just want to send alerts to all of your configured targets, see the note on line 89 and make that small change)

0_1542120802395_25ee79b8-8ba5-4e6c-bfb4-1156fb27b2e3-image.png
*if you want to copy/paste the Cron command, use: /usr/local/bin/php -q /root/pkg_check.php

pkg_check.php: (I also have a gist up at github if you find that easier to read/copy)

<?php

  require_once("pkg-utils.inc");
  require_once("notices.inc");
  require_once("util.inc");

  $msg = null;
  $pmsg = null;
  $p = 0;

  log_error("Starting update check");

  // pfSense base system check
  $system_version = get_system_pkg_version(false, false);
  if ($system_version === false) {
    printf("%s\n", 'Unable to check for updates');
    log_error("Unable to check for updates, exiting");
    exit;
  }

  if (!is_array($system_version) ||
    !isset($system_version['version']) ||
    !isset($system_version['installed_version'])) {
    printf("%s\n", 'Error in version information');
    log_error("Error in version information, exiting");
    exit;
  }

  switch ($system_version['pkg_version_compare']) {
    case '<':
      //printf("%s%s%s\n", "pfSense version ", $system_version['version'], " is available");
      $msg = "An update to pfSense version " . $system_version['version'] . " is available\n\n";
      break;
    case '=':
      //printf("%s%s%s\n", "pfSense version ", $system_version['version'], " (installed) is current");
      break;
    case '>':
      printf("%s%s%s\n", "pfSense version ", $system_version['installed_version'], " is NEWER than the latest available version ", $system_version['version']);
      $msg = "pfSense version " . $system_version['version'] . " is available (downgrade)\n\n";
      break;
    default:
      printf("%s\n", 'Error comparing installed with latest version available');
      log_error("Error comparing installed with latest version available");
      break;
  }

  // package check
  $package_list = get_pkg_info('all', true, true);
  $installed_packages = array_filter($package_list, function($v) {
    return (isset($v['installed']) && isset($v['name']));
  });

  if (empty($installed_packages)) {
    printf("%s\n", 'No packages installed');
    log_error("No packages installed, exiting");
    exit;
  }

  foreach ($installed_packages as $pkg) {
    if (isset($pkg['installed_version']) && isset($pkg['version'])) {
      //printf("%s%s%s\n", $pkg['shortname'], ': ', $pkg['installed_version']);
      $version_compare = pkg_version_compare($pkg['installed_version'], $pkg['version']);
      if ($version_compare != '=') {
        $p++;
        $pmsg .= "\n".$pkg['shortname'].': '.$pkg['installed_version'].' ==> '.$pkg['version'];
        if ($version_compare == '>') {
          $pmsg .= ' (downgrade)';
        }
        printf("%s%s%s%s%s\n", $pkg['shortname'], ': ', $pkg['installed_version'], ' ==> ', $pkg['version']);
      }
    }
  }

  if ($p > 0) {
    $msg = $msg . "The following updates are available and can be installed using System > Package Manager:\n" . $pmsg;
  }

  // check for updates to builtin packages
  exec("/usr/sbin/pkg upgrade -n | /usr/bin/sed -ne '/UPGRADED/,/^$/p'", $output, $retval);
  if (($retval == 0) && (count($output))) {
    $msg .= "\n\n" . "Some packages are part of the base system and will not show up in Package Manager. If any such updates are listed below, run `pkg upgrade` from the shell to install them:\n\n";
    array_shift($output);
    $msg .= implode("\n", array_map('ltrim', $output));
  }

  if (!empty($msg)) {
    log_error("Updates were found - sending email");
    notify_via_smtp($msg);
    // to send alerts to ALL configured targets
    // (email, Pushover, Slack etc) use the line below instead:
    // notify_all_remote($msg);
  }

  log_error("Update check complete");

?>

stephenw10

Needs more blinkenlight action!

Steve

wgstarks

Pkg update notification has been at the top of my wish list for a while. I’ll difinately give this a try.

wgstarks

This works great btw. Only problem I had getting it setup was a typo due to the fact that I missed a space in your cron screenshot.

luckman212

Glad to hear you got it working! I added a little text block below the screenshot to make it copy/pasteable.

