CVE-2023-3363 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 07/13/2023
An information disclosure issue in Gitlab CE/EE affecting all versions from 13.6 prior to 15.11.10, all versions from 16.0 prior to 16.0.6, all versions from 16.1 prior to 16.1.1, resulted in the Sidekiq log including webhook tokens when the log format was set to `default`.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw in Gitlab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition products that persisted across multiple version streams. The issue emerged from the Sidekiq logging mechanism which, when configured with the default log format, inadvertently exposed sensitive webhook tokens within log files. This represents a significant security risk as webhook tokens typically serve as authentication credentials for integrating external services with Gitlab platforms, making them valuable targets for attackers seeking unauthorized access to connected systems.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of sensitive data within the Sidekiq logging subsystem. When Gitlab instances are configured to use the default logging format, the system fails to sanitize or redact webhook tokens that may be present in the payload data being processed by Sidekiq workers. This misconfiguration creates a situation where authentication tokens, which should remain confidential, become permanently embedded in log files accessible to various system components and users with appropriate permissions. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Gitlab versions, specifically targeting releases from 13.6 through 15.11.9, 16.0 through 16.0.5, and 16.1 through 16.1.0, indicating a widespread impact across multiple major release lines.
The operational impact of this information disclosure vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it creates persistent attack vectors that can be exploited by both internal and external threat actors. Webhook tokens exposed through this vulnerability could enable attackers to forge requests to integrated services, potentially leading to unauthorized actions within connected applications, data exfiltration, or service disruption. The persistent nature of log files means that once tokens are exposed, they remain compromised for as long as those log entries exist, creating long-term security risks for organizations that may not regularly audit or rotate their webhook credentials. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and represents a classic case of insufficient logging sanitization.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched versions 15.11.10, 16.0.6, or 16.1.1 respectively, and conducting comprehensive log file audits to identify and remove any previously exposed tokens. System administrators should also review their logging configurations to ensure that sensitive data is properly redacted or filtered before being written to persistent storage. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1567, which covers "Exfiltration Over Web Service,' as it enables unauthorized data access through compromised webhook tokens. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing log monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on potential credential exposure patterns, while also establishing regular credential rotation procedures for webhook integrations to minimize the impact of any tokens that may have already been compromised.