CVE-2016-15050 in Nagios
Summary
by MITRE • 10/31/2025
Nagios XI versions prior to 5.2.4 contain a SQL injection vulnerability in the notification search functionality. User-supplied search parameters were incorporated into SQL statements without adequate parameterization or sanitation, allowing an authenticated user to manipulate database queries. Successful exploitation could disclose or modify notification data and, in some cases, impact the application database more broadly.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-15050 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within Nagios XI monitoring platform versions before 5.2.4. This security weakness specifically targets the notification search functionality, which serves as a core component for administrators to filter and manage system alerts. The flaw arises from inadequate input validation and parameterization practices within the application's database interaction layer, creating a pathway for malicious exploitation that directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of monitoring data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL query structures. When users engage the notification search feature, their input parameters are directly concatenated into database queries without appropriate escaping or parameter binding mechanisms. This design flaw aligns with CWE-89, which classifies SQL injection vulnerabilities as a result of insufficient input validation and improper query construction. The vulnerability operates under the principle that user-controlled data should never be directly embedded into SQL statements without proper sanitization, a fundamental security practice that was clearly absent in the affected Nagios XI versions.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data disclosure to encompass potential data modification and broader database compromise. An authenticated attacker with access to the Nagios XI interface can leverage this weakness to extract sensitive monitoring information, including system configurations, alert histories, and potentially user credentials stored within the notification database. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it affects the notification system, which serves as a critical communication channel for system administrators, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate alert delivery or hide malicious activities from detection. This vulnerability also provides a potential foothold for more extensive database attacks, as successful exploitation could enable further privilege escalation or data manipulation within the application's backend systems.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-15050 requires immediate patching of affected Nagios XI installations to version 5.2.4 or later, which contains the necessary parameterization fixes for the notification search functionality. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation measures and ensure that all database interactions employ proper parameter binding or prepared statement mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other application components. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of other Nagios XI features to identify potential similar weaknesses in database query construction. The remediation process should include monitoring for unauthorized access attempts and implementing network segmentation to limit the impact of potential exploitation. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions to detect anomalous query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation in preventing database-related attacks that can compromise entire system infrastructures. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the technique of SQL injection, which represents a common attack vector for database compromise and privilege escalation within enterprise environments.