Gil

Nice job, like the way you set out the easy copy & paste also

Raffi_

@luckman212 Thanks for this it works great!

I notice the email notification mentioned updating packages that are not in the package manager via pkg update. There were a few packages not in the package manager which had new versions. I did the update and all went well. However, I was reading that the pkg update (FreeBSD method?) is not a supported pfSense update method.
https://forum.netgate.com/topic/118626/pkg-update-upgrade-vs-console-webgui-updates
In there it mentions the only methods supported are the GUI update and option 13 from console/SSH. This particular thread did not mention the GUI method for updating packages but that must be supported as well.
My guess is as long as updates to the actual pfSense version and installed packages are done via the GUI and/or option 13, then updating the remaining packages via pkg update should not be an issue?

Thanks,
Raffi

Grimson

@raffi_ said in Auto update check, checks for updates to base system + packages and sends email alerts:

I notice the email notification mentioned updating packages that are not in the package manager via pkg update.

Probably those: https://forum.netgate.com/topic/140637/update-pfsense-packages-to-protect-against-nginx-libzmq4-and-curl-vulnerabilities you better update them.

Raffi_

@Grimson Thanks for the link. Yes, those were the exact updates which came up. I went ahead and updated them when I got the email notification thanks to the script. I'm on 2.4.4-p2. Wow they were major security updates I wouldn't have known about with this script. You learn something new everyday.

Thanks for the help and education guys.
Raffi

luckman212

@raffi_ The post you linked to was pretty old. Updating via console should be safe as long as you have not messed with the repos. It's basically the same process that occurs when you update via the GUI, as pkg is always used anyway.

Raffi_

@luckman212 Awesome, thanks for the explanation. You're being too modest :)
I learned your script is not the same as the GUI update, it's actually better! The GUI didn't tell me about those vulnerabilities in the packages which required updating, but your script did.

Raffi

counterfeit7845

This post is deleted!

Overlord

Nice plugin - has anybody made an Nagios or CheckMK plugin out of it?

raidflex

Will this script work with the built in pushover notifications enabled or do I need to still use SMTP?

luckman212

@raidflex Not the original one, but here's a quick modified version that should work, I haven't tested it so please give it a try.

raidflex

@luckman212 said in Auto update check, checks for updates to base system + packages and sends email alerts:

@raidflex Not the original one, but here's a quick modified version that should work, I haven't tested it so please give it a try.

Looks to be working properly, thank you for the updated script!

pyrodex

I love this script but I modified it ever so slightly to notify all configured methods setup in pfSense. If you find the line "notify_via_smtp($msg);" and replace it with "notify_all_remote($msg);" it will send out notifications to ALL configured methods. I've tested this and it works well.

Thanks for all the hardwork!

luckman212

@pyrodex Thanks for that contribution. I added it to the gist. One day I hope I can turn this into a proper package that has a GUI-configurable alert mode setting.

DominikHoffmann

Will this get wiped out from /root/ when a system update is installed?

Gertjan

@DominikHoffmann

Fast answer :
Yes.
No.
Maybe.

Fill in the condition that will apply in the future' and then one of the 3 answers will be valid.

I'll explain : when you upgrade to "MFS" (Marvelous File System, the next file system version that will be sued after the current ZFS) then the drive partitions will get reset : that's a total content loss.
And when you drive dies : that's a Yes.

An usual (up until now) GUI or console upgrade/update : That's a No.
(IMHO : I will never presume this No for granted)

Maybe : Netgate can decide that /root/ will be cleaned out in the future. Call them for more precise answers.

But the question was wrong ^^ Nothing lasts forever.
So, all that counts is : how to get back to a known working situation in case of emergency ?

Easy.
Install the pfSense Notes package.
It's identical to the Notes app in your phone.

Copy paste in there the source of the script.
Copy also the setting for the cron package (and thus the reminder that cron package needs to be installed also).
A link to this forum post so you can find the online "manual" right away, if needed.

Btw : keep on using Notes for any setting changes that you might want to remember after xx days/months/years.

Now your set up for pretty any situation

Or use the Filer package. never used that one myself, but you can make backups with that package.