# CVE-2020-36868: Nagios XI < 5.7.3 Privilege escalation via Insecure getprofile.sh Script

> A local attacker can exploit insecure handling in the getprofile.sh script to execute arbitrary commands and escalate privileges on Nagios XI servers.

- **Severity:** High 8.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 30 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 17 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xjhg-wrcc-8945

## What is CVE-2020-36868?

CVE-2020-36868 is a high-severity vulnerability in Nagios Nagios Xi, published on 30 Oct 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Nagios XI versions prior to 5.7.3 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability in the getprofile.sh helper script. The script performed profile retrieval and initialization routines using insecure file/command handling and insufficient validation of attacker-controlled inputs, and in some deployments executed with elevated privileges. A local attacker with low-level access could exploit these weaknesses to cause the script to execute arbitrary commands or modify privileged files, resulting in privilege escalation.

Weakness: CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path), CWE-250 (Execution with Unnecessary Privileges)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-36868?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Nagios Nagios Xi.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-36868?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-36868 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-36868 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36868 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Nagios Nagios Xi

- [CVE-2021-25296](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25296/): Nagios XI OS Command Injection (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-25297](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25297/): Nagios XI OS Command Injection (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-25298](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25298/): Nagios XI OS Command Injection (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-15949](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15949/): Nagios XI Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-24401](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-24401/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-36868 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-36868 is a high-severity vulnerability in Nagios Nagios Xi, published on 30 Oct 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36868 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Nagios Nagios Xi. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36868/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36868/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36868
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36868
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-36868

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36868/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.