FlexNet Inventory Agent

Announcement: End of Life for FlexNet Inventory Agent Versions 17.x and 18.0.x

As part of Flexera’s product lifecycle policy, the FlexNet Inventory Agent versions 17.x and 18.0.x have reached the end of their supported lifecycle and are no longer supported. Those versions will no longer be available for download.

To ensure continued access to product enhancements, security updates, and technical support, Flexera recommends upgrading to a currently supported FlexNet Inventory Agent release as soon as possible. Customers running older agent versions should plan their upgrade strategy to maintain a supported and secure inventory collection environment.

For the latest lifecycle information and supported versions, please refer to the FlexNet Inventory Agent and Beacon End-of-Life Policy.

Official release of FlexNet Inventory Agent 26.1.0

We are pleased to announce the release of the FlexNet Inventory Agent 26.1.0.

Release Date: EU/AP: 2026-07-8, NA: 2026-07-15

This release includes:

• Detection of software installed in user profiles on Windows and macOS
• Detection of GPU, TPU, AI ASIC, and NPU hardware
• Collection of javaw executables
• Extension of KRM controller-managed resources via ConfigMap
• Fix for Flexera Kubernetes Inventory Agent least privilege support in AWS public ECR
• Fix for Windows agent HTTP module TLS 1.2 support on older servers
• Fix for KRM node inventory NDI file deletion
• Fix for k8s-node NDI file naming
• Fix for stuck uploader tasks during network issues
• Fix for agent service startup in least privilege mode on Unix-like systems
• Fix for inventory gathering crash with Unicode characters on Windows
• Fix for automounted filesystems during mvfs inventory gathering
• Fix for CPU and memory usage spikes during error logging
• Fix for Linux agent self-upgrade service startup
• Fix for incorrect exclusion of directories containing network shares
• Fix for web proxy upload failures
• Fix for WMI query errors in NDI files
• Fix for Kubernetes agent Helm chart monitor.logLevel setting
• Fix for agent installation failure on non-English Windows OS
• Bundled software version updated

Customer Impact:

• The FlexNet Inventory Agent has been enhanced to detect software installed in user profiles on on Windows and macOS. This enhancement provides more complete software inventory coverage.
• The FlexNet Inventory Agent has been enhanced to detect and report GPU, TPU, AI ASIC, and NPU hardware components. This enhancement provides more complete hardware inventory coverage.
• The FlexNet Inventory Agent has been updated to collect evidence of the javaw binary when the PerformOracleJavaAuditScan setting is set to true. This enhancement provides more comprehensive coverage for Oracle Java audits.
• The Flexera Kubernetes Inventory Agent (KRM) has been enhanced to provide greater flexibility when configuring controller-managed resources through the agent ConfigMap. This enhancement provides teams with the ability to extend and manage resources handled by the KRM controller without requiring changes to the agent deployment itself.
• Previously, the Flexera Kubernetes Inventory Agent (KRM) would not work with the AWS public ECR image when run in least privilege mode. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the FlexNet Inventory Agent was unable to upload files from Windows Server 2008 and 2012. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, KRM node inventory would not delete the last uploaded NDI file. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the file name of k8s-node NDI files was always fixed at the node pod start time, rather than reflecting the inventory date. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, ndupload could become stuck when encountering network issues. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, FlexNet Inventory Agent services could fail to start on Unix-like operating systems when the FlexNet Inventory Agent was configured to run in least privilege mode and the shell for the flxrasvc user was configured as /usr/sbin/nologin. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the FlexNet Inventory Agent could crash while scanning folder and file names containing Unicode characters on Windows operating systems. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, a large number of automounted filesystems could be mounted when gathering inventory details about mvfs file systems that point back into autofs mounts. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, FlexNet Inventory Agent processes could encounter CPU and memory usage spikes in situations where logging an error resulted in another error, such as when the filesystem containing log files is full. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the agent for Linux could fail to start automatically after a self-upgrade from an older version that used /etc/init.d instead of systemd. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the agent would ignore folders that contained network share mounts. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, uploads through a web proxy could fail with an error due to the agent mishandling proxy configuration settings containing trailing slashes. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, WMI query errors would be collected as part of the NDI inventory file. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, installing the Flexera Kubernetes Inventory Agent (KRM) using the Helm chart would not correctly set the monitor.logLevel setting. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the FlexNet Inventory Agent installation could fail with MSI error 1609 on non-English Windows operating systems if the built-in "Users" group name could not be converted without data loss to the currently configured "Language for non-Unicode programs". This release resolves this issue.
• The openssl and Go third party libraries bundled with the agent have been updated in this release to address security vulnerabilities.

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.

