This guide shows how to identify users/sites running HetrixTools monitoring on a cPanel server using CloudLinux, CageFS, and Imunify360.
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Step 1: Locate hetrixtools
Directories
Use the following command to search for HetrixTools-related directories in user accounts:
find /home -type d -name "hetrixtools"
This will return results like:
/home/user1/public_html/hetrixtools
/home/user2/hetrixtools
Each path helps you identify which cPanel users are using HetrixTools.
β Step 2: Check All Usersβ Crontabs for HetrixTools References
This step scans user cronjobs for scheduled HetrixTools checks.
for u in $(cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd); do crontab -l -u "$u" 2>/dev/null; done > /root/hetrixtools_crons.txt
Then search the file:
grep -i hetrixtools /root/hetrixtools_crons.txt
Output will look like:
*/5 * * * * /home/user1/hetrixtools/server_uptime.php
This confirms HetrixTools usage via cron.
β Step 3: Check CageFS Jail for HetrixTools Presence
To see which users have HetrixTools files within their jailed environment:
for u in $(ls /var/cagefs/); do find /var/cagefs/$u -type d -name "hetrixtools" 2>/dev/null; done
This works especially if users manually installed HetrixTools while jailed.
β Step 4: Imunify360 Considerations
If HetrixTools is using custom scripts or PHP scripts, Imunify360 may flag or rate-limit them.
You can check if any files are being quarantined:
imunify360-agent malware list | grep hetrixtools
To whitelist a false positive:
imunify360-agent malware ignore add --path /home/username/hetrixtools
π Security Tips
- Remove if Unused: If the script is no longer in use, remove the cronjob and directory to reduce attack surface.
- Audit Regularly: Include
hetrixtools
checks in your monthly server audits. - Monitor Resource Use: HetrixTools cronjobs can be aggressiveβensure they donβt violate LVE limits under CloudLinux.