CVE-2019-10109 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE
An Information Exposure issue (issue 1 of 2) was discovered in GitLab Community and Enterprise Edition before 11.7.8, 11.8.x before 11.8.4, and 11.9.x before 11.9.2. EXIF geolocation data were not removed from images when uploaded to GitLab. As a result, anyone with access to the uploaded image could obtain its geolocation, device, and software version data (if present).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical information exposure flaw in GitLab's image handling capabilities that persisted across multiple version branches of the platform. The issue stems from insufficient data sanitization during the image upload process where EXIF metadata containing sensitive geolocation information was not properly stripped from uploaded images. This vulnerability affects both Community and Enterprise editions of GitLab, with specific affected versions including releases prior to 11.7.8, 11.8.4, and 11.9.2 respectively. The flaw creates a situation where any user with access to an uploaded image can extract detailed geolocation coordinates, device identification information, and software version data that may be embedded within the image's metadata. This represents a significant privacy and security risk as it exposes potentially sensitive location data that could be used for tracking purposes or personal identification.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the image processing layer within GitLab's file upload system where metadata extraction and sanitization routines fail to properly handle EXIF data structures. When users upload images to GitLab repositories, the system should automatically strip all non-essential metadata including geolocation coordinates, device information, and software version details. However, the flaw allows this metadata to persist in the stored image files, making it accessible through standard image viewing tools or by parsing the EXIF data directly from the uploaded files. This issue aligns with CWE-200 which specifically addresses information exposure vulnerabilities where sensitive data is unintentionally disclosed to unauthorized parties. The vulnerability operates through a lack of proper input validation and sanitization, creating an attack surface where metadata can be extracted without additional authentication or authorization requirements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially compromise user security and operational integrity. Attackers could leverage this information to track user locations, identify specific devices used for uploads, or even determine software versions that might be exploited through other vulnerabilities. This creates risks for organizations that store sensitive documents or media files in GitLab repositories, as the embedded metadata could reveal operational patterns or personal information about contributors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where GitLab is used for collaborative development or document sharing, as it could expose information about team members' physical locations or device configurations. Organizations using GitLab for code repositories, documentation, or media storage may unknowingly be exposing sensitive operational data through image uploads, creating potential vectors for reconnaissance or targeted attacks.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability by upgrading to the patched versions of GitLab as specified in the advisory. The recommended approach includes upgrading to GitLab 11.7.8, 11.8.4, or 11.9.2 depending on the current version in use. Additional defensive measures should include implementing automated image sanitization processes that strip all metadata from uploaded files, particularly for sensitive repositories. System administrators should conduct thorough audits of existing repositories to identify and remove any previously uploaded images that may contain exposed geolocation data. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual access patterns to image files that might indicate metadata extraction attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper data sanitization practices and highlights the need for comprehensive metadata handling procedures in web applications. This issue relates to ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential access through social engineering and metadata extraction, emphasizing the need for robust input validation and sanitization across all file upload functionalities.