IRONSMITHINTEL
HIGHCVSS8.8
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2019-15949|Auth: low — authenticated user|Reboot: required|Manual only

Nagios XI Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Nagios XI contains a remote code execution vulnerability in which a user can modify the check_plugin executable and insert malicious commands to execute as root.

Published Sep 5, 2019 · Updated May 16, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A remote attacker, with a low-privilege account, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2022-05-03 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a OS Command Injection (CWE-78) vulnerability in Nagios Nagios XI. Nagios XI before 5.6.6 allows remote command execution as root. The exploit requires access to the server as the nagios user, or access as the admin user via the web interface. The getprofile.sh script, invoked by downloading a system profile (profile.php?cmd=download), is executed as root via a passwordless sudo entry; the script executes check_plugin, which is owned by the nagios user. A user logged into Nagios XI with permissions to modify plugins, or the nagios user on the server, can modify the check_plugin executable and insert malicious commands to execute as root. Exploitation requires remote network access, low attack complexity, a low-privilege authenticated account, and no user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

IT Security
Running nagios xi: v < 5.6.6
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

Active exploitation documented in the wild. Threat-research write-up: http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156676/Nagios-XI-Authenticated-Remote-Command-Execution.html

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

Apply the Vendor Patch

This vulnerability is in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog — apply the vendor's security update as soon as possible.

CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

References

    1
    NVD entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-15949
    1
    CISA KEV: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2019-15949
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