CVE-2018-19359 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE
GitLab Community and Enterprise Edition 8.9 and later and before 11.5.0-rc12, 11.4.6, and 11.3.10 has Incorrect Access Control.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2023
This vulnerability affects GitLab Community and Enterprise Edition installations across multiple version ranges including 8.9 through 11.4.5 and 11.3.9, with the issue stemming from improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access protected resources. The flaw represents a critical security weakness in the platform's authorization system where users with insufficient privileges can potentially bypass access restrictions to various GitLab functionalities. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's permission model, enabling attackers to gain access to repositories, project data, and administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
The technical implementation of this access control flaw allows authenticated users to escalate their privileges or access resources they should not normally have access to within the GitLab environment. This typically occurs through improper validation of user permissions during API requests or web interface interactions where the system fails to properly verify that the requesting user possesses the necessary authorization levels. The vulnerability can manifest in multiple ways including access to private repositories, project management functions, and potentially administrative controls depending on the specific version and configuration of the affected GitLab instance.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it creates a pathway for unauthorized access to sensitive code repositories, project data, and collaborative development environments that organizations rely on for secure software development practices. Attackers exploiting this flaw could potentially access confidential source code, modify project configurations, or gain access to development credentials stored within the GitLab platform. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of software development workflows and can lead to intellectual property theft, code tampering, or disruption of development processes. Organizations using affected GitLab versions face increased risk of data breaches and compliance violations, particularly in regulated environments where access control is critical.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to the patched versions including 11.5.0-rc12, 11.4.6, or 11.3.10 to remediate this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing additional monitoring of access patterns and user activities within GitLab environments, conducting thorough access control reviews, and ensuring proper user privilege management. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and additional authentication controls to reduce the potential impact if the vulnerability is exploited. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should be maintained in all access control implementations.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential data exfiltration and code injection scenarios where attackers can manipulate repository contents or access sensitive information. Organizations should perform comprehensive security assessments of their GitLab installations to identify any potential exploitation attempts and ensure proper access controls are in place. Regular security audits of authentication and authorization mechanisms should be conducted to prevent similar issues from occurring in other parts of the software development infrastructure. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and the necessity of robust access control validation in collaborative development platforms.