CVE-2019-11546 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability was found in GitLab Community and Enterprise Edition versions prior to 11.8.9, 11.9.x before 11.9.10, and 11.10.x before 11.10.2, allowing users to manipulate merge request approvals.

Understanding CVE-2019-11546

This CVE identifies a Race Condition in GitLab versions that could be exploited to approve merge requests multiple times.

What is CVE-2019-11546?

The vulnerability in GitLab versions prior to 11.8.9, 11.9.x before 11.9.10, and 11.10.x before 11.10.2 enables users to approve a merge request multiple times, potentially reaching the required approval count for merging.

The Impact of CVE-2019-11546

Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized merging of code changes, compromising the integrity of the codebase and potentially introducing malicious code.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-11546

This section provides detailed technical information about the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability involves a Race Condition in GitLab versions, allowing users to manipulate merge request approvals.

Affected Systems and Versions

GitLab Community and Enterprise Edition versions prior to 11.8.9
GitLab 11.9.x before 11.9.10
GitLab 11.10.x before 11.10.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Users can exploit the Race Condition to approve a merge request multiple times, potentially achieving the required approval count for merging.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2019-11546 with the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update GitLab to versions 11.8.9, 11.9.10, or 11.10.2, which contain fixes for this vulnerability.
Monitor merge request approvals for any suspicious activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Educate users on secure coding practices and the importance of code review.
Implement multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update GitLab to the latest versions to ensure all security patches are applied.