Summary
Improper Certificate Validation in Graylog
Graylog before 3.3.3 lacks SSL Certificate Validation for LDAP servers. It allows use of an external user/group database stored in LDAP. The connection configuration allows the usage of unencrypted, SSL- or TLS-secured connections. Unfortunately, the Graylog client code (in all versions that support LDAP) does not implement proper certificate validation (regardless of whether the "Allow self-signed certificates" option is used). Therefore, any attacker with the ability to intercept network traffic between a Graylog server and an LDAP server is able to redirect traffic to a different LDAP server (unnoticed by the Graylog server due to the lack of certificate validation), effectively bypassing Graylog's authentication mechanism.
Impact
CVE-2020-15813 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.3.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2020-15813? CVE-2020-15813 is a high-severity security vulnerability in org.graylog:graylog-parent (maven), affecting versions < 3.3.3. It is fixed in 3.3.3.
- How severe is CVE-2020-15813? CVE-2020-15813 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of org.graylog:graylog-parent are affected by CVE-2020-15813? org.graylog:graylog-parent (maven) versions < 3.3.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2020-15813? Yes. CVE-2020-15813 is fixed in 3.3.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2020-15813 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-15813 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2020-15813 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2020-15813? Upgrade
org.graylog:graylog-parentto 3.3.3 or later.