Upgrading STINGAR v2 Platform

STINGARv2 Updates

Forewarned provides updates to Version 2 of STINGAR as minor release versions (e.g. 2.2, 2.3, ...) to keep up to date with the latest OS builds and dependencies and fix any reported bugs or vulnerabilities.

Update announcements

The STINGAR Slack channel is the primary communications tool for all such announcements, along with the forewarned.io blog and direct email notifications to the primary technical contact at your institution.

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Recommended: In-App Automated Updates

STINGAR v2.2 onwards includes an automated update system that automatically checks for new versions and apply updates with minimal downtime. This is the recommended method for upgrading.

How it works

1. Version discovery – STINGAR periodically checks for the latest version and image tags
2. Image download – When an update is available, new Docker images are pulled directly from Docker Hub
3. Compose file update – The docker-compose.yml file is automatically updated with new image tags (with a timestamped backup created first)
4. Container restart – Containers are restarted to use the new images, preserving all data and configuration

Prerequisites for automated updates

• HP App Store enabled – Set REMOTE_STORE_ENABLED=true in stingar.env
• API key configured – Valid REMOTE_STORE_API_KEY (automatically registered when the store is enabled, or configured via Settings > Environment Variables)
• Docker socket – The docker-compose file must mount /var/run/docker.sock into the stingarapi container
• Compose file mounted – The docker-compose file must be mounted into the stingarapi container with read-write permissions

Applying updates via the UI

1. Navigate to Settings > System Updates
2. Click Check for Updates to see if a new version is available
3. If an update is available and you are within the configured update window, click Install Update
4. Monitor the progress dialog as the system pulls images, updates the compose file, and restarts containers

For full details, including update modes (manual vs automatic), update windows, backup and rollback behavior, and troubleshooting, see System Updates in the Settings documentation.

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Fallback: Manual Upgrade Procedure

Use the manual procedure when:

• Automated updates are not available (e.g. HP App Store not enabled or network restrictions)
• An automated update failed and you need to recover or retry manually
• You prefer to perform upgrades outside the UI

Manual upgrade steps

1) Backup your STINGAR honeypot data (see Backup Elasticsearch Data)
2) Stop your currently running STINGAR system
```bash docker compose down

<br>3) **Backup your current STINGAR files**
<br>```bash
cp docker-compose.yml docker-compose_ORIG.yml
cp stingar.env stingar_ORIG.env

4) Optionally remove existing Docker images so new images are downloaded
```bash docker image prune -a

!!! warning "Risk of loss of honeypot data"
    The `docker image prune` command will not delete your persisted honeypot details. However, other Docker commands could. Do not delete Docker **volumes** from your VM or you will lose your honeypot information and admin account password.

<br>5) **Replace or update the docker-compose file** with the latest version for your target release (e.g. `docker-compose-v2.3.yml`), or update the image tags in your existing file to the new version
<br>6) **Start the new version**
<br>```bash
docker compose up -d

See docker-compose.yml Reference for the v2.3 example.

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After Upgrading

• Verify all services are running: docker compose ps
• Check the UI and API are accessible
• Review container logs for any warnings: docker compose logs stingarapi --tail 50
• If you use automated updates, the version state file (./storage/db/update-state/version.json) will be updated automatically; after a manual upgrade, the next version check will sync the state