Alertmanager can expose local files content via specially crafted config
Cortex provides multi-tenant, long term storage for Prometheus. A local file inclusion vulnerability exists in Cortex versions 1.13.0, 1.13.1 and 1.14.0, where a malicious actor could remotely read local files as a result of parsing maliciously crafted Alertmanager configurations when submitted to the Alertmanager Set Configuration API. Only users of the Alertmanager service where `-experimental.alertmanager.enable-api` or `enable_api: true` is configured are affected. Affected Cortex users are advised to upgrade to patched versions 1.13.2 or 1.14.1. However as a workaround, Cortex administrators may reject Alertmanager configurations containing the `api_key_file` setting in the `opsgenie_configs` section before sending to the Set Alertmanager Configuration API.
- Published
- Dec 19, 2022
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.8% · 54th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-73
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Report tools
Action score
26
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 26 / 40 · 6.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.8%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 6.5
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 6.5
- agree
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linuxfoundation | cortex | cpe:2.3:a:linuxfoundation:cortex |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- linuxfoundation cortex1.13.0
- linuxfoundation cortex1.13.1
- linuxfoundation cortex1.14.0
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
cortexproject cortex
- >= 1.13.0, <= 1.13.1, = 1.14.0affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | github.com/cortexproject/cortex | from 1.13.0 · before 1.13.2 | 1.13.2 |
| Go | github.com/cortexproject/cortex | from 1.14.0 · before 1.14.1 | 1.14.1 |
Same product
linuxfoundation: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2021-31232The Alertmanager in CNCF Cortex before 1.8.1 has a local file disclosure vulnerability when -experimental.alertmanager.enable-api is used.22Monitor
- CVE-2021-36157An issue was discovered in Grafana Cortex through 1.9.0.21Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Go:github.com/cortexproject/cortex | 1.13.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| Go:github.com/cortexproject/cortex | 1.14.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-73 · External Control of File Name or PathCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Subverting Environment Variable ValuesCAPEC-13likelihood: High · Very High
- Leverage Alternate EncodingCAPEC-267likelihood: High · High
- Using Slashes and URL Encoding Combined to Bypass Validation LogicCAPEC-64likelihood: High · High
- URL EncodingCAPEC-72likelihood: High · High
- Manipulating Web Input to File System CallsCAPEC-76likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Escaped Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-78likelihood: High · High
- Using Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-79likelihood: High · High
- Using UTF-8 Encoding to Bypass Validation LogicCAPEC-80likelihood: High · High
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- cortexmetrics.io/docs/api/#set-alertmanager-configuration
- github.com/cortexproject/cortex/releases/tag/v1.13.2
- github.com/cortexproject/cortex/releases/tag/v1.14.1
- github.com/cortexproject/cortex/security/advisories/GHSA-cq2g-pw6q-hf7j
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.