CVE-2022-3286 in Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2022
Lack of IP address checking in GitLab EE affecting all versions from 14.2 prior to 15.2.5, 15.3 prior to 15.3.4, and 15.4 prior to 15.4.1 allows a group member to bypass IP restrictions when using a deploy token
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/13/2025
This vulnerability exists in GitLab Enterprise Edition where insufficient validation of IP addresses allows unauthorized access through deploy tokens. The flaw specifically affects versions prior to the mentioned patches across multiple release lines, creating a persistent security gap that could be exploited by malicious actors within a group's membership. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper IP address verification mechanisms when deploy tokens are utilized for accessing protected resources. This weakness directly violates security principles that require strict access control and authentication validation before granting system privileges. According to CWE-284, this represents an improper access control vulnerability where the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions based on network location. The impact is particularly severe because deploy tokens are designed to provide limited access to repositories and resources, yet this flaw allows bypassing IP-based restrictions that should normally prevent unauthorized network access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when a group member with access to deploy tokens attempts to access GitLab resources from an IP address that should normally be restricted. The system fails to validate whether the requesting IP address falls within the allowed network boundaries, effectively rendering IP-based access controls useless for deploy token authentication. This creates a scenario where an attacker could potentially use legitimate deploy tokens from within their group membership to access resources from unauthorized IP addresses, essentially circumventing network-level security controls. The flaw operates at the authentication and authorization layer of GitLab's security architecture, where network location verification should occur but does not. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which describes valid accounts used for lateral movement, as it allows unauthorized access through legitimate group member accounts and tokens. The lack of IP validation during token-based authentication creates a path for privilege escalation and unauthorized resource access that could lead to data breaches or system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access control bypass, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive repositories, code, and deployment configurations. Group members with legitimate access could exploit this weakness to access resources from unauthorized locations, undermining the security posture of organizations relying on IP restrictions as part of their defense-in-depth strategy. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that implement IP-based access controls as a primary security measure, as it completely nullifies those protections for deploy token usage. The implications include potential code exposure, unauthorized deployments, and access to sensitive configuration files that could be leveraged for further attacks. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to production systems, source code leakage, and potential compromise of deployment pipelines. The vulnerability also impacts compliance requirements for organizations that must maintain strict access controls and network segmentation policies. The attack surface expands significantly as this flaw allows lateral movement within a group's network boundaries using legitimate credentials, making detection more difficult and increasing the potential for prolonged unauthorized access.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected GitLab versions to the recommended secure releases. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring for deploy token usage from unusual IP addresses and establish more robust access control policies. Network administrators should consider implementing additional layers of authentication such as multi-factor authentication for critical deployments and regular audits of deploy token usage. The implementation of IP address logging and alerting mechanisms can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review and strengthen their access control policies, ensuring that IP-based restrictions are properly enforced for all authentication methods. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for similar IP validation weaknesses in other systems. Organizations should consider implementing principle of least privilege for deploy tokens, limiting their scope and access rights to only what is necessary for specific deployment tasks. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and zero-trust security models can help reduce the impact of such vulnerabilities by limiting lateral movement capabilities even when access controls are bypassed.