Official release of FlexNet Inventory Agent 26.0.0

We are pleased to announce the release of the FlexNet Inventory Agent 26.0.0.

Release Date: EU/AP: 2026-06-17, NA: 2026-06-24, On-prem: 2026-07-01

This release includes:

• Collection of labels for pods and namespaces in Kubernetes
• Additional diagnostic information for WinHTTP library
• Fix for Java publisher detection logic
• Fix for excessive LDAP lookups for flxrasvc user
• Fix for stuck inventory and usage data uploads
• Fix for CRL download failures using OpenSSL API
• Bundled software version updated

Customer Impact:

• Previously, the Flexera Kubernetes Inventory Agent (KRM) did not collect label key-value pairs for namespaces and pods. Now, KRM captures these labels to provide richer business context, such as team, environment, and cost center. This enhancement improves visibility and supports more informed decision-making for containerized infrastructure.
• Previously, the agent logs provided limited information when a download failed via the WinHTTP library. Now, the agent captures and logs more detailed error messages and security failure codes. This enhancement improves diagnostic capabilities for troubleshooting network communication issues on Windows.
• Previously, the agent's detection logic could incorrectly identify a Java installation as Oracle Java when it was actually from another publisher. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the agent performed unnecessary LDAP lookups for the flxrasvc service account when not running in Least Privilege Agent (LPA) mode on Unix-like systems. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the inventory and usage data upload job could become stuck indefinitely. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the agent could fail to download Certificate Revocation List (CRL) data when using the OpenSSL API. This release resolves this issue.
• The following third-party libraries expat, libcurl, Go, cpp-httplib, cryptopp, kubevirt.io, openssl, sqlite3, zlib and containerd, bundled with the agent have been updated in this release to address security vulnerabilities.

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.

Need to Know: Web Metering 2.0

Release Date

Web Metering 2.0 will be released as part of the FlexNet Inventory Agent 25.5.0 (2025 R2.5) on May 13 for Europe and APAC, and May 20 for the Americas.

For the Snow Inventory Agent, it will be available in version 26.1.1 on June 10.

What is it

Web Metering 2.0 is an enhanced capability within Flexera that enables tracking of web application usage through browser extensions integrated with both the FlexNet and Snow agents.

At its core, it introduces a new shared web metering module that operates across both agents, enabling direct communication between the browser extensions and the agent. This modern architecture replaces the previous file-based approach, resulting in a more secure and efficient data collection process.

How it works

Web Metering 2.0 improves the data flow by redefining how browser activity is captured and processed:

• Browser extensions capture URLs visited by users
• Data is sent directly to a local agent API over HTTP or HTTPS
• The module filters and processes URLs using Allow List rules
• Only relevant and sanitized data is retained and passed to the agent
• The agent consolidates the processed data and sends it upstream for SaaS usage recognition

What has changed

No raw browsing data stored on disk

URLs are now processed before being stored. Previously, raw browsing activity was cached on disk before being processed by the agent.

Stronger protection of sensitive data

Query parameters are removed from URLs by default. Enhanced Allow List rules control what data is retained and apply masking when Personal Information is detected.

Direct communication between extension and agent

The new web metering module introduces a write-only, machine-local API endpoint running on 127.0.0.1:40400, which is not externally accessible. TLS can be configured to encrypt communication between the browser extension and the agent.

Improved troubleshooting

The new module allows testing of URL matching and sensitive data removal directly from the command line.

Improved browser coverage

This design restores support for Apple Safari following previous limitations on extension-generated data.

The Firefox extension is now available in the Mozilla store, improving the installation and update experiences.

Consistent implementation across agents

A single, shared web metering module is used across both FlexNet and Snow agents, helping standardize behaviour and simplify deployment.

Security considerations

Web Metering 2.0 is designed with a strong security-first approach to ensure customer environments remain protected while delivering accurate SaaS usage insights.

The solution uses a machine-local, non-externally accessible communication mechanism, ensuring no additional external services or attack surfaces are introduced. TLS can be enabled to further secure communication between browser extensions and the agent.

Sensitive data exposure is minimized through filtering, masking, and by avoiding unnecessary data storage.

Importantly, the feature is fully customer-controlled and opt-in, preserving existing trust boundaries and ensuring organizations maintain complete control over their data and deployment.

Official release of FlexNet Inventory Agent 25.5.0

We are pleased to announce the release of the FlexNet Inventory Agent 25.5.0.

