CVE-2024-22261 in Harbor
Summary
by MITRE • 06/11/2024
SQL-Injection in Harbor allows priviledge users to leak the task IDs
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2026
Harbor is a container image registry that provides comprehensive security and compliance features for containerized applications. The vulnerability involves a sql injection flaw that affects privileged users within the Harbor system. This security weakness allows authenticated users with elevated privileges to manipulate sql queries through input parameters, potentially enabling them to extract sensitive information from the database. The specific impact involves unauthorized access to task IDs which represent critical operational metadata within Harbor's workflow management system. These task IDs typically contain information about ongoing operations, scheduled jobs, and system processes that could provide attackers with insights into the registry's internal operations and potentially reveal system architecture details.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within Harbor's database query execution pathways. When privileged users submit specific inputs to certain api endpoints, the system fails to properly escape or parameterize sql query components, allowing malicious input to be interpreted as part of the sql command rather than as data. This type of vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumeration CWE-89 which specifically addresses sql injection flaws in software applications. The attack vector typically involves crafting specially formatted input that modifies the intended sql query structure, potentially enabling data extraction through techniques such as union-based queries or error message exploitation. The vulnerability represents a significant concern as it allows privilege escalation through information disclosure rather than direct execution of malicious commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information leakage, as task IDs contain contextual information that could be leveraged for further attacks. Attackers with access to these identifiers might correlate them with other system components, potentially identifying patterns in job scheduling or system resource allocation. This information could facilitate more sophisticated attacks such as timing-based attacks or resource exhaustion attempts. The vulnerability also poses risks to audit and compliance requirements, as unauthorized access to operational metadata could compromise the integrity of security monitoring systems. From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with attack techniques described in the attack tree framework where information gathering precedes more advanced exploitation phases, potentially enabling attackers to map system dependencies and identify additional attack surfaces.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation and parameterized query execution throughout the Harbor codebase. The primary defense involves ensuring all database interactions utilize prepared statements or parameterized queries that separate sql command structure from data input. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege separation can limit the scope of potential exploitation, ensuring that even if one account is compromised, the attacker cannot leverage it for broader system access. Regular security code reviews and automated vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar sql injection patterns throughout the application. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The solution approach should align with industry standards such as the owasp top ten and iso 27001 security controls, particularly focusing on input validation and secure coding practices. Regular updates and patch management procedures should be established to ensure timely remediation of similar vulnerabilities across the entire Harbor ecosystem.