CVE-2022-0167 in GitLab
Summary
by MITRE • 07/01/2022
An issue has been discovered in GitLab affecting all versions starting from 14.0 before 14.4.5, all versions starting from 14.5.0 before 14.5.3, all versions starting from 14.6.0 before 14.6.2. GitLab was not disabling the Autocomplete attribute of fields related to sensitive information making it possible to be retrieved under certain conditions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0167 represents a critical security flaw in GitLab's web interface design that exposes sensitive user data through improper handling of HTML form attributes. This issue affects multiple version ranges including 14.0 through 14.4.4, 14.5.0 through 14.5.2, and 14.6.0 through 14.6.1, indicating a widespread problem that persisted across several release cycles. The vulnerability stems from GitLab's failure to properly configure the autocomplete attribute on input fields that collect sensitive information, creating an exploitable condition that violates fundamental web security principles.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper implementation of HTML form security controls where the autocomplete attribute is not explicitly disabled on fields containing sensitive data such as passwords, personal identification information, or other confidential user inputs. This oversight allows web browsers to automatically populate these fields with previously stored values from the user's browser cache or password manager, creating a potential data exposure scenario. The vulnerability specifically impacts the user interface components where sensitive information is collected, making it possible for attackers to retrieve previously entered credentials or personal data under specific conditions that leverage browser-based autocomplete functionality.
From an operational perspective this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on GitLab for source code management and collaboration, as it potentially exposes user credentials and sensitive project information to unauthorized access. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft to include potential privilege escalation scenarios where attackers might leverage retrieved information to gain deeper access to repositories, project resources, or administrative functions. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple minor versions suggests a systemic issue in the code review and security testing processes, indicating that the flaw was not adequately identified during the development lifecycle and testing phases.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-620, which addresses weaknesses in the design of web applications related to improper handling of form fields and authentication mechanisms. This weakness creates opportunities for attackers to exploit browser-based features that are intended to enhance user experience while simultaneously compromising security. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1555.004 which covers credentials from password stores, demonstrating how this flaw enables attackers to harvest credentials through browser-based mechanisms rather than traditional attack vectors.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched versions 14.4.5, 14.5.3, and 14.6.2 respectively, while also conducting comprehensive reviews of their GitLab configurations to ensure that all sensitive input fields properly disable autocomplete functionality. Additional defensive measures should include browser security hardening, regular security scanning of web applications, and implementation of proper input validation controls. Security teams should also monitor for potential exploitation attempts through user behavior analytics and network traffic analysis to detect any unauthorized credential harvesting activities that might result from this vulnerability.