CVE-2026-27005: Depomo Chartbrew SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-27005 Overview

CVE-2026-27005 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting Chartbrew, an open-source web application that connects directly to databases and APIs to create data visualizations. Prior to version 4.8.3, an unauthenticated attacker can inject arbitrary SQL into queries executed against databases connected to Chartbrew, including MySQL and PostgreSQL. This allows reading, modifying, or deleting data in those databases depending on the database user's privileges.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, modify database contents, or delete critical information across all connected databases.

Affected Products

• Depomo Chartbrew versions prior to 4.8.3

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-06 - CVE CVE-2026-27005 published to NVD
• 2026-03-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-27005

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (SQL Injection), a critical class of web application security flaws. The issue exists in Chartbrew's handling of user-supplied input when constructing database queries. Because Chartbrew is designed to connect directly to external databases (MySQL and PostgreSQL), successful exploitation grants attackers access not just to Chartbrew's own data, but potentially to all data accessible by the configured database connections.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication to exploit. An attacker with network access to the Chartbrew instance can craft malicious requests that inject SQL commands into backend database queries. The impact depends on the privileges assigned to the database users configured within Chartbrew—in many deployments, these users have broad read/write access to enable flexible chart creation.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation and lack of parameterized queries in the Chartbrew application. User-controlled input is concatenated directly into SQL query strings without proper sanitization or use of prepared statements. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject their own SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can send specially crafted HTTP requests to the Chartbrew web application containing malicious SQL payloads. These payloads are then executed against any MySQL or PostgreSQL databases connected to the Chartbrew instance.

The vulnerability exploitation follows a standard SQL injection pattern where malicious input modifies the logical structure of database queries. Depending on the database user's privileges, attackers may:

• Extract sensitive data from connected databases using UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques
• Modify or delete existing database records
• Potentially escalate privileges within the database environment

For technical details on the vulnerability mechanism, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-w5rh-v333-qq6c.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-27005

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns in connected MySQL/PostgreSQL logs showing SQL injection syntax (e.g., UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, comment sequences like -- or /**/)
• Unexpected data access or modifications in databases connected to Chartbrew
• HTTP request logs containing suspicious SQL syntax in request parameters
• Error messages in Chartbrew or database logs indicating malformed SQL queries

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules to monitor traffic to Chartbrew instances
• Enable database query logging on connected MySQL and PostgreSQL databases to detect anomalous query patterns
• Implement application-level logging to capture and analyze incoming requests for SQL injection payloads
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor Chartbrew access logs for requests from unexpected IP addresses or geographic locations
• Set up alerts for database errors that may indicate injection attempts
• Review database user activity for any unexpected data access patterns
• Implement real-time alerting for WAF rules that detect SQL injection attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-27005

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Chartbrew to version 4.8.3 or later immediately
• Audit databases connected to Chartbrew for any signs of unauthorized access or data modification
• Review and restrict database user privileges to minimum required permissions
• Consider temporarily disabling public access to Chartbrew instances until patching is complete

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been patched in Chartbrew version 4.8.3. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the issue. The patch information is available in the GitHub Release v4.8.3 and detailed in the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-w5rh-v333-qq6c.

Workarounds

• Place Chartbrew behind a reverse proxy with WAF capabilities that can detect and block SQL injection attempts
• Restrict network access to the Chartbrew instance using firewall rules to limit exposure
• Implement IP-based access controls to allow only trusted sources to reach the application
• If possible, configure database users with read-only access and minimal permissions to limit potential damage

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