Protected variable disclosure via ref-name confusion
Published Aug 23, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024
Improper authorization in GitLab allows remote authenticated users with Developer access to read protected CI variables through pipelines. The protected-ref check treats a branch that shares an existing protected tag's name as that protected tag, so its pipeline receives protected variables. A project Developer must be able to create the colliding branch and edit its CI configuration; the resulting job can disclose deployment keys, passwords, and other stored secrets.
Summary
What happened
Improper authorization in GitLab allows remote authenticated users with Developer access to read protected CI variables through pipelines. The protected-ref check treats a branch that shares an existing protected tag's name as that protected tag, so its pipeline receives protected variables. A project Developer must be able to create the colliding branch and edit its CI configuration; the resulting job can disclose deployment keys, passwords, and other stored secrets.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-22252
- Published
- Aug 23, 2021
- Updated
- Aug 3, 2024
- Vendor
- GitLab
- Product
- GitLab
- Classifications
- T1552
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 23, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=>=13.7, <13.12.9
- Affected versionversion=>=14.0, <14.0.7
- Affected versionversion=>=14.1, <14.1.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Protected ref-name collision reproductionproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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