CVE-2023-1098 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 04/05/2023
An information disclosure vulnerability has been discovered in GitLab EE/CE affecting all versions starting from 11.5 before 15.8.5, all versions starting from 15.9 before 15.9.4, all versions starting from 15.10 before 15.10.1 will allow an admin to leak password from repository mirror configuration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw in GitLab Enterprise Edition and Community Edition platforms that has persisted across multiple version ranges. The issue specifically targets repository mirror configurations where administrative users can inadvertently expose sensitive password credentials through improper access controls. The vulnerability affects versions from 11.5 through 15.8.4, 15.9 through 15.9.3, and 15.10 through 15.10.0, creating a substantial attack surface across several major release cycles. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of Information Exposure, where sensitive data is unintentionally made available to unauthorized actors. The flaw essentially allows authenticated administrators to access password information that should remain protected within mirror configuration settings, potentially enabling attackers who gain administrative access to extract credentials for remote repositories.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves improper access control implementation within GitLab's administrative interfaces for repository mirroring functionality. When administrators configure repository mirrors, they typically need to provide authentication credentials including passwords or tokens for remote repository access. The vulnerability occurs because the system fails to properly restrict access to these credential fields when displaying mirror configuration details to administrative users. This creates a scenario where password values may be rendered in logs, API responses, or administrative interfaces without proper sanitization or access controls. The flaw represents a breakdown in the principle of least privilege where administrative users receive access to more information than necessary for their operational tasks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it creates potential for broader compromise within development environments that rely on GitLab for source code management. Administrative users who can access these leaked passwords may use them to gain unauthorized access to remote repositories, potentially enabling code tampering, data exfiltration, or deployment of malicious code. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core GitLab administrative functionality and could be exploited by attackers who have already gained administrative privileges through other means. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which covers "Unsecured Credentials" and represents a significant risk to organizations that store sensitive information in their repository configurations.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched versions 15.8.5, 15.9.4, and 15.10.1 respectively, while also reviewing existing repository mirror configurations to ensure no sensitive credentials have been exposed. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of administrative access logs to identify potential exploitation attempts and implement monitoring for unusual access patterns to mirror configuration interfaces. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output sanitization in web applications, particularly when handling sensitive data in administrative contexts. Organizations should also consider implementing additional access controls and privilege management measures to limit the scope of administrative capabilities and reduce the potential impact of such information disclosure vulnerabilities in their GitLab deployments.