Release Date: EU/AP: 2026-05-13, NA: 2026-05-20

This release includes:

• Support for Unicode file names in PVU hardware inventory
• Verified inventory collection support for AWS Bottlerocket Linux
• New file size and publisher fields in agent usage (.mmi) file
• Least privilege mode support for the Kubernetes agent
• High-availability support for multiple KRM controllers
• Configurable limit for concurrent KRM image scans
• Improved collection of browser extension URL data for web metering
• Improved web metering URL processing for sensitive query parameters
• Fix for containerd inventory scan being skipped when Podman scanning is enabled
• Fix for backslash characters being replaced in beacon authentication usernames on UNIX-like operating systems
• Fix for Java version information being ignored
• Fix for missing diagnostic detail when an agent upgrade package fails signature verification
• Fix for ndtrack crash caused by invalid macOS bundle plist data
• Bundled software version updated

Customer Impact:

• Previously, some PVU hardware inventory files with Unicode characters in the filename (for example, usernames containing accented characters) could be skipped during processing. Now, these inventory files are handled correctly. This enhancement helps prevent unnecessary creation of duplicate inventory files.
• Inventory collection support for Bottlerocket Linux environments has been verified for the Flexera Kubernetes Inventory Agent (KRM) and the Linux inventory agent. This enhancement provides clearer deployment guidance for Kubernetes environments using Bottlerocket.
• Previously, the agent usage file (.mmi) did not include file size and publisher information. Now, the .mmi output includes these additional fields. This enhancement improves the usefulness of usage data for some reporting scenarios.
• Previously, the Kubernetes agent required elevated privileges to run, which could be a blocker in environments with strict security policies. Now, the Kubernetes agent can be run in a least privilege mode. This enhancement supports improved security posture and broader deployability.
• Previously, Kubernetes agent deployments did not support configuring multiple controllers in a high availability pattern. Now, multiple KRM controllers can be deployed so that only one is active while others remain passive and can take over if needed. This enhancement supports high availability requirements and improves resilience.
• Previously, the Kubernetes agent could initiate an unlimited number of concurrent container inventory scans when first deployed, which could result in a high volume of simultaneous requests to the Kubernetes API server. Now, the number of concurrent container inventory scans is limited to 10 by default. This limit is configurable to suit the environment's requirements.
• Previously, collecting web metering URL data from browser extensions had limitations in some environments (including Safari) and required approaches that were harder to standardize across browsers. Now, the solution for obtaining URL data has been improved and unified across supported browsers. This enhancement improves compatibility and supports future security and processing improvements.
• NOTE: This enhancement requires the updated browser extensions. The previous browser extensions are not compatible with this release.
• Previously, web metering URL collection could include unnecessary query parameter values that might contain sensitive information. Now, URL processing supports masking or dropping sensitive query parameters according to updated allowlist rules. This enhancement helps reduce privacy risk and unnecessary data transmission.
• Previously, enabling both containerd inventory scanning and Podman inventory scanning on the FlexNet Inventory Agent for Linux could cause containerd inventory collection to be skipped. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, usernames containing backslash (\) characters (for example, in domain\user formats) could be rewritten with forward slashes (/) when applying configuration on UNIX-like operating systems. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, valid Java version information could be ignored if the java -version command returned a non-zero exit code, even when the version output was present. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, if a downloaded upgrade package failed signature verification, the agent logs could provide only a generic "Signature check failed" message without additional detail. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the FlexNet Inventory Agent for macOS could crash when reading certain bundle .plist files containing embedded newlines or carriage returns in key fields. This release resolves this issue.
• The OpenSSL, Go, Moby (replaced Docker), Podman, and Kubernetes third party libraries bundled with the agent have been updated in this release to address security vulnerabilities.

IMPORTANT

This release updates the Docker client library to be compatible with Docker Engine 29.3.x and 29.4.x. The update requires Docker Engine API version 1.40 or later to be present on the machine running fnms-docker-monitor. Docker versions 18 and 19, which use Docker Engine API version 1.39, are no longer supported. If the installed Docker Engine does not meet this requirement, fnms-docker-monitor will be unable to connect to the Docker API and will not collect any inventory data.

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.

Introducing Web Metering 2.0

Re‑architected for Security, Enhanced Privacy, and Safari Support Is Back

We’re pleased to announce Web Metering 2.0, a significant enhancement to web application metering for FlexNet and Snow agents. This release introduces a newly re‑architected browser data ingestion pipeline, delivering stronger security, improved privacy protections, and expanded browser support—including the return of Apple Safari.

What’s New in Web Metering 2.0

Web Metering 2.0 has been redesigned from the ground up to provide a more secure and privacy‑focused experience while maintaining reliable usage insights.

Key benefits include:

• 🔐 Enhanced Security
• Improved protections across browser data collection and ingestion.
• 🛡️ Reduced PII Collection
• Optimized data handling to minimise the capture of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
• 🌍 Expanded Browser Support
• Full support for Apple Safari, alongside Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.

