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Nagios XI Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Known exploitedExploited · KEV 2021-11-03Metasploit moduleCVE-2019-15949CWE-78

Exploited since 2021-11-03. No WAF vendor names it yet.

Edge rules
0/8
Our test
No exploit yet
CVSS
8.8
EPSS
77.0% Top 0.4%
Posts, 14d
02026-10-22: 0 posts2026-10-23: 0 posts2026-10-24: 0 posts2026-10-25: 0 posts2026-10-26: 0 posts2026-10-27: 0 posts2026-10-28: 0 posts2026-10-29: 0 posts2026-10-30: 0 posts2026-10-31: 0 posts2026-11-01: 0 posts2026-11-02: 0 posts2026-11-03: 0 posts2026-11-04: 0 posts
Published
2019-09-05
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… More

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.

Known exploitedLast checked 2026-11-04

The risk

CISA lists CVE-2019-15949 as exploited in the wild since 2021-11-03. A Metasploit module exists, so exploitation needs no custom work. No edge WAF vendor names it in a changelog, so default managed rules may or may not catch it.

Who is affected

Teams running Nagios Nagios XI. Affected versions are in the vendor advisory. Prioritise internet-facing instances.

Next steps

  1. Apply the vendor's fix; the advisory lists the affected and fixed versions.
  2. CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions. US federal agencies must act by 2022-05-03.
  3. Review exposed instances for signs of compromise: it was exploited before many systems were patched, and a later patch does not undo access already gained.
  4. Do not rely on WAF defaults: no edge vendor names this CVE. Restrict access to the vulnerable component or add a custom rule until it is patched. Edge coverage
  5. Check which WAF sits in front of your site and whether it covers this CVE. Check your domain

Attack traffic on Cloudflare

Cloudflare Radar
  • Remote Code Execution1.8% of mitigated layer 7 attacks, 7 days2026-10-06: 5.7%2026-10-07: 3.8%2026-10-08: 10.6%2026-10-09: 6.9%2026-10-10: 11.8%2026-10-11: 4.7%2026-10-12: 2.4%2026-10-13: 1.9%2026-10-14: 1.3%2026-10-15: 1.5%2026-10-16: 1.6%2026-10-17: 1.3%2026-10-18: 2.2%2026-10-19: 1.3%2026-10-20: 2.6%2026-10-21: 2.3%2026-10-22: 5.5%2026-10-23: 1.6%2026-10-24: 1.1%2026-10-25: 3.2%2026-10-26: 3.2%2026-10-27: 3%2026-10-28: 2.8%2026-10-29: 2.2%2026-10-30: 1.8%2026-10-31: 1.6%2026-11-01: 1.3%2026-11-02: 1.3%2026-11-03: 1.4%
  • Command Injection5.5% of mitigated layer 7 attacks, 7 days2026-10-06: 10.1%2026-10-07: 10.1%2026-10-08: 15.8%2026-10-09: 14.2%2026-10-10: 28.8%2026-10-11: 12.2%2026-10-12: 6.8%2026-10-13: 5.7%2026-10-14: 5.8%2026-10-15: 5.4%2026-10-16: 5.1%2026-10-17: 5.7%2026-10-18: 5.5%2026-10-19: 5.1%2026-10-20: 11.3%2026-10-21: 8.5%2026-10-22: 12.8%2026-10-23: 4.4%2026-10-24: 5.2%2026-10-25: 9.2%2026-10-26: 8.5%2026-10-27: 7.2%2026-10-28: 7.6%2026-10-29: 4.6%2026-10-30: 7.5%2026-10-31: 5.7%2026-11-01: 4.6%2026-11-02: 4.4%2026-11-03: 4.6%
  • Rules for named CVEs5.9% of mitigated layer 7 attacks, 7 days2026-10-06: 0.6%2026-10-07: 1.8%2026-10-08: 3%2026-10-09: 6.3%2026-10-10: 1.9%2026-10-11: 0.8%2026-10-12: 0.6%2026-10-13: 0.6%2026-10-14: 4.2%2026-10-15: 2.3%2026-10-16: 1.3%2026-10-17: 1.6%2026-10-18: 1.1%2026-10-19: 3.2%2026-10-20: 4.7%2026-10-21: 5.7%2026-10-22: 5.5%2026-10-23: 9.8%2026-10-24: 7%2026-10-25: 5%2026-10-26: 7.3%2026-10-27: 8.1%2026-10-28: 10.1%2026-10-29: 0.9%2026-10-30: 4.1%2026-10-31: 7.5%2026-11-01: 8.7%2026-11-02: 2.4%2026-11-03: 9.1%

Radar groups Cloudflare's WAF managed rules by category; it does not publish counts per CVE. These shares show how much attack traffic targets this kind of flaw across Cloudflare's network (28-day trend). They are not compromised systems, and seeing few attempts on Cloudflare does not prove an absence elsewhere. Radar data as of 2026-11-03. Radar ↗

Check your exposure with an agent

Read-only

Copy this into an agent with access to your infrastructure. It asks for an evidence-based, read-only assessment: affected systems, exposure, compensating controls and what is still unknown. It does not scan or change anything by itself.

Prompt12 lines
Assess whether the infrastructure available to you is affected by CVE-2019-15949 (Nagios XI Remote Code Execution Vulnerability). Perform a read-only assessment within your authorized access. Do not send exploit traffic, scan third-party systems, change configuration or restart services.

