CVE-2022-39328 in Grafana
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2022
Grafana is an open-source platform for monitoring and observability. Versions starting with 9.2.0 and less than 9.2.4 contain a race condition in the authentication middlewares logic which may allow an unauthenticated user to query an administration endpoint under heavy load. This issue is patched in 9.2.4. There are no known workarounds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2022-39328 represents a critical race condition flaw within Grafana's authentication middleware implementation that emerged in versions 9.2.0 through 9.2.3. This issue specifically affects the platform's ability to properly authenticate users during high-concurrency scenarios, creating a window where unauthorized access to administrative endpoints becomes possible. The race condition occurs when multiple concurrent requests are processed simultaneously, causing the authentication logic to fail in properly validating user credentials before granting access to privileged functions. This vulnerability directly impacts Grafana's core security model and represents a significant weakening of the platform's access control mechanisms.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from improper synchronization within the authentication middleware components that handle user session validation and privilege checking. When Grafana operates under heavy load conditions with numerous concurrent requests, the race condition allows an unauthenticated attacker to potentially exploit timing gaps in the authentication flow. This particular vulnerability is classified under CWE-362 which specifically addresses race conditions in software systems where concurrent execution can lead to security flaws. The flaw manifests when the system fails to properly lock or synchronize access to authentication state variables, allowing multiple threads or processes to access the same authentication context simultaneously. The attack vector requires significant concurrent load to be effective, making it more challenging to exploit but still potentially dangerous in production environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential data exposure and system compromise. Administrative endpoints typically contain sensitive configuration data, user management functions, and system monitoring capabilities that could be leveraged by malicious actors to escalate privileges or extract confidential information. Organizations using Grafana in production environments may face serious security implications if this vulnerability is exploited, particularly in scenarios where the platform handles sensitive operational data or serves as a central monitoring point for critical infrastructure. The vulnerability's exploitation requires heavy load conditions, but modern cloud environments and microservices architectures often generate sufficient concurrent traffic to make this attack vector viable. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers legitimate credentials obtained through exploitation of remote services, making it particularly concerning for security operations teams.
The patch released in Grafana version 9.2.4 addresses this race condition through improved synchronization mechanisms within the authentication middleware. The fix implements proper locking mechanisms and state validation checks to prevent concurrent access to authentication contexts during critical operations. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to version 9.2.4 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist for this particular race condition. Security teams should monitor their Grafana deployments for any unusual authentication patterns or unauthorized access attempts that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough testing under concurrent load conditions and proper synchronization in security-critical code paths. Given the nature of race conditions, organizations should also review their other security-sensitive applications for similar implementation flaws that might create similar vulnerabilities in their systems.