Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:LCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2026-40173 is a critical-severity Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor (CWE-200) vulnerability in Dgraph Dgraph. Its CVSS base score is 9.4 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Remote Services (T1021); ranked at the 42th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-4 (Information Flow Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-40173 is an unauthenticated credential disclosure vulnerability affecting Dgraph, an open source distributed GraphQL database, in versions 25.3.1 and prior. The issue stems from the /debug/pprof/cmdline endpoint being registered on the default mux and accessible without authentication, which exposes the full process command line. This includes the admin token configured via the --security "token=..." startup flag, enabling attackers to extract sensitive credentials directly.
Any unauthenticated attacker with network access to the Dgraph Alpha HTTP port can exploit this vulnerability. By querying the exposed endpoint, they retrieve the leaked admin token and reuse it in the X-Dgraph-AuthToken header to bypass the adminAuthHandler validation. This grants unauthorized access to admin-only endpoints, such as /admin/config/cache_mb, allowing privileged administrative actions like configuration changes and operational control in deployments exposed to untrusted parties. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 9.4 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L), with associated CWEs 200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information), 215 (Improper Handling of Credentials), and 522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials).
The vulnerability has been fixed in Dgraph version 25.3.2, as detailed in the release notes at https://github.com/dgraph-io/dgraph/releases/tag/v25.3.2 and the security advisory at https://github.com/dgraph-io/dgraph/security/advisories/GHSA-95mq-xwj4-r47p. Security practitioners should upgrade to the patched version and review exposures of the Alpha HTTP port to mitigate risks.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-23117
Vulnerability Data
Dgraph is an open source distributed GraphQL database. Versions 25.3.1 and prior contain an unauthenticated credential disclosure vulnerability where the /debug/pprof/cmdline endpoint is registered on the default mux and reachable without authentication, exposing the full process command line including the…
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admin token configured via the --security "token=..." startup flag. An attacker can retrieve the leaked token and reuse it in the X-Dgraph-AuthToken header to gain unauthorized access to admin-only endpoints such as /admin/config/cache_mb, bypassing the adminAuthHandler token validation. This enables unauthorized privileged administrative access including configuration changes and operational control actions in any deployment where the Alpha HTTP port is reachable by untrusted parties. This issue has been fixed in version 25.3.2.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 7 hardening rules · 5 OS baselines
V10.4.9V11.7.1V14.1.2V14.2.4
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Access enforcement directly stops unauthorized actors from obtaining sensitive information.
Information flow enforcement structurally prevents sensitive data from reaching unauthorized recipients.
Protection of information at rest prevents unauthorized exposure of stored sensitive data.
Transmission confidentiality mechanisms stop exposure of sensitive data on the wire.
Least privilege reduces the set of actors who can reach sensitive information.
Least functionality directly prohibits enabling unnecessary debug features that would expose the inserted sensitive data.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
PR.AA-05 directly enforces least-privilege authorization that blocks most unauthorized disclosures, yet CWE-200 also arises from logging, error messages, and side-channel paths that access controls alone do not address.
PR.DS-10 mostly prevents CWE-200 by directly eliminating unauthorized access to sensitive data-in-use, yet only partially addresses the weakness because CWE-200 spans many other exposure vectors outside runtime protection.
PR.IR-01's segmentation/zero-trust controls largely eliminate network-level unauthorized access paths that enable exposure, yet CWE-200 spans many additional vectors (API responses, logs, app logic) that network controls alone cannot close.
Secure SDLC practices catch most exposure flaws via design, testing and release controls, yet CWE-200 spans runtime/config issues a single development outcome cannot fully close.
PR.AA-01 supplies proper credential lifecycle controls that reduce unauthorized access paths, yet leaves many other exposure vectors (error messages, logging, side channels, etc.) unaddressed.
Authentication verifies actor identity and is a prerequisite for access decisions, yet addresses only one facet of the broad set of exposure vectors in CWE-200.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Clear rules on handling copies, storage, and disposal of classified information lower the likelihood that sensitive data will be left accessible to unauthorized actors.
Requiring the return of all physical and electronic assets plus secure deletion of organizational data from personal devices reduces the chance that sensitive information remains accessible to departing personnel.
By requiring owners to assign sensitivity labels and corresponding handling rules, the control ensures that information is not left unmarked and therefore reduces the chance that sensitive data will be exposed to unauthorized actors.
By requiring classification labels and metadata on all information assets, the control makes it harder for sensitive data to be inadvertently exposed because downstream systems and users can recognize and enforce handling rules based on those labels.
Requiring encryption, access controls, and recipient authentication for transfers directly reduces the chance that sensitive data reaches an unauthorized observer.
Secure delivery, protected storage, and confidentiality of allocation records limit exposure of authentication material to unauthorized observers.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Ubuntu 22.04 (1 rule)
- V-260470 Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, when booted, must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. prevents CWE-200
Ubuntu 24.04 (2 rules)
- V-270647 Ubuntu 24.04 LTS must not have the telnet package installed. prevents CWE-200
- V-270675 Ubuntu 24.04 LTS when booted must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. prevents CWE-200
Windows 10 (1 rule)
- V-220737 Administrative accounts must not be used with applications that access the Internet, such as web browsers, or with potential Internet sources, such as email. prevents CWE-200
Windows Server 2016 (1 rule)
- V-224974 Domain-created Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU) objects must have proper access control permissions. prevents CWE-200
Windows Server 2019 (1 rule)
- V-205743 Windows Server 2019 organization created Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU) objects must have proper access control permissions. prevents CWE-200