CVE-2022-0373 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 04/02/2022
Improper access control in GitLab CE/EE versions 12.4 to 14.5.4, 14.5 to 14.6.4, and 12.6 to 14.7.1 allows project non-members to retrieve the service desk email address
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2022
This vulnerability resides in GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition versions within specific ranges, spanning from 12.4 through 14.5.4, 14.5 through 14.6.4, and 12.6 through 14.7.1. The core issue involves a critical flaw in access control mechanisms that permits unauthorized individuals to obtain sensitive service desk email addresses. This represents a significant security weakness that directly violates fundamental principles of information access control and data protection. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control, making it a direct implementation of weak access control measures within the application's authorization framework.
The technical flaw manifests when non-project members attempt to access service desk email addresses through API endpoints or web interfaces that should normally restrict access to authorized project participants only. This improper access control allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and retrieve email addresses that are typically protected from external access. The service desk email addresses serve as critical communication channels for project stakeholders and contain sensitive information that could be exploited for social engineering attacks or targeted phishing campaigns. The vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in the principle of least privilege, where unauthorized users gain access to resources they should not be able to access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential attack vectors for more sophisticated threats. When unauthorized individuals can obtain service desk email addresses, they can leverage this information for targeted attacks against project members, potentially leading to account compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of project workflows. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on GitLab's service desk functionality for project communication and support ticket management. The exposure of these email addresses could enable attackers to conduct spear-phishing campaigns or gain unauthorized access to project resources through social engineering techniques. Organizations may face compliance issues if this vulnerability results in unauthorized access to sensitive project data or communication channels.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of affected GitLab instances to versions that address the access control flaw. Organizations should also implement network-level restrictions to limit access to GitLab instances, particularly for service desk email endpoints. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns to service desk functionality, and access controls should be reviewed to ensure proper authorization mechanisms are in place. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and the need for robust access control validation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional layers of authentication for sensitive endpoints and conducting regular penetration testing to identify similar access control weaknesses. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as unauthorized access to service desk functionality represents an indirect form of privilege abuse through information disclosure.