1. Verify the CVE record at https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-15949 and the vendor advisory. Establish affected and fixed versions, including vendor backports. Cite sources and retrieval dates; flag anything you cannot verify.
2. Inventory deployments of Nagios Nagios XI: asset, environment, owner where known, installed version or build, and how you confirmed it (package metadata, a version endpoint, image tags). An image tag alone does not prove the running version.
3. Identify which deployments are reachable from the internet or untrusted networks, and through which paths (direct origin, load balancer, CDN or WAF).
4. Assess compensating controls separately from patch status. Current edge WAF coverage for this CVE: no edge WAF vendor names it. Live data: https://cve.vigilbase.com/api/v1/cves/CVE-2019-15949. Check whether the rule is enabled and in block mode on each path, and whether any path bypasses the WAF. A WAF rule is not a patch.
5. It is known exploited (CISA KEV): review logs on exposed instances for signs of exploitation before and after patching.

Return a short summary and a table: asset | version/build | assessment (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | exposure | compensating control | evidence | next action. List what you could not assess and the access needed to resolve it. Do not infer absence of compromise from patch status or a lack of alerts.

Remediation guidance: Apply the vendor's fix; the advisory lists the affected and fixed versions. CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions. US federal agencies must act by 2022-05-03.
More: https://cve.vigilbase.com/cve/CVE-2019-15949

Sources

Cited
CVE record

CVSS 3.1 8.8 (high). Weakness: CWE-78.

CVE-2019-15949 ↗NVD ↗

Exploit evidence

Metasploit has a module. Exploit-DB lists 2 exploits.

Metasploit: Nagios XI Prior to 5.6.6 getprofile.sh Authenticated Remote Command Execution ↗Metasploit: Nagios XI Scanner ↗Exploit-DB: Nagios Xi 5.6.6 - Authenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) ↗Exploit-DB: Nagios XI - Authenticated Remote Command Execution (Metasploit) ↗

CISA KEV

Added 2021-11-03, federal due date 2022-05-03 (catalog 2026.11.03, checked 2026-11-04).

CISA KEV catalog ↗

EPSS

77.0% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of CVEs (2026-11-02).

FIRST EPSS ↗

WAF vendor statements

No edge vendor changelog names it.

Ask Vigil

AI · answers from this page
Ask about CVE-2019-15949: who's covered, what to patch first, how vendors compare. I cite sources and won't help with attacks.

Severity, decoded

CVSS 3.1
High · 8.8 / 10

Exploitable over the network, with low privileges and no user interaction, leading to full loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability.

Over the internetAny user loginNo user actionWorks reliablyFull compromise
How the score is built8 metrics
  • Attack vectorAn attacker can reach it over the internet; no access to your network needed.
    Network
  • Attack complexityNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
    Low
  • Privileges requiredThe attacker needs an ordinary user account.
    Low
  • User interactionNo one has to click or open anything; the attack works on its own.
    None
  • ScopeThe damage stays within the vulnerable component.
    Unchanged
  • Confidentiality impactAn attacker can read all data the affected component holds, or the most sensitive parts of it.
    High
  • Integrity impactAn attacker can change any data or files the affected component protects.
    High
  • Availability impactAn attacker can take the component down completely or keep it from serving anyone.
    High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CISA's assessmentSSVC, from the CVE record
ExploitationActive

Attackers are exploiting this in the wild.

AutomatableNo

At least one step needs hands-on work, which slows mass attacks.

Technical impactTotal

A successful attack gives full control over the affected software or all of its data.

Public exploits

4 found
2 Metasploit2 Exploit-DB0 Scanner template0 GitHub PoCs

Links are to third-party code: never run it outside an isolated lab.

Timeline

  1. 2019-07-29
    Metasploit module published
    Nagios XI Prior to 5.6.6 getprofile.sh Authenticated Remote Command Execution
  2. 2019-09-05
    CVE published
    CVE List
  3. 2020-03-10
    Exploit published on Exploit-DB
    Nagios XI - Authenticated Remote Command Execution (Metasploit)
  4. 2021-11-03
    Added to CISA KEV
    Confirmed exploitation in the wild

Social

2026-10-22: 0 posts2026-10-23: 0 posts2026-10-24: 0 posts2026-10-25: 0 posts2026-10-26: 0 posts2026-10-27: 0 posts2026-10-28: 0 posts2026-10-29: 0 posts2026-10-30: 0 posts2026-10-31: 0 posts2026-11-01: 0 posts2026-11-02: 0 posts2026-11-03: 0 posts2026-11-04: 0 posts

No posts seen yet on X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Hacker News or GitHub.

Vendor statements

Quoted
CloudflareWAF Managed RulesBefore feed history

The CVE predates the oldest entry in this vendor's public feed, so a rule may exist that we cannot see.

AWSAWS WAF Managed RulesBefore feed history

The CVE predates the oldest entry in this vendor's public feed, so a rule may exist that we cannot see.

Microsoft AzureFront Door and Application Gateway WAF (DRS)No public claim

We found no public statement from this vendor naming this CVE. That is not proof of no protection: generic rules may still catch it. The rule tables name CVEs but carry no dates, so Azure is left out of every time-to-rule figure.

Google CloudCloud Armor preconfigured WAF rulesBefore feed history

The CVE predates the oldest entry in this vendor's public feed, so a rule may exist that we cannot see.

FastlyNext-Gen WAF virtual patchesBefore feed history

The CVE predates the oldest entry in this vendor's public feed, so a rule may exist that we cannot see.

F5Attack signatures (Distributed Cloud WAF)Before feed history

The CVE predates the oldest entry in this vendor's public feed, so a rule may exist that we cannot see.

AkamaiApp & API Protector (Adaptive Security Engine)No public source

This vendor publishes no machine-readable rule changelog we can check.

OWASP CRSCore Rule Set (open source, used inside many WAFs)Before feed history

The CVE predates the oldest entry in this vendor's public feed, so a rule may exist that we cannot see.