Skip to content

Glances Exposes Unauthenticated Configuration Secrets

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Mar 7, 2026 in nicolargo/glances • Updated Mar 10, 2026

Package

pip glances (pip)

Affected versions

< 4.5.1

Patched versions

4.5.1

Description

Summary

The /api/4/config REST API endpoint returns the entire parsed Glances configuration file (glances.conf) via self.config.as_dict() with no filtering of sensitive values. The configuration file contains credentials for all configured backend services including database passwords, API tokens, JWT signing keys, and SSL key passwords.

Details

Root Cause: The as_dict() method in config.py iterates over every section and every key in the ConfigParser and returns them all as a flat dictionary. No sensitive key filtering or redaction is applied.

Affected Code:

  • File: glances/outputs/glances_restful_api.py, lines 1154-1167
def _api_config(self):
    """Glances API RESTful implementation.

    Return the JSON representation of the Glances configuration file
    HTTP/200 if OK
    HTTP/404 if others error
    """
    try:
        # Get the RAW value of the config' dict
        args_json = self.config.as_dict()  # <-- Returns ALL config including secrets
    except Exception as e:
        raise HTTPException(status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND, f"Cannot get config ({str(e)})")
    else:
        return GlancesJSONResponse(args_json)
  • File: glances/config.py, lines 280-287
def as_dict(self):
    """Return the configuration as a dict"""
    dictionary = {}
    for section in self.parser.sections():
        dictionary[section] = {}
        for option in self.parser.options(section):
            dictionary[section][option] = self.parser.get(section, option)  # No filtering
    return dictionary
  • File: glances/outputs/glances_restful_api.py, lines 472-475 (authentication bypass)
if self.args.password:
    router = APIRouter(prefix=self.url_prefix, dependencies=[Depends(self.authentication)])
else:
    router = APIRouter(prefix=self.url_prefix)  # No authentication!

PoC

  • Start Glances in default webserver mode:
glances -w
# Glances web server started on http://0.0.0.0:61208/
  • From any network-reachable host, retrieve all configuration secrets:
# Get entire config including all credentials
curl http://target:61208/api/4/config

Step 3: Extract specific secrets:

# Get JWT secret key for token forgery
curl http://target:61208/api/4/config/outputs/jwt_secret_key

# Get InfluxDB token
curl http://target:61208/api/4/config/influxdb2/token

# Get all stored server passwords
curl http://target:61208/api/4/config/passwords

Impact

Full Infrastructure Compromise: Database credentials (InfluxDB, MongoDB, PostgreSQL/TimescaleDB, CouchDB, Cassandra) allow direct access to all connected backend data stores.

References

@nicolargo nicolargo published to nicolargo/glances Mar 7, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Mar 9, 2026
Reviewed Mar 9, 2026
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Mar 10, 2026
Last updated Mar 10, 2026

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector Network
Attack Complexity Low
Attack Requirements None
Privileges Required None
User interaction None
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality High
Integrity None
Availability None
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability None

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector: This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. This metric value (and consequently the resulting severity) will be larger the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable system. The assumption is that the number of potential attackers for a vulnerability that could be exploited from across a network is larger than the number of potential attackers that could exploit a vulnerability requiring physical access to a device, and therefore warrants a greater severity.
Attack Complexity: This metric captures measurable actions that must be taken by the attacker to actively evade or circumvent existing built-in security-enhancing conditions in order to obtain a working exploit. These are conditions whose primary purpose is to increase security and/or increase exploit engineering complexity. A vulnerability exploitable without a target-specific variable has a lower complexity than a vulnerability that would require non-trivial customization. This metric is meant to capture security mechanisms utilized by the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: This metric captures the prerequisite deployment and execution conditions or variables of the vulnerable system that enable the attack. These differ from security-enhancing techniques/technologies (ref Attack Complexity) as the primary purpose of these conditions is not to explicitly mitigate attacks, but rather, emerge naturally as a consequence of the deployment and execution of the vulnerable system.
Privileges Required: This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess prior to successfully exploiting the vulnerability. The method by which the attacker obtains privileged credentials prior to the attack (e.g., free trial accounts), is outside the scope of this metric. Generally, self-service provisioned accounts do not constitute a privilege requirement if the attacker can grant themselves privileges as part of the attack.
User interaction: This metric captures the requirement for a human user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise of the vulnerable system. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the VULNERABLE SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(11th percentile)

Weaknesses

Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-30928

GHSA ID

GHSA-gh4x-f7cq-wwx6

Source code

Credits

Loading Checking history
See something to contribute? Suggest improvements for this vulnerability.