A newly disclosed Grafana vulnerability puts thousands of monitoring systems at risk of compromise through a simple malicious link. Review this Cybersecurity Threat Advisory to secure your environment.
What is the threat?
To exploit CVE-2025-4123, multiple conditions must be met. However, once exploitation is successful, it allows an attacker to take advantage of an open redirect flaw. If a user clicks a crafted link, they can be redirected to a malicious site hosting a frontend plugin capable of executing arbitrary JavaScript in the browser. Notably, the exploit does not require editor-level permissions; it can be triggered when anonymous access is enabled, allowing an attacker to hijack a browser session and potentially change account credentials.
Additionally, if the Grafana Image Renderer plugin (enabled by default) is active, the attacker may exploit server-side request forgery (SSRF), gaining access to internal resources and sensitive data.
Why is it noteworthy?
Grafana is a platform used for infrastructure monitoring and alerting. A successful exploit could disrupt operations or allow threat actors to avoid detection by accessing sensitive alert configurations and logging data. With SSRF, attackers could gain insight into how an environment detects suspicious activity, making it easier to bypass defenses.
What is the exposure or risk?
The risk increases when employees are not trained to recognize suspicious links. As demonstrated by this vulnerability, malicious links aren’t always designed to steal credentials directly. They can also exploit flaws in application behavior. Users may encounter such links through phishing emails, malicious ads, or compromised websites. Even with safeguards in place, some malicious links can slip through, which is why prompt patching is essential.
This vulnerability is fixed in the following versions:
- v10.4.18+security-01
- v11.2.9+security-01
- v11.3.6+security-01
- v11.4.4+security-01
- v11.5.4+security-01
- v11.6.1+security-01
- v12.0.0+security-01
What are the recommendations?
Barracuda recommends the following actions to limit attacks that originate from malicious links and secure your Grafana environment:
- Upgrade to the recommended Grafana version based on your instance’s upgrade matrix.
- Ensure your organization consistently receives patches for applications, especially browsers.
- Implement LinkProtection services to gain visibility into malicious URLs and proactively block threats before they can cause harm.
- Educate and remind users to remain vigilant when clicking on unexpected links.
Reference
For more in-depth information about the recommendations, please visit the following link:
If you have any questions about this Cybersecurity Threat Advisory, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Barracuda Managed XDR’s Security Operations Center.
