CVE-2018-10737 in Nagios XI
Summary
by MITRE
A SQL injection issue was discovered in Nagios XI before 5.4.13 via the admin/logbook.php txtSearch parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-10737 represents a critical SQL injection flaw in Nagios XI monitoring software affecting versions prior to 5.4.13. This issue resides within the admin/logbook.php component where the txtSearch parameter fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into database queries. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database system. Given that Nagios XI is widely deployed in enterprise environments for critical infrastructure monitoring, this vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations relying on its services for system health tracking and alerting mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows the standard SQL injection attack pattern where malicious input containing SQL syntax is passed through the txtSearch parameter to the backend database. When the application processes this parameter without proper input validation or parameterization, it becomes susceptible to injection attacks that can manipulate database queries. Attackers can leverage this weakness to extract sensitive information from the database, modify existing records, or even gain unauthorized access to the database system itself. The vulnerability specifically affects the logbook functionality which tracks system events and alerts, making it particularly dangerous as it could allow attackers to hide malicious activities or manipulate security logs. This issue maps directly to CWE-89 which defines SQL injection as the insertion of malicious SQL code into input fields for execution by the database.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise as it directly affects the integrity and availability of critical monitoring infrastructure. Organizations using Nagios XI may experience unauthorized access to sensitive operational data, potential data loss, or disruption of monitoring services that could go undetected for extended periods. The administrative privilege requirement means that attackers must first gain access to legitimate administrative accounts, but once achieved, they can exploit this vulnerability to escalate their access and manipulate system logs, potentially covering their tracks. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 which describes application layer protocol manipulation, specifically targeting web applications through SQL injection attacks. The attack vector is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Nagios XI is often used for mission-critical monitoring, as it could allow attackers to compromise security posture by manipulating alerting mechanisms or disabling monitoring capabilities.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch for Nagios XI version 5.4.13 which addresses this SQL injection vulnerability through proper input sanitization and parameterized query construction. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious SQL injection attempts. Regular security audits of web applications should include thorough input validation testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. The patch implementation should be followed by comprehensive testing to ensure that the update does not disrupt existing monitoring functionality while providing the necessary protection against this specific SQL injection threat. Security teams should also review and strengthen administrative access controls to minimize the risk of privilege escalation through such vulnerabilities.