Linuxfabrik lib: Linuxfabrik Monitoring Plugins allow insecure creation of SQLite databases (CVE-2026-53759)
### Summary The SQLite databases are created at predictable (static) paths in `/tmp`. Any user can therefore create a symlink at these paths in /tmp pointing to arbitrary files. The monitoring scripts then follows these symlinks and then creates their database at the symlink target. This becomes really dangerous for the scripts which can be executed as root with sudo. With this, an attacker can write to abitrary paths. ### PoC The docker-stats check command here as an example. Because writing to /tmp is the default behaviour, the other check commands which use a SQLite database are also very likely affected. ``` # Create the symlink as nagios user nagios@test-server:/tmp$ ln -s /root/nagios-was-here /tmp/linuxfabrik-monitoring-plugins-docker-stats.db # Trigger the execution nagios user nagios@test-server:/tmp$ sudo /usr/lib64/nagios/plugins/docker-stats ``` Check whether or not file was created. ``` root@test-server:/# file /root/nagios-was-here /root/nagios-was-here: SQLite 3.x database, last written using SQLite version 3046001, file counter 2, database pages 3, cookie 0x2, schema 4, UTF-8, version-valid-for 2 ``` ### Impact In it's basic form, this vulnerbility can lead to a denial of service, impacting users who use the provided sudoers file and who didn't take any special precautions like systemd's `PrivateTemp`. It requires that an attacker already compromised the nagios account (which is quite a high barrier to be honest). If any application on the server relies on a SQLite database, there are scenarios where this vulnerability allows for content in existing SQLite databases to be modified. An attacker could let the symlink point to an existing SQLite database and create in /tmp a specially-crafted SQLite Rollback Journal (`.db-journal`) or Write-Ahead-Log (`.db-wal`), which is then applied to the database. ### Fix A proposed fix would be to create a separate directory inside /tmp per user (e.g.,` /tmp/linuxfabrik-monitoring-plugins-{os.geteuid()}`). After creating this directory (or using an already existing one), check the following: ``` # Use os.lstat() instead of os.stat() so we don't accidentally follow symlinks dir_stat = os.lstat(TMP_DIR_PATH) # Ensure the directory is a real dir and not a Symlink if not stat.S_ISDIR(dir_stat.st_mode): # abort the execution sys.exit(1) # Verify the owner if dir_stat.st_uid != os.getuid(): # abort the execution sys.exit(1) # Verify the permissions if (dir_stat.st_mode & 0o077) != 0: # abort the execution sys.exit(1) ```
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability in Linuxfabrik Monitoring Plugins arises from the insecure creation of SQLite databases at fixed paths in /tmp. Because /tmp is writable by all users, an attacker with access to the nagios user can create symbolic links pointing to arbitrary files. When the monitoring scripts run with elevated privileges (e.g., via sudo), they follow these symlinks and write SQLite databases to unintended locations. This can enable denial of service or unauthorized modification of existing SQLite databases by crafting rollback journals or write-ahead logs. The issue requires prior compromise of the nagios user and affects versions before 4.2.0. The recommended mitigation is to isolate database creation into per-user directories with strict ownership and permission validation to prevent symlink exploitation.
Potential Impact
An attacker who has compromised the nagios user can exploit this vulnerability to cause denial of service by overwriting arbitrary files or potentially modify existing SQLite databases by directing the monitoring plugins to write to those files via symlinks. This can affect applications relying on SQLite databases on the same server. The risk is limited by the requirement that the attacker must already have access to the nagios user account, which is a significant barrier. There are no known exploits in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or fix is currently available. The vendor proposes a mitigation involving creating a dedicated per-user directory inside /tmp for database files, verifying that this directory is not a symlink, is owned by the correct user, and has strict permissions (no group or other write permissions). Until an official fix is released, users should implement this directory isolation approach or use system-level protections such as systemd's PrivateTmp to isolate /tmp usage for the monitoring scripts.
