CVE-2018-10738 in Nagios XI
Summary
by MITRE
A SQL injection issue was discovered in Nagios XI before 5.4.13 via the admin/menuaccess.php chbKey1 parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-10738 represents a critical SQL injection flaw in Nagios XI monitoring platform that affects versions prior to 5.4.13. This issue specifically targets the admin/menuaccess.php script where the chbKey1 parameter is improperly validated and sanitized before being incorporated into database queries. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to manipulate database operations through malicious input, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. This vulnerability resides within the web application layer of Nagios XI, which is widely deployed for network monitoring and system health tracking across enterprise environments.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and parameter sanitization within the chbKey1 parameter handling mechanism. When an authenticated administrator accesses the menu access configuration page, the application directly incorporates user-supplied data from chbKey1 into SQL query construction without proper escaping or parameterization. This design flaw enables attackers to inject malicious SQL fragments that can alter the intended query behavior. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses where untrusted data is embedded into SQL commands without adequate sanitization. The attack vector requires administrative access, making it less likely to be exploited by casual attackers but still poses significant risk to organizations with compromised admin credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges within the Nagios XI environment and potentially compromise the entire monitoring infrastructure. An attacker could extract sensitive configuration data, modify access controls, or even inject malicious code into the monitoring system, leading to potential blind spots in network monitoring or complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Nagios XI for critical infrastructure monitoring, where the compromise of administrative access could lead to extended periods of undetected system compromise. This risk is particularly concerning given that Nagios XI is commonly used in mission-critical environments where monitoring system integrity is paramount for security operations.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patch for Nagios XI version 5.4.13 to address this vulnerability, as it represents a critical security issue that could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to monitoring systems. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access control measures to limit administrative access to the Nagios XI interface, reducing the attack surface. The mitigation strategy should include monitoring for suspicious administrative activities and implementing proper input validation across all web application parameters. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security updates and proper code review practices, particularly for applications handling sensitive operational data. The issue also highlights the need for implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include web application firewalls and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the monitoring infrastructure.