CVE-2022-4317 in DAST Analyzer
Summary
by MITRE • 03/09/2023
An issue has been discovered in GitLab DAST analyzer affecting all versions starting from 1.47 before 3.0.51, which sends custom request headers in redirects.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4317 represents a critical security flaw within GitLab's Dynamic Application Security Testing DAST analyzer component. This issue affects a broad range of GitLab versions from 1.47 through 3.0.50, creating a persistent risk for organizations utilizing GitLab's security scanning capabilities. The flaw manifests in how the DAST analyzer handles HTTP redirects, specifically in its approach to transmitting custom request headers during redirect operations. This behavior creates a potential vector for information disclosure and may enable unauthorized access to sensitive data that should remain protected during the redirect process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of HTTP redirect chains within the DAST analyzer's request processing logic. When the analyzer encounters a redirect response, it fails to properly sanitize or filter the custom headers that are intended for the original target endpoint. This misconfiguration allows headers that contain authentication tokens, session identifiers, or other sensitive information to be transmitted to unintended destinations during the redirect sequence. The flaw operates at the HTTP protocol level, specifically affecting the way the analyzer manages the redirect chain and header propagation between different endpoints. This issue is categorized under CWE-200, Information Exposure, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through network protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, potentially enabling attackers to harvest sensitive authentication tokens and session data during security scanning operations. Organizations running affected GitLab versions may experience unauthorized access to their internal systems, as the DAST analyzer could inadvertently expose credentials or access tokens to malicious endpoints during redirect operations. This risk is particularly significant in environments where GitLab DAST is configured to scan internal applications or services that contain sensitive headers. The vulnerability essentially creates a tunnel for credential leakage that occurs during normal security scanning activities, making it particularly dangerous as it operates within legitimate security tooling rather than appearing as an obvious attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-4317 require immediate action to upgrade affected GitLab installations to versions 3.0.51 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the redirect header handling behavior. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of redirect operations within their DAST scanning configurations to identify unusual header propagation patterns. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit the potential impact of credential exposure, while administrators should audit existing DAST configurations to ensure that sensitive headers are not being transmitted to external endpoints. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper HTTP redirect handling in security tools and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of security scanner components against potential information leakage scenarios. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as header filtering rules and redirect validation mechanisms to prevent similar issues in other security tools and applications.