Nunberg ended Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten record this season but were made to sweat for the victory at the Franken Stadion.
Two goals in as many first-half minutes from Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and a Mickael Tavares strike 10 minutes into the second half put the Bavarians well on course for all three points.
Stefan Kiessling (66) and Patrick Helmes (73) reduced the arrears but Nurnberg held onto all three points which take them out of the bottom three.
Nurnberg were dealt a major blow in the 33rd minute when Breno was left writhing in agony after a dangerous tackle from Stefan Reinartz. He was carried from the field with suspected torn knee ligaments.
After a tight 40 minutes in which former Nurnberg striker Kiessling had tried in vain to put a goal past his ex-club, Nurnberg took the first real chance of the match to go ahead.
Choupo-Moting, whose first goal in German football came against Bayern Munich, showed his knack for scoring against the big clubs.
He made Bayer's central defensive pairing of Sami Hyypia and Manuel Friedrich look like statues as he stole in for the opener in the 42nd minute before, just a few minutes later, striking again.
His second goal was even better as he took a diagonal ball from Dennis Diekmeier into his path and beat Germany number one Rene Adler with a high shot into the top corner.
Leverkusen found themselves with a mountain to climb just 10 minutes in to the second period when Tavares added a third for the Bavarians.
He opened his account for the season with a shot on the turn which beat Adler into his bottom right-hand corner.
Helmes was introduced moments later as Leverkusen had no other choice but to take a gamble.
Kiessling got the goal he was looking for in the 66th minute, and it could hardly have been any easier as Gonzalo Castro laid the ball on a plate to him having already beaten Nurnberg goalkeeper Rafael Schafer.
Helmes set up a grandstand finish with his first goal of the season in the 73rd minute, punishing Dennis Diekmeier's poor clearance to beat Schafer with a low shot.
Leverkusen threw everybody forward for a nail-biting final 10 minutes but they could not find a way though as they lost for the first time in 25 league games this season.
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