CVE-2018-15727 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Improper Authentication vulnerability in github.com/grafana/grafana. 3 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/grafana/grafana — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Grafana Authentication Bypass
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2018-15727 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). In the shaded patch-first corner (EPSS 50%+, CVSS 7.0+).
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,386 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/grafana/grafana🐹github.com/grafana/grafanaReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Grafana before 4.6.4 and 5.x before 5.2.3 allows authentication bypass because an attacker can generate a valid "remember me" cookie knowing only a username of an LDAP or OAuth user.
Specific Go Packages Affected
github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/api
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/grafana/grafana | all versions | 4.6.4go get github.com/grafana/grafana@v4.6.4 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/grafana/grafana | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.2.3 | 5.2.3go get github.com/grafana/grafana@v5.2.3 |
Affected Products
grafanagrafanaceph storageredhatResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/grafana/grafana, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/grafana/grafana to 4.6.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2018-15727 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
As per upstream (https://grafana.com/blog/2018/08/29/grafana-5.2.3-and-4.6.4-released-with-important-security-fix) * Switch to authentication mechanism other than LDAP or OAuth * Grafana should be isolated from public networksSource: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2018-15727 (CC BY 4.0)
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Ceph Storage 3.2 | grafana-0:5.2.4-1.el7cp | RHSA-2019:0019 |
| Red Hat Gluster Storage 3.4 for RHEL 7 | grafana-0:4.6.4-1.el7rhgs | RHSA-2018:3829 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2018-15727 in your dependencies?
Find it across Go, including transitive dependencies.