CVE-2022-1940 in Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 06/06/2022
A Stored Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability in Jira integration in GitLab EE affecting all versions from 13.11 prior to 14.9.5, 14.10 prior to 14.10.4, and 15.0 prior to 15.0.1 allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in GitLab on a victim's behalf via specially crafted Jira Issues
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1940 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within GitLab Enterprise Edition's Jira integration component. This security weakness affects multiple version ranges including releases from 13.11 through 14.9.4, 14.10 through 14.10.3, and 15.0 through 15.0.0, creating a substantial attack surface across the GitLab product line. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms when processing Jira issue data within GitLab's integrated environment, allowing malicious actors to inject persistent script payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of Jira issue data that GitLab imports and displays within its interface. When users view Jira issues integrated into GitLab's web interface, the maliciously crafted JavaScript code becomes embedded in the page content and executes whenever the affected page loads. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in GitLab's database and affects all users who access the compromised content, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple team members interact with shared project data. The flaw aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and demonstrates how integration points between different software systems can create unexpected security exposure vectors.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1940 extends beyond simple code execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the GitLab environment. An attacker could craft malicious Jira issues containing scripts that steal user authentication tokens, redirect victims to phishing sites, or manipulate GitLab's interface to hide malicious activities. The vulnerability affects GitLab's core collaboration functionality, as users interacting with integrated Jira issues could unknowingly execute malicious code, making it particularly concerning for organizations relying on GitLab for software development workflows. This threat model aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering through malicious content delivery, and T1071.004, covering application layer protocol usage for command and control communications.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to the patched versions of GitLab mentioned in the advisory, specifically versions 14.9.5, 14.10.4, and 15.0.1, to remediate this vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing strict input validation for all Jira integration data, monitoring user activity for suspicious behavior, and restricting access to Jira integration features for untrusted users. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of existing Jira integration data to identify and remove any potentially compromised content. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure input handling in integration points and demonstrates how third-party system connectivity can introduce complex security risks that require comprehensive testing and monitoring approaches.