CVE-2019-15949

CVE-2019-15949 is a high-severity vulnerability in Nagios Nagios Xi with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2021-11-03). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-78.

Key facts

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is 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 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.
How severe is CVE-2019-15949?
CVE-2019-15949 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-15949 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2019-15949 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2021-11-03, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-15949?
CVE-2019-15949 affects Nagios Nagios Xi. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-15949?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2019-15949 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2019-15949 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2019-6850. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2021-11-03).
When was CVE-2019-15949 published?
CVE-2019-15949 was published on 2019-09-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

More vulnerabilities in Nagios Nagios Xi

All CVEs affecting Nagios Nagios Xi →

Other CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) vulnerabilities

Browse all CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) vulnerabilities →