CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2021-43798Exploited in the wildNVD status: Analyzed

Grafana Path Traversal

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2021-43798 is a medium-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in grafana, with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected grafana versions: >= 8.0.0, < 8.0.7; >= 8.1.0, < 8.1.8; >= 8.2.0, < 8.2.7, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on October 9, 2025, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.

Patch now

Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.

What to do

  1. Check which version of grafana you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. CISA's required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
  3. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  4. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Grafanagrafana>= 8.0.0, < 8.0.7; >= 8.1.0, < 8.1.8; >= 8.2.0, < 8.2.7; = 8.3.0Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Access vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network.
Access complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed.
Authentication
NoneNo login is needed.
Confidentiality
PartialSome data can be read.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.5HighCNA (github.com)
CVSS 2.05.0MediumNVD

Official description

Grafana is an open-source platform for monitoring and observability. Grafana versions 8.0.0-beta1 through 8.3.0 (except for patched versions) iss vulnerable to directory traversal, allowing access to local files. The vulnerable URL path is: `<grafana_host_url>/public/plugins//`, where is the plugin ID for any installed plugin. At no time has Grafana Cloud been vulnerable. Users are advised to upgrade to patched versions 8.0.7, 8.1.8, 8.2.7, or 8.3.1. The GitHub Security Advisory contains more information about vulnerable URL paths, mitigation, and the disclosure timeline.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory

The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
  • Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth.

More Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities (CWE-22)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
  4. Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
  5. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Patches and release notes

Technical write-ups (may include proof of concept)

Other vulnerabilities in grafana

All grafana vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities

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