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Nagios XiApplication · Nagios

CVE-2020-36859

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.7.4 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
The Core Config Manager (CCM) in Nagios XI versions prior to CCM 3.0.7 / Nagios XI 5.7.4 contains multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in the object edit pages. Unsanitized user-supplied input was incorporated into SQL queries used by configuration object editors, allowing authenticated users to inject SQL fragments. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure or modification of configuration and application data, and in some environments could allow further compromise of the application or backend database.

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 confidence

SQL injection vulnerability in Nagios XI's Core Config Manager (CCM) where multiple object edit pages incorporate unsanitized user input directly into SQL queries. Authenticated users with access to CCM can inject arbitrary SQL fragments, potentially allowing unauthorized access to or modification of application data and potentially further compromise of the backend database.

MitigationUpgrade to Nagios XI 5.7.4 or later (or CCM 3.0.7) which contains patched code with proper input sanitization. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict CCM access to trusted administrators only and consider implementing WAF rules as a temporary compensating control.

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
Nagios XiApplication
Affected:< 5.7.4

CVSS 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:3.1/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed Nagios XI version
    Log into the Nagios XI web interface and navigate to the 'About' or 'System Information' page (typically under Admin > System Info), or run the command 'cat /usr/local/nagiosxi/scripts/get_version.sh' if available on the server
    Affected if The displayed version is earlier than 5.7.4 (e.g., 5.7.3, 5.7.2, 5.6.x, etc.)
  2. Verify Core Config Manager (CCM) is installed
    Check if the CCM interface is accessible by logging into Nagios XI and looking for 'Core Config Manager' in the left navigation menu, or attempt to access the CCM URL directly (commonly /nagiosxi/ccm/)
    Affected if CCM is present and accessible in the Nagios XI installation
  3. Identify if your account has CCM access
    Log into Nagios XI with your user credentials and attempt to access the Core Config Manager. CCM access is typically granted to users with 'Admin' or 'Configuration' roles, or check user permissions under Admin > Users > [select user] > Permissions
    Affected if Your user account has CCM write access or configuration permissions enabled
  4. Confirm CCM version if viewable
    Within CCM, check the footer or help/about section for the CCM version number (the patched version is CCM 3.0.7 or later)
    Affected if CCM version is displayed as lower than 3.0.7

You are affected if your Nagios XI version is below 5.7.4 AND your account (or any account that could be compromised) has access to the Core Config Manager feature.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.7.4 or later
Fixed in 5.7.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Nagios XI 5.7.4 or later (or CCM 3.0.7) which contains patched code with proper input sanitization. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict CCM access to trusted administrators only and consider implementing WAF rules as a temporary compensating control.

Recommended fix High confidence

Nagios XI 5.7.4 (includes CCM 3.0.7)

  1. Backup the current Nagios XI installation and database before proceeding with any upgrade
  2. Download Nagios XI version 5.7.4 or later from the official Nagios website
  3. Follow the official Nagios XI upgrade documentation to install the updated version
  4. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the Nagios XI version and CCM version (should show CCM 3.0.7 or later)
  5. Log in to the Core Config Manager and confirm the SQL injection vulnerability is no longer present by testing object edit functionality
Caveat Review Nagios XI 5.7.4 release notes for any changes to functionality or configuration that may require adjustments

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Nagios Xi Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-36859 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data