CVE-2019-15949
Nagios XI before 5.6.6 allows remote command execution as root. The exploit requires access to the server as the nagios user, or access as…
- 8.8HighCVSS base score
- 77.0%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.4% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 3 Nov 2021
- 4Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
Nagios XI before 5.6.6 allows remote command execution as root. The exploit requires access to the server as the nagios user, or access as the admin user via the web interface. The getprofile.sh script, invoked by downloading a system profile (profile.php?cmd=download), is executed as root via a passwordless sudo entry; the script executes check_plugin, which is owned by the nagios user. A user logged into Nagios XI with permissions to modify plugins, or the nagios user on the server, can modify the check_plugin executable and insert malicious commands to execute as root.
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Nagios XI Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.
- Added
- 3 Nov 2021
- Fix due (US federal)
- 3 May 2022
- Used by ransomware
- Not known
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 3 Nov 2021.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list 2 Metasploit modules and 2 Exploit-DB entries for it. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Show the exploits4
Metasploit modules2 modules
- Nagios XI Prior to 5.6.6 getprofile.sh Authenticated Remote Command Execution (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/linux/http/nagios_xi_plugins_check_plugin_authenticated_rceRank excellentdisclosed 29 Jul 2019
- Nagios XI Scanner (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
auxiliary/scanner/http/nagios_xi_scannerRank normal
Exploit-DB2 entries
- Nagios Xi 5.6.6 - Authenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 52138webapps, multiplepublished 8 Apr 2025Not verified
- Nagios XI - Authenticated Remote Command Execution (Metasploit) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 48191remote, linuxpublished 10 Mar 2020Verified
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By mitre
Published
- 2 years later
· 2 years later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited in the wild
- 4 years later
· 4 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | High8.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | High8.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 77.0% · top 0.4% of all CVEs (11 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 8.8.
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References
References4
- https://github.com/jakgibb/nagiosxi-root-rce-exploit (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156676/Nagios-XI-Authenticated-Remote-Command-Execution.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162158/Nagios-XI-getprofile.sh-Remote-Command-Execution.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2019-15949 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2019-6850 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2019-15949)Record last updated .