CVE-2022-1944 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 06/06/2022
When the feature is configured, improper authorization in the Interactive Web Terminal in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 11.3 prior to 14.9.5, 14.10 prior to 14.10.4, and 15.0 prior to 15.0.1 allows users with the Developer role to open terminals on other Developers' running jobs
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-1944 represents a critical authorization flaw within GitLab's Interactive Web Terminal feature that affects multiple versions of the GitLab Community and Enterprise editions. This issue stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that permit unauthorized users to gain access to terminal sessions belonging to other developers within the same project. The vulnerability specifically impacts systems where the interactive web terminal functionality has been enabled, creating a scenario where privilege escalation and unauthorized system access becomes possible through a straightforward exploitation vector. The flaw exists in the authorization logic that governs terminal session access, allowing users with the Developer role to bypass normal access controls and interact with running jobs belonging to their peers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the insufficient validation of user permissions within the terminal session management subsystem. When developers initiate terminal sessions for debugging or execution purposes, the system should enforce strict authorization checks to ensure that only the session owner or authorized personnel can access that particular terminal instance. However, the flawed implementation fails to properly verify user credentials and role-based access controls, enabling a Developer user to enumerate and access terminal sessions of other developers who are currently running jobs. This authorization bypass occurs due to inadequate session isolation mechanisms and weak access control enforcement within the web terminal component. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes requests for terminal access without properly validating whether the requesting user has legitimate authorization to access the target session, creating a direct pathway for privilege escalation and unauthorized system interaction.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1944 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to terminal sessions, potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary commands within running jobs, access sensitive project information, and compromise the integrity of development workflows. An attacker with a Developer role can leverage this vulnerability to observe and potentially manipulate other developers' running processes, access confidential source code or environment variables, and potentially escalate privileges further within the system. The vulnerability affects the core security model of GitLab's access control system, as it allows users to bypass the intended role-based access controls that should prevent such cross-user session access. This weakness particularly impacts organizations that rely heavily on GitLab's CI/CD capabilities and interactive terminal features for their development processes, as it creates opportunities for information disclosure and potential system compromise through unauthorized access to running jobs and their associated resources.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched versions of GitLab where available, specifically versions 14.9.5, 14.10.4, and 15.0.1. Additionally, administrators should consider disabling the Interactive Web Terminal feature for projects where it is not strictly required, particularly in environments where multiple developers with Developer roles collaborate on sensitive projects. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059 for execution through command and scripting interpreters. Security teams should monitor for suspicious terminal access patterns and implement additional logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts to terminal sessions. The mitigation strategy should also include regular access control reviews and ensuring that developers only have the minimum required privileges necessary for their development tasks. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level controls to restrict access to GitLab's terminal features and establish clear policies regarding terminal session management and access control enforcement within their development environments.