CVE-2018-19583 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE
GitLab CE/EE, versions 8.0 up to 11.x before 11.3.11, 11.4 before 11.4.8, and 11.5 before 11.5.1, would log access tokens in the Workhorse logs, permitting administrators with access to the logs to see another user's token.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2024
This vulnerability exists in GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition versions ranging from 8.0 through 11.x, specifically affecting releases before 11.3.11, 11.4.8, and 11.5.1 respectively. The flaw represents a critical logging security issue that exposes sensitive authentication tokens within the system's Workhorse logging infrastructure. Workhorse serves as GitLab's reverse proxy component responsible for handling large file transfers and other operations requiring high throughput. The vulnerability stems from improper sanitization of request parameters within the logging mechanism, where access tokens passed through HTTP headers or query parameters are logged without adequate redaction or filtering.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the logging subsystem capturing raw HTTP request data including authentication headers such as Authorization or private tokens that are used for user authentication. When users make API requests or perform operations requiring token-based authentication, these tokens are inadvertently written to log files alongside other request metadata. This creates a scenario where any administrator or attacker with access to the system's log files can extract and potentially misuse these tokens to impersonate legitimate users. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-532, which addresses information exposure through log files, and represents a classic case of improper input validation leading to sensitive data leakage. The flaw is particularly dangerous because access tokens in GitLab provide extensive privileges including repository access, project management capabilities, and user account manipulation functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as compromised access tokens can enable attackers to escalate privileges and maintain persistent access to GitLab instances. Administrators with access to log files could extract tokens for users with elevated permissions, potentially compromising entire projects and organizations. The vulnerability affects not only individual user accounts but also service accounts and bot tokens that may be used for continuous integration systems, automated deployments, and other critical infrastructure components. Attackers could leverage these tokens to perform unauthorized code commits, modify repository contents, access confidential project data, or even delete entire projects. The risk is compounded by the fact that many organizations store log files for extended periods for audit and troubleshooting purposes, meaning compromised tokens could remain valid for months or years. This vulnerability maps directly to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1567, which covers credentials from password stores, and T1078, which addresses valid accounts, as compromised tokens can be used to establish persistent access without detection.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to the patched versions of GitLab to address this vulnerability, ensuring all instances are updated to versions 11.3.11, 11.4.8, or 11.5.1 respectively. System administrators should conduct comprehensive log reviews to identify and invalidate any tokens that may have been exposed, particularly focusing on tokens used for automated processes and service accounts. Implementing proper log sanitization policies and configuring log aggregation systems to filter out authentication tokens are critical mitigation steps. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring for log file access and establishing least privilege access controls for log files to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and output sanitization in security-critical components, particularly those handling authentication data within enterprise systems.