CVE-2008-5028 in Nagios
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in cmd.cgi in (1) Nagios 3.0.5 and (2) op5 Monitor before 4.0.1 allows remote attackers to send commands to the Nagios process, and trigger execution of arbitrary programs by this process, via unspecified HTTP requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2021
The CVE-2008-5028 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Nagios monitoring systems and its derivative op5 Monitor platform. This vulnerability exists within the cmd.cgi component of these monitoring solutions, which serves as a command interface for executing administrative functions within the monitoring environment. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate the system through forged HTTP requests, potentially enabling unauthorized command execution and arbitrary program invocation. The vulnerability specifically impacts Nagios versions up to 3.0.5 and op5 Monitor versions prior to 4.0.1, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on these monitoring platforms for critical infrastructure management.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper authentication and validation mechanisms within the cmd.cgi interface. When legitimate users interact with the Nagios monitoring system through web-based interfaces, the system should verify that requests originate from authorized sources and contain valid authentication tokens. However, the CSRF flaw means that malicious actors can craft specially formatted HTTP requests that, when executed by an authenticated user's browser, will trigger commands within the Nagios process. This occurs because the system fails to implement anti-CSRF tokens or other protective measures that would prevent unauthorized command execution. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the web interface and the underlying Nagios process, enabling them to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the monitoring service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary programs through the Nagios process. This could enable attackers to gain complete control over the monitoring infrastructure, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or disruption of critical monitoring services. The implications are particularly severe because monitoring systems often run with elevated privileges to perform their functions, and compromising such systems can provide attackers with visibility into network operations and potential access to other connected systems. Organizations using affected versions may experience unauthorized modifications to monitoring configurations, false alerts, or complete system compromise, all of which can severely impact operational security and business continuity. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as it enables execution of arbitrary code through legitimate system interfaces.
The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery flaws in web applications. This weakness occurs when a web application fails to validate that requests originate from the intended user, creating opportunities for attackers to perform actions without the user's knowledge or consent. The impact is particularly concerning in monitoring environments where the Nagios process typically runs with elevated privileges and has access to critical system information and operational controls. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of Nagios or op5 Monitor, implementing proper CSRF token validation, and ensuring that monitoring interfaces are properly secured with authentication mechanisms. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit exposure of monitoring interfaces to untrusted networks, as recommended in industry best practices for securing operational technology systems.