CVE-2019-15581 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

An Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability exists in GitLab Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE) versions before 12.3.2, 12.2.6, and 12.1.12. This vulnerability allows project owners or maintainers to access private group member information through merge request approval rules.

Understanding CVE-2019-15581

This CVE identifies a security flaw in GitLab versions that could compromise the privacy of private group members.

What is CVE-2019-15581?

CVE-2019-15581 is an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability in GitLab CE and EE versions before 12.3.2, 12.2.6, and 12.1.12.

The Impact of CVE-2019-15581

The vulnerability enables unauthorized access to private group member details, potentially leading to a breach of sensitive information.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-15581

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The IDOR vulnerability in GitLab versions before 12.3.2, 12.2.6, and 12.1.12 allows project owners or maintainers to view private group members via merge request approval rules.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: GitLab EE
Vendor: GitLab
Vulnerable Versions: < 12.3.2, < 12.2.6, < 12.1.12

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by accessing merge request approval rules to reveal private group member information.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from this vulnerability requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade GitLab to version 12.3.2 or above to mitigate the vulnerability.
Restrict access to sensitive information within GitLab.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit access controls within GitLab.
Educate users on secure data handling practices to prevent unauthorized access.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by GitLab promptly to address known vulnerabilities.