CVE-2022-29170 in Grafana
Summary
by MITRE • 05/20/2022
Grafana is an open-source platform for monitoring and observability. In Grafana Enterprise, the Request security feature allows list allows to configure Grafana in a way so that the instance doesn’t call or only calls specific hosts. The vulnerability present starting with version 7.4.0-beta1 and prior to versions 7.5.16 and 8.5.3 allows someone to bypass these security configurations if a malicious datasource (running on an allowed host) returns an HTTP redirect to a forbidden host. The vulnerability only impacts Grafana Enterprise when the Request security allow list is used and there is a possibility to add a custom datasource to Grafana which returns HTTP redirects. In this scenario, Grafana would blindly follow the redirects and potentially give secure information to the clients. Grafana Cloud is not impacted by this vulnerability. Versions 7.5.16 and 8.5.3 contain a patch for this issue. There are currently no known workarounds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-29170 represents a critical security flaw in Grafana Enterprise that undermines the platform's request security controls through improper redirect handling mechanisms. This issue affects organizations relying on Grafana's access control features to restrict outbound connections to specific hosts, creating a potential pathway for unauthorized data exfiltration. The vulnerability manifests when a malicious data source operating on an allowed host returns an HTTP redirect response pointing to a forbidden host, thereby circumventing the configured security restrictions. This bypass occurs because Grafana Enterprise's request security implementation fails to validate redirect destinations against the configured allow list, allowing attackers to exploit this behavior to access restricted resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from Grafana's handling of HTTP redirects within its request security framework. When a data source configured in the allow list returns an HTTP redirect response, the system follows the redirect without validating whether the target host complies with the configured security restrictions. This behavior creates a fundamental gap in the security model where the initial validation of the data source's host is bypassed during the redirect process. The flaw exists specifically in versions 7.4.0-beta1 through 8.5.2, where the redirect handling logic does not properly enforce the security boundaries established by the request security allow list. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-20: Improper Input Validation and CWE-601: URL Redirection to Untrusted Site, as it combines improper validation of user-supplied input with unsafe redirect handling mechanisms that could lead to information disclosure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using Grafana Enterprise with request security configurations, as it could enable attackers to exfiltrate sensitive data from internal systems that should be protected from external access. When an attacker can add a custom data source that returns redirects to forbidden hosts, they effectively gain the ability to bypass network security controls and access resources that would otherwise be restricted. This scenario particularly affects enterprises that rely on Grafana for monitoring sensitive infrastructure where outbound connection restrictions are critical for maintaining security boundaries. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because it requires minimal privileges to exploit - only the ability to add a custom data source, which many organizations allow to administrators or authorized users. The lack of known workarounds means organizations must either upgrade to patched versions or implement additional monitoring to detect potentially malicious redirect behavior.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to Grafana Enterprise versions 7.5.16 or 8.5.3, which contain the necessary patches to address this redirect bypass vulnerability. The patch addresses the core issue by implementing proper validation of redirect destinations against the configured security allow list, ensuring that all redirect targets are verified before any further processing occurs. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unusual redirect patterns in their Grafana environments, particularly when custom data sources are added or when redirect responses are encountered from data sources that are configured in allow lists. Additionally, organizations should review their data source management policies to ensure that only trusted entities can add custom data sources, as this vulnerability requires the ability to introduce a malicious data source to be exploitable. The vulnerability's impact on Grafana Cloud environments is mitigated since those deployments are not affected, but enterprises using Grafana Enterprise should maintain vigilance regarding this specific threat vector. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004: Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as it involves manipulation of network protocols to bypass security controls, and T1566.002: Impersonation: Phishing, since it may require social engineering to gain the initial access needed to add a malicious data source to the system.