CVE-2022-1460 in GitLab
Summary
by MITRE • 05/11/2022
An issue has been discovered in GitLab affecting all versions starting from 9.2 before 14.8.6, all versions starting from 14.9 before 14.9.4, all versions starting from 14.10 before 14.10.1. GitLab was not performing correct authorizations on scheduled pipelines allowing a malicious user to run a pipeline in the context of another user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/13/2022
This vulnerability in GitLab represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that undermines the security model of continuous integration and deployment workflows. The issue affects versions from 9.2 through 14.10.0, creating a persistent window of exposure where unauthorized users could exploit scheduled pipeline functionality to execute code under different user contexts. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege that is essential for maintaining security boundaries within development environments.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate validation of user permissions when processing scheduled pipeline requests. When a user schedules a pipeline, the system should verify that the requesting user has appropriate authorization to execute that pipeline in the target project context. However, the vulnerability allows malicious actors to manipulate the authorization checks, effectively enabling them to run pipeline jobs as if they were authenticated users with higher privileges. This issue manifests through the improper handling of pipeline scheduling parameters and user context validation during the execution phase.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to access sensitive project data, manipulate build processes, and potentially exfiltrate confidential information. A malicious user could schedule a pipeline to run with elevated permissions, potentially accessing secrets stored in the project, executing arbitrary code, or modifying project configurations that could compromise the entire development pipeline. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on automated CI/CD workflows and trust user permissions within their GitLab instances.
Organizations should immediately implement the patched versions of GitLab to remediate this vulnerability, as the issue affects multiple major release lines and represents a significant risk to development security. The fix addresses the core authorization bypass by strengthening the validation of pipeline scheduling requests and ensuring proper user context enforcement. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of scheduled pipelines within their GitLab instances to identify any potential exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability could have been used to maintain persistence within development environments while remaining undetected.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. The flaw demonstrates how insufficient access control mechanisms can create persistent security risks within development platforms, particularly when automated processes are involved. Organizations should review their CI/CD security configurations and implement additional monitoring for pipeline scheduling activities to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.