dbcve.org
Json Api Data SourceApplication · Grafana

CVE-2023-5123

HIGH · 8.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.3.21 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The JSON datasource plugin ( https://grafana.com/grafana/plugins/marcusolsson-json-datasource/ ) is a Grafana Labs maintained plugin for Grafana that allows for retrieving and processing JSON data from a remote endpoint (including a specific sub-path) configured by an administrator. Due to inadequate sanitization of the dashboard-supplied path parameter, it was possible to include path traversal characters (../) in the path parameter and send requests to paths on the configured endpoint outside the configured sub-path. This means that if the datasource was configured by an administrator to point at some sub-path of a domain (e.g. https://example.com/api/some_safe_api/ ), it was possible for an editor to create a dashboard referencing the datasource which issues queries containing path traversal characters, which would in turn cause the datasource to instead query arbitrary subpaths on the configured domain (e.g. https://example.com/api/admin_api/) . In the rare case that this plugin is configured by an administrator to point back at the Grafana instance itself, this vulnerability becomes considerably more severe, as an administrator browsing a maliciously configured panel could be compelled to make requests to Grafana administrative API endpoints with their credentials, resulting in the potential for privilege escalation, hence the high score for this vulnerability.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The JSON datasource plugin for Grafana contains a path traversal vulnerability due to insufficient sanitization of the dashboard-supplied path parameter. An editor (low-privilege user) can inject '../' sequences in queries to access arbitrary subpaths on the configured endpoint, bypassing the intended sub-path restriction. When the datasource is configured to point at the Grafana instance itself, this enables authenticated SSRF-like attacks against Grafana admin APIs.

MitigationUpdate the Marcusolsson JSON datasource plugin to the patched version; ensure datasources do not point to the Grafana instance itself; audit existing dashboards for malicious path traversal patterns.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Json Api Data SourceApplication
Affected:< 1.3.21

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if JSON datasource plugin is installed
    List installed Grafana plugins using 'grafana-cli plugins list' or check the plugin directory. Look for 'marcusolsson-json-datasource' or 'grafana-json-datasource'.
    Affected if The plugin is present in the plugin list
  2. Check installed plugin version
    Run 'grafana-cli plugins list' and note the version column for the JSON datasource plugin, or inspect the plugin's plugin.json file in the plugin directory.
    Affected if Installed version is lower than 1.3.21
  3. Inspect JSON datasource configurations
    Use Grafana API (GET /api/datasources) or navigate to Configuration > Data Sources in the UI. Review each JSON datasource entry and note the URL field.
    Affected if Any JSON datasource has its URL configured to point to the Grafana instance itself (localhost, 127.0.0.1, or the Grafana server's hostname/IP)
  4. Audit dashboard queries for path traversal patterns
    Export dashboards using JSON datasource or use the query inspector. Search within query definitions for path parameters containing '../' sequences.
    Affected if Any dashboard contains queries with '../' path traversal sequences in the path field

You are affected if the Marcusolsson JSON datasource plugin version is below 1.3.21 AND a datasource points to the Grafana instance itself, regardless of whether malicious queries are already present.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.3.21 or later
Fixed in 1.3.21
Interim mitigation

Update the Marcusolsson JSON datasource plugin to the patched version; ensure datasources do not point to the Grafana instance itself; audit existing dashboards for malicious path traversal patterns.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

JSON Api Data Source plugin version 1.3.21

  1. Identify all Grafana instances using the JSON Api Data Source plugin (marcusolsson-json-datasource)
  2. Check the currently installed version of the plugin
  3. If the installed version is less than 1.3.21, upgrade the plugin to version 1.3.21 or later
  4. After upgrading, verify that path traversal characters (.., ../) in query paths are properly sanitized and rejected
  5. If the plugin is configured to point to the Grafana instance itself, audit recent dashboard queries for potential exploitation
Caveat Review plugin changelog for any breaking changes between current version and 1.3.21; minor version upgrades typically have low risk

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Json Api Data Source Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,440
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-5123 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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