CVE-2018-19581 in Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE
GitLab EE, versions 8.3 up to 11.x before 11.3.11, 11.4 before 11.4.8, and 11.5 before 11.5.1, is vulnerable to an insecure object reference vulnerability that allows a Guest user to set the weight of an issue they create.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2024
This vulnerability exists within GitLab Enterprise Edition across multiple version ranges, specifically affecting installations from version 8.3 through 11.x before the mentioned patch releases. The core issue stems from an insecure object reference flaw that permits unauthorized privilege escalation through issue management functionality. Guest users who should typically have limited permissions are able to manipulate the weight attribute of issues they create, effectively bypassing intended access controls and potentially disrupting project workflow management. This vulnerability represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate input validation within the issue tracking system.
The technical implementation of this flaw allows Guest users to submit issue creation requests with arbitrary weight values that are then persisted in the system without proper authorization checks. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of insecure object reference as defined by CWE-639, where the application fails to properly verify that the user has appropriate access rights to modify specific object attributes. The vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the priority and resource allocation aspects of project management workflows, potentially causing confusion in team coordination and resource planning processes.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risks to project management integrity and team productivity. When Guest users can manipulate issue weights, they can influence how project managers prioritize tasks, allocate resources, and plan sprints. This capability can be exploited to artificially inflate the importance of certain issues while downplaying others, creating misleading project status reports and potentially affecting decision-making processes. The impact extends beyond simple inconvenience to potential business disruption, as project timelines and resource allocation may be skewed based on manipulated issue weights. Additionally, this vulnerability could serve as a stepping stone for further attacks, as it demonstrates that the system's access controls are insufficiently enforced for critical project management functions.
The recommended mitigations include applying the vendor-provided patches for versions 11.3.11, 11.4.8, and 11.5.1, which address the insecure object reference by implementing proper access control checks for issue weight modifications. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual issue weight changes and establish more robust user permission reviews. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as it allows lower-privilege users to manipulate system resources that should be restricted to higher-privilege users. Regular security audits of access control mechanisms and input validation processes should be conducted to prevent similar issues from emerging in other parts of the application. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of implementing proper authorization checks at every point where users can modify system attributes, particularly those that influence project management workflows and resource allocation decisions.