CVE-2026-2041 is an OS command injection vulnerability categorized under CWE-78 affecting Nagios Host version 2026R1. The vulnerability resides in the zabbixagent_configwizard_func method, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into system calls. This improper neutralization of special elements allows a remote attacker, who has authenticated access, to inject malicious commands that the system executes with the privileges of the Nagios Host service account. The flaw arises because the input is directly passed to an OS command without adequate validation or escaping, enabling arbitrary code execution. Exploitation does not require user interaction beyond authentication, and the attacker can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability by executing arbitrary commands remotely. The vulnerability was assigned CVE-2026-2041 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.2, indicating high severity. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the potential impact is significant given Nagios Host's role in monitoring critical IT infrastructure. The vulnerability was discovered and reported by ZDI (ZDI-CAN-28250). Currently, no official patches have been linked, emphasizing the need for immediate mitigation steps by affected organizations.

The impact of CVE-2026-2041 is substantial for organizations relying on Nagios Host 2026R1 for infrastructure monitoring. Successful exploitation allows an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Nagios Host service account, potentially leading to full system compromise. This can result in unauthorized access to sensitive monitoring data, manipulation or disruption of monitoring functions, and lateral movement within the network. The compromise of monitoring systems can blind organizations to ongoing attacks or system failures, increasing the risk of prolonged breaches or outages. Additionally, attackers could leverage this foothold to deploy malware, exfiltrate data, or disrupt availability of critical services. Given Nagios Host’s deployment in enterprise and industrial environments, the vulnerability poses a risk to sectors such as finance, healthcare, energy, and government. The requirement for authentication limits exploitation to insiders or attackers who have obtained valid credentials, but the ease of exploitation and high privileges involved make this a critical concern.

To mitigate CVE-2026-2041, organizations should: 1) Monitor Nagios Host vendor communications closely and apply official patches or updates as soon as they become available. 2) Restrict access to Nagios Host interfaces to trusted administrators and enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication, to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 3) Implement strict input validation and sanitization controls on any user-supplied data that may be passed to system commands, either by applying vendor fixes or deploying compensating controls such as web application firewalls with custom rules to detect command injection patterns. 4) Conduct regular audits of Nagios Host configurations and logs to detect anomalous command executions or unauthorized access attempts. 5) Segment monitoring infrastructure from general user networks to limit lateral movement if compromise occurs. 6) Employ the principle of least privilege by running Nagios Host services with minimal necessary permissions to reduce the impact of code execution. 7) Educate administrators about the risks of credential theft and enforce strong password policies. These measures collectively reduce the attack surface and limit the potential damage from exploitation.