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NagvisApplication

CVE-2021-33178

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-10-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.9.29 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 Manage Backgrounds functionality within NagVis versions prior to 1.9.29 is vulnerable to an authenticated path traversal vulnerability. Exploitation of this results in a malicious actor having the ability to arbitrarily delete files on the local system.

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

NagVis versions prior to 1.9.29 contain an authenticated path traversal vulnerability in the Manage Backgrounds functionality. An authenticated attacker can exploit this to delete arbitrary files on the server by manipulating file path inputs, leading to potential denial of service or data loss.

MitigationUpgrade to NagVis version 1.9.29 or later. Until patched, limit access to the Manage Backgrounds functionality to trusted administrators only.

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
NagvisApplication
Affected:< 1.9.29

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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. Identify NagVis installation
    Check for NagVis installation by searching for nagvis directory in typical locations such as /usr/local/nagvis, /var/www/html/nagvis, or the web server document root. Also check for nagvis configuration files (nagvis.ini.php).
    Affected if NagVis is not found on the system.
  2. Determine installed NagVis version
    Locate the version file in the NagVis installation directory, typically named 'version' or 'VERSION' in the root of the NagVis directory. Alternatively, access the NagVis web interface and check the 'About' or 'System Information' page which displays the version number.
    Affected if Unable to determine the version or version file does not exist.
  3. Compare version against affected range
    Compare the installed version number to the affected range: any version prior to 1.9.29 is vulnerable. For example, 1.9.28, 1.9.27, 1.9.0, 1.8.x, and earlier are all within the affected range.
    Affected if Installed version is less than 1.9.29.
  4. Verify Manage Backgrounds access
    Log into the NagVis web interface with an authenticated account and navigate to the 'Manage Backgrounds' functionality, typically found under the 'Admin' or 'Configuration' menu. Check if this feature is accessible to your user account.
    Affected if Manage Backgrounds feature is accessible with the current user credentials.

The environment is affected if NagVis is installed with a version prior to 1.9.29 and the Manage Backgrounds functionality is accessible to authenticated users.

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 1.9.29 or later
Fixed in 1.9.29
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to NagVis version 1.9.29 or later. Until patched, limit access to the Manage Backgrounds functionality to trusted administrators only.

Recommended fix High confidence

NagVis 1.9.29

  1. 1. Identify the current NagVis version installed on your system
  2. 2. Download NagVis version 1.9.29 or later from the official source at nagvis.org
  3. 3. Create a complete backup of the current NagVis installation directory and any associated database
  4. 4. Follow the official NagVis upgrade documentation to install version 1.9.29 or later
  5. 5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the NagVis version in the web interface
  6. 6. Confirm that the Manage Backgrounds functionality is working correctly and the path traversal vulnerability is resolved
Caveat Review the release notes between your current version and 1.9.29 for any configuration or feature changes that may require attention

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

Fix this in Nagvis Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2021-33178 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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