How severe is CVE-2019-3698?

CVE-2019-3698 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability low.

Is CVE-2019-3698 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (48th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-3698?

CVE-2019-3698 primarily affects Nagios. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-3698?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2019-3698 published?

CVE-2019-3698 was published on 2020-02-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-3698

CVE-2019-3698 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Nagios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.7. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.7)
CVSS v2: 6.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (48th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Nagios
Published: 2020-02-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the cronjob shipped with nagios of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11; openSUSE Factory allows local attackers to cause cause DoS or potentially escalate privileges by winning a race. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 nagios version 3.5.1-5.27 and prior versions. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 nagios version 3.0.6-1.25.36.3.1 and prior versions. openSUSE Factory nagios version 4.4.5-2.1 and prior versions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-3698?: UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the cronjob shipped with nagios of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11; openSUSE Factory allows local attackers to cause cause DoS or potentially escalate privileges by winning a race. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 nagios version 3.5.1-5.27 and prior versions. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 nagios version 3.0.6-1.25.36.3.1 and prior versions. openSUSE Factory nagios version 4.4.5-2.1 and prior versions.
How severe is CVE-2019-3698?: CVE-2019-3698 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability low.
Is CVE-2019-3698 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (48th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-3698?: CVE-2019-3698 primarily affects Nagios. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-3698?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2019-3698 published?: CVE-2019-3698 was published on 2020-02-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:nagios:nagios:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:opensuse:backports_sle:15.0:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:15.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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