CVE-2018-19204
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedPRTG Network Monitor before 18.3.44.2054 allows a remote authenticated attacker (with read-write privileges) to execute arbitrary code and OS commands with system privileges. When creating an HTTP Advanced Sensor, the user's input in the POST parameter 'proxyport_' is mishandled. The attacker can craft an HTTP request and override the 'writeresult' command-line parameter for HttpAdvancedSensor.exe to store arbitrary data in an arbitrary place on the file system. For example, the attacker can create an executable file in the \Custom Sensors\EXE directory and execute it by creating EXE/Script Sensor.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidencePRTG Network Monitor before 18.3.44.2054 allows authenticated users with read-write privileges to achieve SYSTEM-level code execution via improper handling of the 'proxyport_' POST parameter when creating HTTP Advanced Sensors. Attackers can override the 'writeresult' command-line parameter for HttpAdvancedSensor.exe to write arbitrary files, enabling placement of malicious executables in the \Custom Sensors\EXE directory for execution via EXE/Script Sensors.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 18.3.44.2054CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate PRTG Network Monitor installationCheck the PRTG Administration Tool, or look for the installation directory typically at C:\Program Files (x86)\PRTG Network Monitor or C:\Program Files\PRTG Network Monitor. The version is often displayed in the PRTG Administrator interface or in the file properties of the PRTG Administrator executable.Affected if PRTG is not installed or cannot be located.
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Determine installed PRTG versionOpen PRTG Administrator and view the version displayed, or check the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\PRTG Network Monitor for the 'Version' value. The version format appears as numeric build numbers.Affected if The version number cannot be determined or is lower than 18.3.44.2054.
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Compare version against vulnerable rangeVerify that the installed version is less than 18.3.44.2054. Any version below this threshold is affected by this vulnerability.Affected if The installed version is below 18.3.44.2054.
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Inspect Custom Sensors\EXE directoryNavigate to the Custom Sensors\EXE folder within the PRTG installation directory (commonly C:\Program Files (x86)\PRTG Network Monitor\Custom Sensors\EXE) and review all executable files present. Look for any unauthorized or unexpected .exe files that were not deliberately added by your administration team.Affected if Unexpected or unrecognized executable files exist in this directory.
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Review HTTP Advanced Sensor configurationsAccess the PRTG web interface and examine any HTTP Advanced Sensors configured on the system. Check for unusual or suspicious proxy port settings in the sensor configuration, particularly the proxyport_ parameter.Affected if There are HTTP Advanced Sensors with modified or suspicious proxy configurations that were not created by authorized administrators.
You are affected if running PRTG Network Monitor version below 18.3.44.2054 and the system contains unauthorized files in the Custom Sensors\EXE directory or suspicious HTTP Advanced Sensor configurations.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data18.3.44.2054
Upgrade PRTG Network Monitor to version 18.3.44.2054 or later to remediate this vulnerability.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-19204 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-19204 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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