CVE-2018-18649 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in the wiki API in GitLab Community and Enterprise Edition before 11.2.7, 11.3.x before 11.3.8, and 11.4.x before 11.4.3. It allows for remote code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18649 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within GitLab's wiki API functionality across multiple versions of the platform. This issue affects both Community and Enterprise editions, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on GitLab for their version control and collaboration needs. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the wiki API endpoints, which process user-provided data without adequate security measures to prevent malicious code injection.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-94, which describes improper control of generation of code, commonly known as code injection vulnerabilities. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are processed through the wiki API, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary commands on the GitLab server. The vulnerability specifically impacts the handling of wiki content where user inputs are not properly sanitized before being processed or rendered, creating an attack surface that can be leveraged for privilege escalation and system compromise.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations utilizing GitLab, as it enables attackers to gain full control over the affected servers. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include complete system compromise, data destruction, and potential lateral movement within network environments. Organizations with multiple GitLab instances or those using the platform for sensitive development work are particularly vulnerable, as attackers could exploit this to access proprietary code, confidential documentation, and development resources. The remote execution capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the systems and can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrading to GitLab versions 11.2.7, 11.3.8, or 11.4.3, which contain the necessary patches to address the input validation issues. Organizations should also implement network-level restrictions to limit access to the wiki API endpoints where possible, and consider additional monitoring for suspicious API activity. Security teams should conduct thorough audits of their GitLab installations to identify any potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all instances are properly updated. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing proper input validation controls, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script injection, which emphasizes the need for robust sanitization of user inputs to prevent such exploitation scenarios.