CVE-2019-6996 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability has been identified in GitLab Enterprise Edition versions 10.x (from 10.6 onwards), 11.x (up to 11.5.8), 11.6.x (up to 11.6.6), and 11.7.x (up to 11.7.1) related to Incorrect Access Control.

Understanding CVE-2019-6996

This CVE involves an access control issue in the merge request approvers section of GitLab Enterprise Edition.

What is CVE-2019-6996?

This vulnerability allows project maintainers to view the membership of private groups due to an access control flaw in GitLab Enterprise Edition versions specified.

The Impact of CVE-2019-6996

The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information within private groups, potentially compromising data confidentiality.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-6996

The following technical details provide insight into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

An access control issue in the merge request approvers section of GitLab Enterprise Edition versions 10.x to 11.7.x allows project maintainers to see private group memberships.

Affected Systems and Versions

GitLab Enterprise Edition 10.x starting from 10.6
GitLab Enterprise Edition 11.x up to 11.5.8
GitLab Enterprise Edition 11.6.x up to 11.6.6
GitLab Enterprise Edition 11.7.x up to 11.7.1

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by project maintainers to gain unauthorized access to private group membership information.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-6996, consider the following mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade affected GitLab Enterprise Edition instances to the patched versions.
Review and restrict access permissions to sensitive information.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update access control policies.
Conduct security training for project maintainers on data confidentiality.

Patching and Updates

Apply the latest security patches provided by GitLab to fix the access control issue.