CVE-2022-0093 in GitLab
Summary
by MITRE • 01/18/2022
An issue has been discovered affecting GitLab versions prior to 14.4.5, between 14.5.0 and 14.5.3, and between 14.6.0 and 14.6.1. GitLab allows a user with an expired password to access sensitive information through RSS feeds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0093 represents a critical access control flaw in GitLab's authentication and authorization mechanisms that persisted across multiple version ranges. This issue specifically targets GitLab installations running versions earlier than 14.4.5, as well as certain intermediate releases including versions 14.5.0 through 14.5.3 and 14.6.0 through 14.6.1. The flaw stems from inadequate validation of user authentication status within the RSS feed generation functionality, creating a persistent security gap that allows unauthorized access to sensitive information.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in GitLab's failure to properly verify user authentication status when generating and serving RSS feeds. When a user's password expires, the system should revoke access to protected resources including RSS feeds that contain sensitive project information, code changes, or collaboration data. However, the implementation flaw allows expired password users to continue accessing these feeds, effectively bypassing the intended authentication controls. This represents a violation of fundamental security principles where the system fails to properly enforce access policies based on current authentication state, aligning with CWE-285 Access Control Issues that specifically address improper authorization enforcement.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as RSS feeds in GitLab environments typically contain comprehensive project data including commit histories, merge requests, issue tracking information, and potentially sensitive development artifacts. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to detailed project information, development timelines, and collaboration data that might reveal system architecture, security practices, or development vulnerabilities. This access could facilitate further attacks or provide intelligence for targeting other system components, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where GitLab serves as a central collaboration platform.
The security implications of CVE-2022-0093 align with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, where adversaries leverage legitimate credentials to access systems, though in this case the accounts are effectively compromised through expired password states. Organizations using GitLab in environments where sensitive information is stored in public or shared repositories face significant risk, as the vulnerability allows continued access even after password expiration policies should have taken effect. This creates a window where users who have been terminated or whose access should have been revoked can still access project information through RSS feeds, representing a failure in privilege management and access revocation.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrade to GitLab versions 14.4.5 or later, or to versions 14.5.4 and 14.6.2 and higher where the vulnerability has been patched. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for RSS feed access patterns and conduct thorough access reviews to identify any potential unauthorized access that may have occurred during the vulnerability window. Organizations should review their password expiration policies and ensure proper access revocation procedures are in place, particularly for users who have left the organization or whose access privileges have changed. The patch addresses the core authentication validation issue by ensuring that RSS feed generation properly checks user authentication status and rejects requests from expired password accounts.