nagios cron job allows privilege escalation from user nagios to root
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.
- Published
- Feb 28, 2020
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.7% · 51th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-59
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Report tools
Action score
28
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 28 / 40 · 7.0 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.7%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 7.0
- CNA · suse
- 5.7
- 1.3 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| nagios | nagios | cpe:2.3:a:nagios:nagios |
| suse | linux enterprise server | cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server |
| opensuse | backports sle | cpe:2.3:a:opensuse:backports_sle |
| opensuse | leap | cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- nagios nagiosbefore 3.5.1
- nagios nagiosbefore 3.0.6
- opensuse backports sle15.0
- opensuse leap15.1
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (suse). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
openSUSE Factory
- nagios and later · up to and including 4.4.5-2.1affected
SUSE SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11
- nagios and later · up to and including 3.0.6-1.25.36.3.1affected
SUSE SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12
- nagios and later · up to and including 3.5.1-5.27affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | nagios | before 4.4.5-lp151.5.4.1 | 4.4.5-lp151.5.4.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | nagios | before 4.4.6-2.5 | 4.4.6-2.5 |
| SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | grafana-ha-cluster-dashboards | before 1.1.0+git.1605027022.a84d536-1.10.1 | 1.1.0+git.1605027022.a84d536-1.10.1 |
| SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | grafana-sap-netweaver-dashboards | before 1.0.3+git.1601889366.9f71957-1.10.1 | 1.0.3+git.1601889366.9f71957-1.10.1 |
| SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | grafana-sap-providers | before 1.1-1.7.1 | 1.1-1.7.1 |
| SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | hwdata | before 0.314-10.14.1 | 0.314-10.14.1 |
| SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | icinga | before 1.13.3-12.8.1 | 1.13.3-12.8.1 |
| SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | icinga | before 1.13.3-12.6.1 | 1.13.3-12.6.1 |
| SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | sysuser-tools | before 2.0-1.9.1 | 2.0-1.9.1 |
| SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | zeromq | before 4.0.4-15.8.1 | 4.0.4-15.8.1 |
| SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 | nagios | before 4.4.5-bp151.4.3.1 | 4.4.5-bp151.4.3.1 |
Same product
nagios: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2009-2288statuswml.cgi in Nagios before 3.1.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in the (1) ping or (2) T55Plan
- CVE-2012-6096Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in the get_history function in history.cgi in Nagios Core before 3.4.4, and Icinga 1.6.x before 1.6.2,50Plan
- CVE-2016-9565MagpieRSS, as used in the front-end component in Nagios Core before 4.2.2 might allow remote attackers to read or write to arbitrary files b46Plan
- CVE-2002-1959Nagios 1.0b1 through 1.0b3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in plugin output.41Plan
- CVE-2016-0726The Fedora Nagios package uses "nagiosadmin" as the default password for the "nagiosadmin" administrator account, which makes it easier for 40Plan
- CVE-2013-7108Multiple off-by-one errors in Nagios Core 3.5.1, 4.0.2, and earlier, and Icinga before 1.8.5, 1.9 before 1.9.4, and 1.10 before 1.10.2 allow40Plan
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| opensuse:nagios | 4.4.5-lp151.5.4.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:grafana-ha-cluster-dashboards | 1.1.0+git.1605027022.a84d536-1.10.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:grafana-sap-netweaver-dashboards | 1.0.3+git.1601889366.9f71957-1.10.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:grafana-sap-providers | 1.1-1.7.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:hwdata | 0.314-10.14.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:icinga | 1.13.3-12.6.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:nagios | 4.4.5-bp151.4.3.1 · SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:sysuser-tools | 2.0-1.9.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:zeromq | 4.0.4-15.8.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-59 · Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
- Obfuscated Files or Information: HTML SmugglingT1027.006
- Obfuscated Files or Information: Embedded PayloadsT1027.009
- Boot or Logon Autostart Execution:Shortcut ModificationT1547.009
- Hide Artifacts: Resource ForkingT1564.009
- Hijack Execution Flow: Executable Installer File Permissions WeaknessT1574.005
- Hijack Execution Flow: Services File Permissions WeaknessT1574.010
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-04/msg00014.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-04/msg00022.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.