CVE-2026-95502 Overview
CVE-2026-95502 is an uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in Grafana's Git Sync provisioning feature. A Git server configured as a Git Sync source can return oversized or highly compressed responses that exhaust Grafana's available memory. The flaw is tracked under CWE-409 (Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data). Exploitation requires an administrator to have previously configured Git Sync to use the attacker-controlled or compromised Git server. Successful exploitation degrades availability of the Grafana instance without affecting confidentiality or integrity.
Critical Impact
A malicious or compromised Git backend can crash the Grafana process through memory exhaustion, disrupting dashboarding and observability workflows that depend on Git Sync provisioning.
Affected Products
- Grafana instances with Git Sync (provisioning) enabled
- Grafana deployments pointing provisioning at an untrusted or compromised Git server
- Any Grafana environment where administrators configured Git Sync without upstream integrity controls
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-10-13 - CVE CVE-2026-95502 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-10-13 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-95502
Vulnerability Analysis
Grafana's Git Sync feature pulls configuration and provisioning data from a remote Git repository. The client code does not enforce adequate limits on response size or on the expansion ratio of compressed payloads. A Git server can return an abnormally large object, or a small payload that decompresses into gigabytes of data. Grafana loads this content into memory during the sync operation. The process consumes available heap until the operating system kills it or Grafana becomes unresponsive. Only availability is affected; no data is read or modified by the attacker.
Root Cause
The underlying weakness is improper handling of highly compressed data, classified as CWE-409. Grafana's Git Sync client trusts the upstream server to return reasonably sized responses. It does not cap decompressed payload size, streaming buffer growth, or total object count per sync. A hostile Git endpoint can exploit this trust to force unbounded allocations.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an administrator to configure Git Sync against a Git server the attacker controls or has compromised. Once configured, the attacker publishes a repository containing oversized blobs or compression bombs. On the next sync, Grafana fetches the payload and exhausts process memory. The attack is network-reachable but gated by the administrator provisioning decision, which limits practical exposure.
No verified proof-of-concept code is published. See the Grafana Security Advisory CVE-2026-95502 for vendor-provided technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-95502
Indicators of Compromise
- Grafana process terminations with out-of-memory (OOM) kill events in system logs around Git Sync intervals
- Sudden spikes in resident memory of the Grafana process correlated with provisioning or Git fetch operations
- Repeated failed or stalled Git Sync operations followed by service restarts
- Git repository objects with unusually high compression ratios or unexpectedly large blobs
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Grafana application logs for provisioning errors, aborted syncs, and panic traces during Git Sync runs
- Alert on cgroup or container OOM-killer events targeting the Grafana process
- Baseline normal Git Sync payload size and flag deviations beyond expected thresholds
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track Grafana process memory utilization with time-series alerting tied to Git Sync schedules
- Audit the configured Git Sync remote URL and credentials for unauthorized changes
- Review repository commit history for the provisioning repo to detect introduction of oversized or binary artifacts
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-95502
Immediate Actions Required
- Review all Grafana instances with Git Sync enabled and confirm the configured Git remote is trusted and under organizational control
- Apply the Grafana security update referenced in the vendor advisory as soon as it is available for your release channel
- Restrict Git Sync configuration privileges to a minimal set of administrators
- Place Grafana behind memory limits (container cgroups, systemd MemoryMax) to contain impact of any resource exhaustion
Patch Information
Refer to the Grafana Security Advisory CVE-2026-95502 for the fixed versions and upgrade instructions. Apply the patched Grafana release that corresponds to your deployment track.
Workarounds
- Disable Git Sync provisioning until the patched version is deployed if the feature is not required
- Point Git Sync only at internally hosted Git servers with strict access controls and commit review
- Enforce container or process memory limits so an exhaustion event is contained and auto-restarted rather than destabilizing the host
- Monitor the provisioning repository for unexpected large commits and require code review before merges
# Example: constrain Grafana memory with systemd to contain OOM impact
# /etc/systemd/system/grafana-server.service.d/override.conf
[Service]
MemoryMax=2G
MemoryHigh=1500M
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5s
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
