CVE-2024-14001 is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Nagios XI, a widely used IT infrastructure monitoring solution. The vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 2024R1.1.3 within the Executive Summary Report component. The root cause is insufficient validation or escaping of user-supplied input during web page generation, classified under CWE-79. This improper neutralization allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of a victim’s browser when they view the compromised report. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.1 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:L) but does require user interaction (UI:P). The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality, integrity, or availability directly but can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, or further attacks on the victim’s session. No known public exploits or active exploitation have been reported to date. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations exposing Nagios XI dashboards or reports to users over the internet or within large internal networks. The lack of proper input sanitization in a critical reporting component highlights the need for robust secure coding practices and timely patching. The vendor has released version 2024R1.1.3 to address this issue, although no direct patch links were provided in the source data.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-14001 centers on the potential compromise of user sessions and unauthorized execution of scripts within the Nagios XI monitoring environment. This can lead to theft of sensitive monitoring data, manipulation of monitoring results, or pivoting to other internal systems if attackers gain session control. Organizations relying heavily on Nagios XI for critical infrastructure monitoring—such as utilities, telecommunications, finance, and government sectors—may face operational risks if attackers exploit this vulnerability to disrupt monitoring or gain footholds in internal networks. The vulnerability’s medium severity and requirement for user interaction reduce the likelihood of widespread automated exploitation but do not eliminate targeted attacks. European entities with internet-facing Nagios XI instances or large user bases accessing the Executive Summary Report are at higher risk. The potential for lateral movement or data exfiltration increases the threat to confidentiality and operational integrity within these environments.

1. Immediately upgrade Nagios XI installations to version 2024R1.1.3 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability. 2. Restrict access to the Nagios XI web interface, especially the Executive Summary Report, to trusted internal networks or via VPN to reduce exposure. 3. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data in custom reports or plugins to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 4. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in the browser context. 5. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual requests or script injection attempts targeting the Executive Summary Report. 6. Educate users about the risks of clicking untrusted links that could trigger XSS payloads. 7. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on web application vulnerabilities within Nagios XI deployments. 8. Consider deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules tuned to detect and block XSS attacks targeting Nagios XI components.