What is CVE-2022-23536?

CVE-2022-23536 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/cortexproject/cortex (go), affecting versions = 1.14.0. It is fixed in 1.14.1, 1.13.2.

How severe is CVE-2022-23536?

CVE-2022-23536 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). 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 github.com/cortexproject/cortex are affected by CVE-2022-23536?

github.com/cortexproject/cortex (go) versions = 1.14.0 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2022-23536?

Yes. CVE-2022-23536 is fixed in 1.14.1, 1.13.2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2022-23536 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2022-23536 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2022-23536 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-2022-23536?

Upgrade: github.com/cortexproject/cortex to 1.14.1 or later, github.com/cortexproject/cortex to 1.13.2 or later.

CVE-2022-23536 in github.com/cortexproject/cortex

Summary

Cortex's Alertmanager can expose local files content via specially crafted config

Specific Go Packages Affected

github.com/cortexproject/cortex/pkg/alertmanager

Workarounds

Patching is ultimately advised. Using out-of-bound validation, Cortex administrators may reject Alertmanager configurations containing the api_key_file setting in the opsgenie_configs section and opsgenie_api_key_file in the global section before sending to the Set Alertmanager Configuration API as a workaround.

References

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Open an issue in cortex
Email us at [email protected].

Impact

A local file inclusion vulnerability exists in Cortex versions v1.13.0, v1.13.1 and v1.14.0, where a malicious actor could remotely read local files as a result of parsing maliciously crafted Alertmanager configurations when submitted to the Alertmanager Set Configuration API. Only users of the Cortex Alertmanager service using -experimental.alertmanager.enable-api or enable_api: true are affected.

CVE-2022-23536 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (1.14.1, 1.13.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

github.com/cortexproject/cortex (= 1.14.0) github.com/cortexproject/cortex (>= 1.13.0, < 1.13.2)

Security releases

github.com/cortexproject/cortex → 1.14.1 (go) github.com/cortexproject/cortex → 1.13.2 (go)

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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Remediation advice

Affected Cortex users are advised to upgrade to versions 1.13.2 or 1.14.1.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-23536? CVE-2022-23536 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/cortexproject/cortex (go), affecting versions = 1.14.0. It is fixed in 1.14.1, 1.13.2.
How severe is CVE-2022-23536? CVE-2022-23536 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). 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 github.com/cortexproject/cortex are affected by CVE-2022-23536? github.com/cortexproject/cortex (go) versions = 1.14.0 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2022-23536? Yes. CVE-2022-23536 is fixed in 1.14.1, 1.13.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2022-23536 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-23536 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-2022-23536 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-2022-23536?
- Upgrade github.com/cortexproject/cortex to 1.14.1 or later
- Upgrade github.com/cortexproject/cortex to 1.13.2 or later

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/cortexproject/cortex

CVE-IDSeverityPackage summary

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