CVE-2026-25888: Depomo Chartbrew RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-25888 Overview

CVE-2026-25888 is a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting Chartbrew, an open-source web application used to connect directly to databases and APIs to create data visualizations and charts. Prior to version 4.8.1, the application contains a vulnerable API endpoint that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server hosting the Chartbrew instance.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows attackers with low-privilege access to achieve complete system compromise through remote code execution, potentially leading to data theft, lateral movement, and full infrastructure takeover.

Affected Products

• Depomo Chartbrew versions prior to 4.8.1

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-06 - CVE-2026-25888 published to NVD
• 2026-03-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-25888

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code, also known as Code Injection). The flaw exists within one of Chartbrew's API endpoints, which fails to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input before processing it in a context where code execution can occur.

The attack requires network access and low-privilege authentication to the Chartbrew application. Once an attacker has valid credentials (even with minimal permissions), they can craft malicious requests to the vulnerable API endpoint. The lack of proper input validation allows the attacker's payload to be interpreted and executed as code on the underlying server.

Successful exploitation results in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. An attacker can read sensitive data from connected databases, modify or delete chart configurations and stored data, and potentially pivot to other systems accessible from the compromised server.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and improper handling of user-controlled data within the affected API endpoint. The application fails to implement adequate security controls to prevent code injection, allowing attacker-supplied input to be executed in a code context. This is a classic code injection vulnerability where untrusted data is processed without proper sanitization or escaping.

Attack Vector

The attack is carried out over the network by an authenticated user sending specially crafted requests to the vulnerable API endpoint. The attacker leverages their authenticated session to submit malicious payloads that exploit the code injection flaw. Since the vulnerability requires only low-privilege authentication and no user interaction, it presents a significant risk to any internet-exposed Chartbrew instances.

The exploitation flow involves:

1. Authenticating to the Chartbrew application with valid credentials
2. Identifying and targeting the vulnerable API endpoint
3. Crafting a malicious payload designed to achieve code execution
4. Submitting the payload through the API
5. Achieving arbitrary code execution on the server

For technical details on the specific vulnerable endpoint and exploitation mechanics, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-875w-45c2-gxq8.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25888

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual API requests with encoded or obfuscated payloads targeting Chartbrew endpoints
• Unexpected process spawning from the Chartbrew application server process
• Anomalous outbound network connections from the Chartbrew server
• New or modified files in the Chartbrew installation directory
• Unauthorized database queries or data exfiltration patterns

Detection Strategies

• Implement application-layer monitoring to detect malformed or suspicious API requests
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to identify code injection patterns
• Monitor system call activity for signs of command execution originating from web application processes
• Review authentication logs for unusual login patterns or credential abuse

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on Chartbrew API endpoints and review for anomalies
• Configure alerts for any process execution spawned by the Chartbrew application
• Monitor network traffic for unexpected connections to external hosts from the application server
• Implement file integrity monitoring on the Chartbrew installation directory

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25888

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Chartbrew to version 4.8.1 or later immediately
• Review access logs for any signs of exploitation attempts prior to patching
• Audit user accounts and remove unnecessary or suspicious credentials
• Consider restricting network access to the Chartbrew instance until patching is complete

Patch Information

Depomo has addressed this vulnerability in Chartbrew version 4.8.1. Organizations should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the issue. The patch includes proper input validation and security controls to prevent code injection through the affected API endpoint.

For patch details, see the GitHub Release v4.8.1.

Workarounds

• Restrict network access to the Chartbrew application using firewall rules to trusted IP ranges only
• Implement a reverse proxy with strict input filtering in front of the Chartbrew application
• Disable or restrict access to non-essential API endpoints if possible
• Monitor authenticated user activity closely for any suspicious behavior

# Example: Restrict Chartbrew access using iptables
# Allow only trusted network ranges to access the application
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3210 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3210 -j DROP