CVE-2018-8736 in Nagios XI
Summary
by MITRE
A privilege escalation vulnerability in Nagios XI 5.2.x through 5.4.x before 5.4.13 allows an attacker to leverage an RCE vulnerability escalating to root.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8736 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Nagios XI monitoring platform versions 5.2.x through 5.4.x prior to 5.4.13. This vulnerability stems from an insecure implementation that allows authenticated attackers to exploit a remote code execution vulnerability and subsequently elevate their privileges to root access level. The flaw specifically affects the web-based administration interface of Nagios XI, which is commonly used for network and system monitoring in enterprise environments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves leveraging an existing remote code execution capability within the application's web interface to gain initial access, followed by a privilege escalation mechanism that allows the attacker to obtain root privileges. The underlying flaw typically manifests through improper input validation or access control mechanisms that fail to properly restrict administrative operations. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-269 weakness category, which deals with improper privilege management, and specifically aligns with CWE-78, representing improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands. The vulnerability exists due to inadequate sandboxing or privilege separation within the application's execution environment, allowing code executed with limited privileges to escalate to system-level access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Nagios XI for critical infrastructure monitoring. The ability to escalate to root privileges means that attackers can gain complete control over the affected system, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or use as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects systems where Nagios XI is deployed as a central monitoring solution, often running with elevated privileges to perform necessary monitoring functions. Organizations may experience service disruption, data breaches, or compliance violations if this vulnerability is exploited, particularly in environments where the monitoring system has access to sensitive network resources or critical system information. The attack vector typically involves an authenticated user session, making it particularly concerning for environments where administrative credentials might be compromised or where users have unnecessary elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-8736 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Nagios XI installations to version 5.4.13 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to Nagios XI interfaces, particularly restricting administrative access to trusted network segments. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege for user accounts, disabling unnecessary administrative functions, and monitoring for suspicious activities in the monitoring system logs should be considered. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege separation and access control mechanisms as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, particularly focusing on the use of legitimate credentials and exploitation of application vulnerabilities to gain elevated access. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other monitoring tools and systems within the organization's infrastructure.