CVE-2022-1983 in Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 07/01/2022
Incorrect authorization in GitLab EE affecting all versions from 10.7 prior to 14.10.5, 15.0 prior to 15.0.4, and 15.1 prior to 15.1.1, allowed an attacker already in possession of a valid Deploy Key or a Deploy Token to misuse it from any location to access Container Registries even when IP address restrictions were configured.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw in GitLab Enterprise Edition that undermines the security controls designed to protect container registry access. The issue affects versions from 10.7 through 14.10.4, 15.0 through 15.0.3, and 15.1 through 15.1.0, creating a persistent risk for organizations relying on GitLab's container registry functionality. The flaw specifically targets the authorization mechanisms that should restrict access based on IP address configurations, allowing malicious actors to bypass these security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of access requests when using deploy keys or deploy tokens for container registry operations. When a valid deploy key or deploy token is used, the system should verify that the request originates from an authorized IP address as configured by administrators. However, the authorization logic fails to properly enforce these IP restrictions, enabling unauthorized access regardless of the requesting location. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks that violates fundamental security principles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using GitLab container registries with IP address restrictions. Attackers who have already obtained valid deploy keys or tokens can exploit this flaw to access container images from any location, effectively nullifying the IP-based access control measures. This creates a substantial risk for organizations that rely on these restrictions as part of their security posture, particularly those with sensitive container images or regulated environments where access control is critical.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and demonstrates how inadequate access control validation can create persistent security weaknesses. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this represents a privilege escalation technique that allows adversaries to gain unauthorized access to resources they should not be able to reach. The flaw also relates to T1078, which covers valid accounts usage, as attackers can leverage legitimate credentials to perform unauthorized actions. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions, reviewing and rotating deploy keys and tokens, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts.
Security teams should prioritize this vulnerability as a high-risk issue requiring immediate attention, particularly in environments where container registries are used with IP restrictions as a primary security control. The patching process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the authorization mechanisms function correctly and that legitimate users can still access container registries from authorized locations. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect suspicious access patterns that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.