Arbitrary File Write Vulnerability Affects GitLab Servers

CVE-2024-0402

9.9CRITICAL

Key Information

Vendor: Gitlab
Status: Gitlab
Vendor: CVE Published:; 26 January 2024

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What is CVE-2024-0402?

CVE-2024-0402 is a significant vulnerability found in GitLab, a widely used platform for version control and collaborative development. The vulnerability affects various versions of GitLab Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE) released before specific patch updates were implemented. It allows authenticated users to write files to arbitrary locations on the GitLab server while creating a workspace, which could lead to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or even system compromise. If exploited, this vulnerability could severely undermine the integrity and security of organizations reliant on GitLab for managing their software development processes.

Technical Details

This vulnerability stems from a failure in input validation during the file-writing process in GitLab. Specifically, it affects all versions from 16.0 prior to 16.6.6, 16.7 prior to 16.7.4, and 16.8 prior to 16.8.1. Because it only requires authentication to exploit, it becomes particularly concerning in environments where multiple users have access, potentially increasing the attack surface. Once an attacker writes files to arbitrary locations, they can manipulate essential configurations or introduce malicious scripts, thereby compromising the server environment. The issue was outlined in GitLab's security advisory following its discovery and subsequent tracking on GitLab's issue page.

Impact of the Vulnerability

Unauthorized File Access: The vulnerability allows attackers to write files to any location on the GitLab server. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files, resulting in potential data leaks or unauthorized modifications.
System Compromise: By manipulating configurations or uploading malicious scripts, an attacker could gain greater control over the GitLab server, possibly leading to further exploits or persistent access that could affect the entire system.
Operational Disruption: Exploiting this vulnerability could disrupt services hosted on GitLab, making projects inaccessible and potentially affecting productivity. The ramifications could extend beyond the GitLab environment, impacting other systems that depend on it for development and deployment workflows.