CVE-2022-1545 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 05/11/2022
It was possible to disclose details of confidential notes created via the API in Gitlab CE/EE affecting all versions from 13.2 prior to 14.8.6, 14.9 prior to 14.9.4, and 14.10 prior to 14.10.1 if an unauthorised project member was tagged in the note.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/13/2022
This vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE represents a critical information disclosure flaw that undermines the platform's access control mechanisms. The issue specifically affects versions prior to the mentioned patched releases, creating a scenario where unauthorized users could gain access to confidential information through API interactions. The vulnerability manifests when an unauthorized project member is tagged within a note created via the GitLab API, exposing sensitive data that should remain restricted to authorized personnel. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the system's authorization checking processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control enforcement within GitLab's API endpoints. When a note is created through the API, the system fails to properly verify whether the user creating the note has sufficient privileges to access the project's confidential information. The tagging mechanism becomes a vector for information leakage because the system does not adequately validate the permissions of users being tagged in notes. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically affects the API interface, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited programmatically without requiring direct user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, which deals with information exposure, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service discovery and T1078 for valid accounts, as unauthorized access is achieved through legitimate tagging functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, potentially compromising the integrity of collaborative development environments where sensitive information is routinely shared. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gain insights into project details, development timelines, security configurations, or other confidential information that should remain restricted to authorized team members. The risk is particularly elevated in enterprise environments where GitLab serves as a central repository for source code and development artifacts, as unauthorized access to note content could provide attackers with valuable intelligence for further exploitation. This vulnerability also impacts the trust model within development teams, as it allows unauthorized individuals to access information that was intended to remain private within the project's scope.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust access control checks at the API level and ensuring proper authorization validation for all note-related operations. Organizations should immediately upgrade to the patched versions mentioned in the advisory, specifically versions 14.8.6, 14.9.4, and 14.10.1 respectively. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for API note creation activities and tagging operations, particularly those involving users who do not have explicit project membership. The remediation process should include thorough review of existing note content for potential exposure and implementation of proper access logging to detect similar unauthorized access patterns. Additionally, organizations should conduct security assessments of their GitLab configurations to ensure that proper user role assignments and permission controls are in place, preventing unauthorized users from accessing sensitive project information through any vector, including API interactions.