External risk intelligence

Nagios XI Web SSH Terminal Access Control Vulnerability.

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.4)

CVE-2023-7317

Nagios XI is a network monitoring and management platform typically deployed as a centralized web-based management console. Such interfaces are commonly exposed to administrative networks or the public internet to facilitate remote monitoring, system administration, and gateway functions, making this interface a common target for network-based access.

Nagios Xi

before 2024

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A vulnerability has been identified in Nagios XI that could allow unauthorized access to its Web SSH Terminal, potentially leading to command execution or disclosure of sensitive information. This issue affects systems where this terminal feature is enabled and accessible.

Unauthorized access to a system's terminal.
Critical systems management tools are frequent targets.
Confirm relevance and exposure to sensitive data.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker with limited privileges can bypass access controls to reach the Web SSH Terminal, a feature within Nagios XI. By exploiting this missing access control, an attacker could gain unauthorized access to the terminal, potentially leading to the execution of commands or the exposure of sensitive data.

Requires low-privileged access.
Bypasses access control for Web SSH.
Leads to unauthorized command execution.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability could allow a remote, low-privileged attacker to access the Web SSH Terminal without proper authorization. When this is supported, it could lead to unauthorized commands being executed or sensitive information being disclosed.

System terminal access.
Unauthorized access to terminal.
Sensitive information disclosure.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

The application owner or the platform team responsible for Nagios XI should lead the response to this vulnerability. The first practical step is to locate all instances of Nagios XI, determine their exposure and criticality, and confirm the accountable owner for each instance. This information will inform a risk-based remediation plan, potentially involving coordination with vendor management if third-party support is required.

Application or platform teams own the issue.
Verify Nagios XI exposure and criticality.
Plan remediation based on confirmed risk.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

Free EASM Trial See How Signal Works

Frequently asked questions

What is Nagios XI?

Nagios XI is a comprehensive IT infrastructure monitoring platform. It is used by technical teams to track the health, performance, and availability of network devices, servers, and applications. The software provides a centralized web-based dashboard where administrators can view system metrics, manage configurations, and perform maintenance tasks directly through the browser.

What does CWE-862 mean for CVE-2023-7317?

CWE-862 refers to a missing access control vulnerability. In the context of this CVE, it means the software fails to properly verify if a user has the appropriate permissions before granting access to a specific function—in this case, the Web SSH Terminal. Because the system does not check for authorization at the right time, a user who should not have terminal access is able to bypass those restrictions and interact with the interface.

How can an attacker trigger this vulnerability?

A remote attacker with low-level, legitimate access to the Nagios XI application can trigger this bug by navigating to the Web SSH Terminal interface. The vulnerability relies on the absence of proper authorization checks for that specific feature. It is important to note that this does not imply the entire application is open to the public; rather, the specific terminal component fails to gatekeep access once a user is inside the system.

Is my Nagios XI instance at risk?

According to Halo Surface Signal, Nagios XI is often deployed as a centralized management console and is frequently exposed to administrative networks or the public internet to enable remote monitoring. If your instance is accessible via the network, the risk is higher. You should assess whether your specific deployment is reachable from outside your protected environment to determine if it aligns with this external threat profile.

What should I do to secure my system?

Start by identifying all Nagios XI instances within your infrastructure and confirming who is responsible for maintaining them. Once you have a clear inventory, prioritize these assets based on their exposure and criticality. Ensure your team is aware of the issue and check the official vendor documentation for guidance on updating to a version where this access control weakness has been resolved.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.