CVE-2014-4907 in PNP4Nagios
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in share/pnp/application/views/kohana_error_page.php in PNP4Nagios before 0.6.22 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a parameter that is not properly handled in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2022
The CVE-2014-4907 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in PNP4Nagios version 0.6.21 and earlier, which exposes systems to remote code execution through malicious web script injection. This vulnerability specifically affects the error handling mechanism within the kohana_error_page.php file located in the share/pnp/application/views directory of the PNP4Nagios application. The flaw occurs when user-supplied parameters are not properly sanitized or escaped before being rendered in error messages, creating an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the error reporting subsystem. When PNP4Nagios encounters an error condition, it displays error messages that include user-provided data without proper sanitization. This creates a classic XSS vector where an attacker can craft malicious input parameters that, when processed by the error handler, get embedded directly into the HTML output. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through various attack vectors including crafted URLs, form submissions, or API calls that trigger error conditions within the application.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the browsers of authenticated users who encounter the error page. Attackers could potentially steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or establish persistent backdoors through more sophisticated attack chains. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely without authentication, making it particularly attractive to threat actors. The vulnerability affects all users of affected PNP4Nagios installations, including administrators and regular users who may encounter error conditions during normal operation.
The security implications extend beyond simple script execution as this vulnerability can facilitate more complex attack patterns including session hijacking, credential theft, and privilege escalation within the monitoring environment. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental web application security weakness. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001: Phishing, as attackers could leverage this flaw to craft convincing phishing attacks that appear legitimate within the monitoring interface. Organizations using PNP4Nagios should prioritize immediate patching to version 0.6.22 or later, implement proper input validation at all application layers, and consider network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Additionally, regular security assessments and web application firewalls should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts.