Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Nagios XI versions before 2024R1.3.2 allow an authenticated attacker to turn file upload and path handling flaws into remote code execution. Successful exploitation can place attacker-controlled PHP where the web server runs it as www-data, creating serious monitoring-system compromise risk.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for any exposed or business-critical Nagios XI instance. Monitoring platforms often hold operational visibility and credentials, so compromise can support broader intrusion even though authentication is required and active exploitation is not evidenced here.
Technical view
The issue chains CWE-434 arbitrary file upload with CWE-22 path traversal in MIB upload and Core Config Snapshots rename handling. The provided record assigns CVSS 4.0 score 8.7 and requires low-privileged authentication, no user interaction, and network access.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where Nagios XI earlier than 2024R1.3.2 is reachable by users or networks where an attacker could obtain low-privileged credentials. Internet-exposed management interfaces increase business risk, but the provided sources do not identify broader affected products.
Exploitation context
A public technical write-up is included and tagged as exploit-related in the source bundle. KEV is false, and the provided evidence does not confirm active exploitation in the wild. Treat exploitability as credible but do not claim observed exploitation.
Researcher notes
Focus validation on the documented chain: MIB upload extension/path validation and Core Config Snapshots rename traversal. The described impact is attacker-controlled PHP execution as www-data. Evidence is specific to Nagios XI before 2024R1.3.2; do not extrapolate to other Nagios products.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Nagios XI to 2024R1.3.2 or later using vendor guidance.
- Review Nagios security guidance and changelog for any deployment-specific notes.
- Restrict Nagios XI administrative and configuration interfaces to trusted networks.
- Audit and remove unnecessary low-privileged Nagios XI accounts.
- Rotate credentials if suspicious upload or snapshot activity is found.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Nagios XI instances and record exact installed versions.
- Confirm all instances are on 2024R1.3.2 or later.
- Review logs for unusual MIB uploads or snapshot rename activity.
- Check web-accessible directories for unexpected PHP files.
- Verify Nagios XI interfaces are not broadly exposed.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-22: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCWE-434: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupFile access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2024-13986 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.7 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.7HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://theyhack.me/Nagios-XI-Authenticated-RCECVE reference, VulnCheck, CISA-ADP · technical-description, exploit
- https://www.nagios.com/changelog/nagios-xi/CVE reference, VulnCheck · vendor-advisory, patch
- https://www.nagios.com/products/security/#nagios-xiCVE reference, VulnCheck · vendor-advisory, patch
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/nagios-xi-authenticated-arbitrary-file-upload-path-traversal-rceCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.