What You Need to Know

To use Web Metering 2.0, customers must deploy both a new agent version and the new Web Metering browser extensions.

Required Agent Versions

• FlexNet Agent: Available in v25.5.0 (scheduled for May release)
• Snow Agent: Available in v26.1.1 (scheduled for June release)

Important:

Existing agent versions are only compatible with the current browser extensions.

The new extensions labelled “Flexera Web Metering” will work only with the agent versions listed above and later.

🌐 Current Browser Extension Downloads

Please continue using the following extensions until the new version of the agents are released.

• Google Chrome
• https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/snow-web-application-mete/blojlgglhfcmpigjbkllcgjmhincdjhb
• Microsoft Edge
• Snow Web Application Metering - Microsoft Edge Addons
• Mozilla Firefox
• https://github.com/SnowSoftware/agent-firefox-extension/

Official release of FlexNet Inventory Agent 25.4.0

We are pleased to announce the release of the FlexNet Inventory Agent 25.4.0.

Release Date: EU/AP: 2026-04-15, NA: 2026-04-22

This release includes:

• Fix for libexec folder permission issues preventing upgrades to web metering versions
• Fix for FlexNet Inventory Agent crash when detecting web applications on Windows native paths
• Bundled software version updated

Customer Impact:

• Previously, upgrading FlexNet Inventory Agent to a version that included web metering did not correctly update permissions on the libexec folder, which could cause the web metering module not to function unless the earlier version was uninstalled first. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the ndtrack inventory process could crash shortly after logging “Started web application tracking” when detecting web applications from processes that used Windows native volume paths. This release resolves this issue.
• The Expat, libcurl, and zlib third party libraries bundled with the FlexNet Inventory Agent have been updated in this release to address security vulnerabilities.

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.

Official release of FlexNet Inventory Agent 25.3.0

We are pleased to announce the release of the FlexNet Inventory Agent 25.3.0.

Release Date: EU/AP: 2026-03-18, NA: 2026-03-25

This release includes:

• Enhanced Linux agent service management
• Removal of 32-bit agent installers
• Security context and liveness configuration for Kubernetes agent
• Fix for Windows agent upload blocking due to missing WinHTTP timeout values
• Fix for agent service management after systemd migration on Linux
• Fix for ndtrack failure with exit code 126 when /tmp directory is set with noexec
• Fix for Kubernetes agent not gathering inventory details due to missing InventorySettings.xml
• Fix for inventory upload failure after gathering Oracle Database or FMW inventory
• Fix for duplicate content records in process inventory for application detection
• Bundled software version updated

Customer Impact:

• Previously, the Linux agent installer called systemctl start after migrating from init.d to systemd, which could leave services in a broken or stale state. Now, the installer uses systemctl restart to ensure services are properly restarted and running. This enhancement provides more reliable service management during upgrades.
• Support for 32‑bit Linux i686 and Solaris x86 agent installers has been removed in this release. From version 25.3.0 onward, only 64‑bit agent installers are included in IT Asset Management deployments.
• Previously, the Kubernetes agent (KRM) did not support configuration for resource allocation, liveness probes, labels, or security context. Now, the agent supports a user-editable YAML file for these settings, allowing customers to customize limits, livenessProbe, and securityContext on the KRM controller. This enhancement provides greater flexibility and compliance with internal security policies.
• Previously, the Windows FlexNet agent did not set explicit WinHTTP timeout values, which could result in upload operations blocking and ndupload.exe hanging. This release resolves this issue by ensuring appropriate timeout values are set.
• Previously, the Linux agent only called services via init.d, causing newly upgraded agents to fail to start when using systemd. This release resolves this issue by implementing systemd calls when starting or stopping agent services, ensuring proper service management after migration.
• Previously, the FlexNet Inventory Scanner could fail with exit code 126 if the /tmp directory was set with noexec, particularly in container environments. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, the Flexera Kubernetes agent (KRM) did not gather inventory details associated with settings in InventorySettings.xml because the file was not copied into containers being scanned. This release resolves this issue.
• Previously, uploading inventory could fail with an error indicating "Failed to load library /opt/managesoft/lib/libuploader: Not enough space" after gathering Oracle Database or FMW inventory, especially on 32-bit systems. This release resolves this issue by improving memory management during the upload phase.
• Previously, there could be duplicate content records if the file system scan reported the same executable as a running process, leading to redundant entries in the inventory. This release resolves this issue by ensuring only a single content record is created per executable, improving inventory accuracy.
• The Expat, Go, and OpenSSL third party libraries bundled with the FlexNet Inventory Agent have been updated in this release to address security vulnerabilities.

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.