CVE-2022-24331 in TeamCity
Summary
by MITRE • 02/25/2022
In JetBrains TeamCity before 2021.1.4, GitLab authentication impersonation was possible.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-24331 represents a critical authentication flaw in JetBrains TeamCity versions prior to 2021.1.4 that allows for GitLab authentication impersonation. This issue stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the authentication flow when integrating with GitLab identity providers. The flaw enables malicious actors to exploit the authentication process and potentially assume the identity of legitimate users within the TeamCity environment, creating significant security risks for organizations relying on this continuous integration platform for their software development workflows.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the OAuth2 authentication handling code path that TeamCity uses to integrate with GitLab. When users attempt to authenticate through GitLab, the system fails to properly validate the identity claims returned by GitLab's OAuth2 provider. This validation gap allows attackers to manipulate the authentication response, particularly in the user identifier field, enabling them to impersonate other users within the TeamCity system. The flaw specifically affects the way TeamCity processes the subject identifier and user attributes returned during the OAuth2 token exchange process, creating an authentication bypass opportunity.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to software development environments that depend on TeamCity for continuous integration and deployment processes. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to build configurations, source code repositories, and deployment permissions associated with other users. This impersonation capability extends beyond simple access to potentially allow privilege escalation within the TeamCity environment, as the authenticated user context determines access controls and operational permissions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise settings where TeamCity serves as a central hub for development workflows and automated deployments.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to TeamCity version 2021.1.4 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as this release includes the necessary authentication validation fixes. Additionally, administrators should review existing user permissions and access controls within their TeamCity environments to ensure that any unauthorized access has been detected and revoked. The mitigation strategy should also include monitoring authentication logs for suspicious activity patterns and implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication for privileged accounts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566.002 for credential harvesting, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the attack surface this vulnerability exposes.