Linuxfabrik lib: Linuxfabrik Monitoring Plugins allow insecure creation of SQLite databases (CVE-2026-53759)
Description
### Summary The SQLite databases are created at predictable (static) paths in `/tmp`. Any user can therefore create a symlink at these paths in /tmp pointing to arbitrary files. The monitoring scripts then follows these symlinks and then creates their database at the symlink target. This becomes really dangerous for the scripts which can be executed as root with sudo. With this, an attacker can write to abitrary paths. ### PoC The docker-stats check command here as an example. Because writing to /tmp is the default behaviour, the other check commands which use a SQLite database are also very likely affected. ``` # Create the symlink as nagios user nagios@test-server:/tmp$ ln -s /root/nagios-was-here /tmp/linuxfabrik-monitoring-plugins-docker-stats.db # Trigger the execution nagios user nagios@test-server:/tmp$ sudo /usr/lib64/nagios/plugins/docker-stats ``` Check whether or not file was created. ``` root@test-server:/# file /root/nagios-was-here /root/nagios-was-here: SQLite 3.x database, last written using SQLite version 3046001, file counter 2, database pages 3, cookie 0x2, schema 4, UTF-8, version-valid-for 2 ``` ### Impact In it's basic form, this vulnerbility can lead to a denial of service, impacting users who use the provided sudoers file and who didn't take any special precautions like systemd's `PrivateTemp`. It requires that an attacker already compromised the nagios account (which is quite a high barrier to be honest). If any application on the server relies on a SQLite database, there are scenarios where this vulnerability allows for content in existing SQLite databases to be modified. An attacker could let the symlink point to an existing SQLite database and create in /tmp a specially-crafted SQLite Rollback Journal (`.db-journal`) or Write-Ahead-Log (`.db-wal`), which is then applied to the database. ### Fix A proposed fix would be to create a separate directory inside /tmp per user (e.g.,` /tmp/linuxfabrik-monitoring-plugins-{os.geteuid()}`). After creating this directory (or using an already existing one), check the following: ``` # Use os.lstat() instead of os.stat() so we don't accidentally follow symlinks dir_stat = os.lstat(TMP_DIR_PATH) # Ensure the directory is a real dir and not a Symlink if not stat.S_ISDIR(dir_stat.st_mode): # abort the execution sys.exit(1) # Verify the owner if dir_stat.st_uid != os.getuid(): # abort the execution sys.exit(1) # Verify the permissions if (dir_stat.st_mode & 0o077) != 0: # abort the execution sys.exit(1) ```
CVSS v4.0
Affected software
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Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability in Linuxfabrik Monitoring Plugins arises from the insecure creation of SQLite databases at fixed paths in /tmp. Because /tmp is writable by all users, an attacker with access to the nagios user can create symbolic links pointing to arbitrary files. When the monitoring scripts run with elevated privileges (e.g., via sudo), they follow these symlinks and write SQLite databases to unintended locations. This can enable denial of service or unauthorized modification of existing SQLite databases by crafting rollback journals or write-ahead logs. The issue requires prior compromise of the nagios user and affects versions before 4.2.0. The recommended mitigation is to isolate database creation into per-user directories with strict ownership and permission validation to prevent symlink exploitation.
Potential Impact
An attacker who has compromised the nagios user can exploit this vulnerability to cause denial of service by overwriting arbitrary files or potentially modify existing SQLite databases by directing the monitoring plugins to write to those files via symlinks. This can affect applications relying on SQLite databases on the same server. The risk is limited by the requirement that the attacker must already have access to the nagios user account, which is a significant barrier. There are no known exploits in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or fix is currently available. The vendor proposes a mitigation involving creating a dedicated per-user directory inside /tmp for database files, verifying that this directory is not a symlink, is owned by the correct user, and has strict permissions (no group or other write permissions). Until an official fix is released, users should implement this directory isolation approach or use system-level protections such as systemd's PrivateTmp to isolate /tmp usage for the monitoring scripts.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- GHSA-r35r-fpx2-jgr4
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.4.0
- Aliases
- ["CVE-2026-53759"]
- Ecosystems
- ["PyPI"]
- Database Specific Severity
- LOW
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
Threat ID: 6a4c340627e9c797195f6748
Added to database: 07/06/2026, 23:02:30 UTC
Last enriched: 07/06/2026, 23:14:42 UTC
Last updated: 07/29/2026, 01:24:21 UTC
Views: 31
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