CVE-2022-26563 in Monit
Summary
by MITRE • 07/18/2023
An issue was discovered in Tildeslash Monit before 5.31.0, allows remote attackers to gain escilated privlidges due to improper PAM-authorization.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-26563 affects Tildeslash Monit versions prior to 5.31.0 and represents a critical privilege escalation flaw stemming from inadequate PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) authorization implementation. This security weakness allows remote attackers to elevate their privileges within the system, potentially compromising the entire infrastructure controlled by Monit. The issue manifests through improper handling of authentication mechanisms that should normally enforce strict access controls and authorization checks before granting elevated system privileges.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the flawed PAM authorization process within Monit's authentication framework. When Monit processes authentication requests through PAM modules, it fails to properly validate or enforce authorization boundaries that should prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. This improper implementation creates a pathway for attackers to bypass normal authentication checks and gain elevated privileges without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically impacts the authorization phase of the authentication process rather than the authentication itself, making it particularly dangerous as legitimate authentication may succeed while authorization fails to properly restrict access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to system security and integrity. Remote attackers who can exploit this flaw can potentially gain root or administrative privileges on systems running vulnerable versions of Monit, which typically serves as a system monitoring and alerting tool. The implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation as Monit often runs with elevated privileges to perform system monitoring tasks, making it a valuable target for attackers seeking persistent access. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access or local network presence to exploit this vulnerability, significantly expanding the attack surface.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and represents a classic example of insufficient authorization checks that can lead to privilege escalation attacks. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability may follow techniques outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation tactics, specifically targeting authentication mechanisms to gain elevated system access. The impact of this vulnerability extends to organizations that rely on Monit for system monitoring, as compromised Monit instances can provide attackers with persistent access points and potentially enable further lateral movement within networks.
Organizations should immediately update to Monit version 5.31.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. The fix addresses the PAM authorization implementation by ensuring proper validation of authentication results and enforcement of access controls. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to Monit services, configuring strict firewall rules to restrict remote access to Monit management interfaces, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any systems running vulnerable versions of Monit and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent similar issues in the future.