CVE-2022-4342 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 01/12/2023
An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 15.1 before 15.5.7, all versions starting from 15.6 before 15.6.4, all versions starting from 15.7 before 15.7.2. A malicious Maintainer can leak masked webhook secrets by changing target URL of the webhook.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2023
This vulnerability exists in GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition across multiple version ranges, specifically impacting installations from version 15.1 through 15.5.6, 15.6 through 15.6.3, and 15.7 through 15.7.1. The flaw allows malicious actors with Maintainer-level privileges to exploit a security weakness in the webhook configuration system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and validation mechanisms when webhook target URLs are modified, creating a path for unauthorized information disclosure. This issue represents a significant escalation risk as it enables privilege abuse by users who should normally be restricted from accessing sensitive configuration data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in GitLab's webhook management logic where the system fails to properly validate or restrict access when a webhook target URL is modified. When a Maintainer user changes the target URL of an existing webhook, the system inadvertently exposes masked webhook secrets to the attacker. This occurs because the application does not adequately verify that the user has proper authorization to access or modify the underlying secret values associated with the webhook configuration. The vulnerability manifests as a direct information disclosure mechanism where sensitive data that should remain protected becomes accessible through manipulation of the webhook target endpoint.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information leakage as it creates a persistent security risk for organizations relying on GitLab for source code management and CI/CD pipeline orchestration. Webhook secrets typically contain authentication tokens, API keys, and other sensitive credentials that grant access to external services, monitoring systems, or deployment environments. An attacker with Maintainer privileges can leverage this vulnerability to gain access to these secrets and potentially escalate their privileges further within the system or access connected external services. The vulnerability affects the principle of least privilege and undermines the integrity of GitLab's access control model, particularly in environments where multiple teams share the same project space.
Organizations should immediately apply the patched versions of GitLab to mitigate this vulnerability, specifically upgrading to 15.5.7, 15.6.4, or 15.7.2 depending on their current version range. System administrators should conduct immediate audits of webhook configurations across all projects to identify any potential compromise or unauthorized access. Security teams should implement monitoring for webhook URL modifications and establish automated alerts for suspicious configuration changes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically related to insufficient access control mechanisms and improper privilege validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as it allows for privilege escalation through legitimate user accounts and potential credential harvesting. Additionally, organizations should review their overall webhook security posture and consider implementing additional validation controls to prevent unauthorized modifications to critical system configurations.