CVE-2024-27198 in TeamCity
Summary
by MITRE • 03/04/2024
In JetBrains TeamCity before 2023.11.4 authentication bypass allowing to perform admin actions was possible
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-27198 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in JetBrains TeamCity versions prior to 2023.11.4 that allows unauthorized users to escalate privileges and execute administrative functions within the continuous integration and deployment platform. This issue fundamentally undermines the security model of TeamCity by enabling attackers to bypass the standard authentication mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized access to administrative capabilities.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate validation of user permissions and session management within the application's authentication subsystem. Specifically, the vulnerability occurs when the system fails to properly verify whether a user possesses sufficient privileges before allowing access to administrative functions. This weakness manifests in the application's handling of authentication tokens and session state, where improperly validated requests can be accepted without proper credential verification. The flaw likely exists in the way TeamCity processes API calls or web requests that require administrative privileges, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated administrators.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to perform a wide range of administrative actions including but not limited to creating or modifying user accounts, configuring build parameters, accessing sensitive project data, and modifying system settings. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can essentially gain full control over the TeamCity server, potentially compromising the entire CI/CD pipeline and exposing sensitive source code, build artifacts, and deployment configurations. This risk is particularly concerning in environments where TeamCity manages critical applications and where the platform serves as a central point for software delivery automation.
Organizations using affected TeamCity versions should immediately implement mitigations including updating to TeamCity 2023.11.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the authentication bypass vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should review and audit existing user permissions, implement network segmentation to limit access to the TeamCity server, and monitor system logs for suspicious authentication attempts or administrative activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect anomalous administrative access patterns and ensure that all authentication flows are properly validated through automated security testing procedures.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper privilege validation in enterprise software platforms and highlights the potential damage that can occur when authentication mechanisms fail to properly enforce access controls. The impact extends beyond immediate system compromise to potentially affect the entire software development lifecycle and organizational security posture, making prompt remediation essential for maintaining secure continuous integration environments.