# CVE-2018-17246: Code injection in Kibana

> An attacker with Console API access can inject JavaScript to execute arbitrary commands on the host system via the Kibana Console plugin.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Dec 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cpwf-64qm-2jpm

## What is CVE-2018-17246?

CVE-2018-17246 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Elastic Kibana, published on 20 Dec 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Kibana versions before 6.4.3 and 5.6.13 contain an arbitrary file inclusion flaw in the Console plugin. An attacker with access to the Kibana Console API could send a request that will attempt to execute javascript code. This could possibly lead to an attacker executing arbitrary commands with permissions of the Kibana process on the host system.

Weakness: CWE-829 (Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere), CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-17246?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Elastic Kibana, Redhat Openshift Container Platform.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-17246?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2018-17246 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-17246 exists.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2018-17246 - Kibana LFI < 6.4.3 & 5.6.13 (github_poc): https://github.com/mpgn/CVE-2018-17246
- A script to download specific Vulhub repository folder (kibana/CVE-2018-17246) from GitHub. (github_poc): https://github.com/Almandev/Sub-folderFetcher
- HDU IS Work 1 - Secure REST API (Flask) with CI/CD (pytest + bandit + pip-audit) and CVE-2018-17246 analysis (github_poc): https://github.com/ght657/work1-secure-api
- Kibana - Local File Inclusion (nuclei): http/cves/2018/CVE-2018-17246.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Elastic Kibana

- [CVE-2019-7609](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-7609/): Kibana Arbitrary Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-25015](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-25015/): Kibana arbitrary code execution via prototype pollution (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2024-37288](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37288/): Deserialization in Kibana (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2023-31415](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-31415/): Code injection in Kibana (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2018-17245](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17245/): Information disclosure in Kibana (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-17246 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-17246 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Elastic Kibana, published on 20 Dec 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-17246 exists.

Affected product: Elastic Kibana. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17246/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17246/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-17246
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-17246
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-17246

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17246/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.