CVE-2023-53948
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 · uneditedLilac-Reloaded for Nagios 2.0.8 contains a remote code execution vulnerability in the autodiscovery feature that allows attackers to inject arbitrary commands. Attackers can exploit the lack of input filtering in the nmap_binary parameter to execute a reverse shell by sending a crafted POST request to the autodiscovery endpoint.
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 confidenceLilac-Reloaded for Nagios 2.0.8 has a command injection vulnerability in the autodiscovery feature. The nmap_binary parameter lacks input filtering, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary OS commands via crafted POST requests, leading to remote code execution and potential reverse shell establishment.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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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Identify the installed version of Lilac-Reloaded for NagiosCheck the application version through the web interface admin panel, or inspect version files in the webroot (such as version.php, CHANGELOG, or composer.json if accessible)Affected if The installed version is 2.0.8 specifically, or falls within the 2.x range prior to any available patch
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Verify if the autodiscovery feature is enabledLocate the autodiscovery configuration file or settings within the Nagios/Lilac web interface. Look for settings related to network discovery, scanning, or nmap integrationAffected if The autodiscovery feature is turned on and accessible to users through the web interface
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Confirm the nmap_binary parameter is configurableExamine the autodiscovery settings page or configuration files for the nmap binary path setting. This is typically found in autodiscovery configuration or network scan settingsAffected if A configurable nmap_binary or nmap path field exists in the autodiscovery settings that accepts user input
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Assess access controls on the autodiscovery endpointReview the web server access controls, authentication settings, and user permissions for the autodiscovery functionality. Check if the endpoint requires authentication and is not exposed to unauthenticated usersAffected if The autodiscovery feature is accessible to unauthenticated users or users without proper authorization
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Inspect the web server logs for suspicious POST requestsReview access logs (typically in /var/log/httpd or /var/log/nginx) for POST requests to autodiscovery-related endpoints with unusual or injected characters in parametersAffected if There are POST requests to the autodiscovery feature containing shell metacharacters (such as ;, |, &, $ , or backticks) in the nmap_binary parameter
Your environment is affected if Lilac-Reloaded for Nagios version 2.0.8 is installed AND the autodiscovery feature is enabled and accessible, particularly if the nmap_binary parameter accepts unsanitized user input.
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 dataImmediately restrict access to the autodiscovery endpoint to authorized users only, implement strict input validation and sanitization on the nmap_binary parameter to prevent command injection, and apply any vendor patches if available.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-53948 — 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-2023-53948 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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