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CheckmkApplication

CVE-2023-6157

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-22
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
Improper neutralization of livestatus command delimiters in ajax_search in Checkmk <= 2.0.0p39, < 2.1.0p37, and < 2.2.0p15 allows arbitrary livestatus command execution for authorized users.

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

Checkmk's ajax_search functionality contains a command injection vulnerability where livestatus command delimiters are not properly neutralized, allowing authenticated users to execute arbitrary livestatus commands. This enables privilege escalation within the monitoring platform.

MitigationUpgrade Checkmk to versions 2.0.0p40, 2.1.0p38, 2.2.0p16 or later to patch the improper input sanitization in ajax_search.

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
CheckmkApplication
Affected:= 2.0.0= 2.1.0= 2.2.0

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. Identify installed Checkmk version
    Run command 'cmk --version' on the Checkmk server, or access the web interface and check Help > About to view the exact version number including the patch level (e.g., 2.2.0p15)
    Affected if The installed version is 2.0.0 through 2.0.0p39, 2.1.0 through 2.1.0p37, or 2.2.0 through 2.2.0p15
  2. Confirm ajax_search endpoint is accessible
    Verify that the /check_mk/ajax_search endpoint is reachable by checking the web server configuration or attempting a request to the endpoint with valid authentication
    Affected if The ajax_search functionality is enabled and accessible to authenticated users in the monitoring platform
  3. Verify livestatus is enabled
    Check if livestatus is configured and running by examining the site configuration (omd config) or attempting to connect to the livestatus socket at ~/var/run/live.sock
    Affected if Livestatus is enabled and the livestatus socket is accessible to authenticated users

You are affected if your Checkmk version is 2.0.0p39 or earlier, 2.1.0p37 or earlier, or 2.2.0p15 or earlier AND authenticated users can access the ajax_search functionality with livestatus enabled.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Checkmk to versions 2.0.0p40, 2.1.0p38, 2.2.0p16 or later to patch the improper input sanitization in ajax_search.

Recommended fix High confidence

Checkmk 2.0.0p40, 2.1.0p37, or 2.2.0p15 (or later respective patch releases)

  1. 1. Identify your current Checkmk version using 'cmk --version' or through the web interface (Help > About).
  2. 2. Based on your current version, upgrade to the appropriate patched release: for 2.0.x upgrade to 2.0.0p40 or later; for 2.1.x upgrade to 2.1.0p37 or later; for 2.2.x upgrade to 2.2.0p15 or later.
  3. 3. Download the updated Checkmk package from the official Checkmk download site (checkmk.com).
  4. 4. Before upgrading, create a backup of your Checkmk configuration and database using the built-in backup feature.
  5. 5. Stop the Checkmk site services: 'omd stop <sitename>'.
  6. 6. Install the new package using your system's package manager (deb/rpm) or the raw setup script.
  7. 7. Start the site services: 'omd start <sitename>'.
  8. 8. Verify the upgrade was successful and the new patch version is running.
Caveat Patch releases typically maintain backward compatibility; minor downtime during upgrade process should be expected

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

Fix this in Checkmk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,150
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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-2023-6157 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