CVE-2013-4580 in GitLab
Summary
by MITRE
GitLab before 5.4.2, Community Edition before 6.2.4, and Enterprise Edition before 6.2.1, when using a MySQL backend, allows remote attackers to impersonate arbitrary users and bypass authentications via unspecified API calls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-4580 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw affecting GitLab versions prior to specific patch releases. This issue specifically impacts installations using MySQL as their backend database system, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on GitLab for version control and collaboration. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to impersonate arbitrary users through unspecified API calls, fundamentally compromising the integrity of the authentication system. Such a flaw undermines the core security model of GitLab by enabling unauthorized access to user accounts and potentially sensitive project data.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of API requests within GitLab's authentication mechanisms when integrated with MySQL databases. The unspecified API calls mentioned in the description suggest that multiple endpoints may be affected, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be exploited across various user interaction points. This type of authentication bypass typically occurs when the system fails to properly verify user credentials or session tokens, allowing malicious actors to manipulate API requests to gain unauthorized access. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287 which deals with improper authentication issues, specifically focusing on authentication bypass through manipulation of authentication tokens or session identifiers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access. Attackers who successfully exploit this flaw could potentially gain administrative privileges, modify project configurations, access confidential source code repositories, and manipulate user permissions across multiple projects. This represents a severe threat to software development workflows where GitLab serves as the central collaboration platform. Organizations could face significant data breaches, intellectual property theft, and disruption of development processes. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the system or knowledge of valid credentials.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected GitLab installations to versions 5.4.2, 6.2.4, or 6.2.1 respectively, depending on the edition in use. Organizations should also implement network-level security controls such as firewall rules to restrict access to GitLab API endpoints and consider implementing additional authentication layers including multi-factor authentication. Monitoring for suspicious API activity and implementing proper intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security updates and proper access control implementation in collaborative development platforms. Organizations should also conduct thorough security audits of their GitLab installations to identify potential related vulnerabilities and ensure proper database configuration practices are followed. This incident highlights the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security patches and the potential consequences of delayed vulnerability remediation in widely used development tools.