CVE-2020-10516 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

An improper access control vulnerability in the GitHub Enterprise Server API allowed organization members to escalate permissions, accessing unauthorized repositories. The vulnerability affected versions prior to 2.21 and was fixed in 2.20.9, 2.19.15, and 2.18.20.

Understanding CVE-2020-10516

This CVE involves an improper access control issue in GitHub Enterprise Server, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

What is CVE-2020-10516?

An improper access control vulnerability in the GitHub Enterprise Server API allowed organization members to gain unauthorized access to repositories within the organization.

The Impact of CVE-2020-10516

The vulnerability could result in unauthorized access to sensitive repositories, potentially leading to data breaches and unauthorized actions within the organization.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-10516

This section provides technical details of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allowed organization members to escalate permissions and access unauthorized repositories within the organization.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: GitHub Enterprise Server
Vendor: GitHub
Affected Versions:
2.20 less than 2.20.9
2.19 less than 2.19.15
2.18 less than 2.18.20

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability could be exploited by an organization member to gain unauthorized access to repositories by manipulating access control mechanisms.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2020-10516 with the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update GitHub Enterprise Server to version 2.20.9, 2.19.15, or 2.18.20 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Review and adjust access control settings to prevent unauthorized access.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update access control policies and permissions.
Conduct security training for organization members to raise awareness of access control best practices.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by GitHub for the Enterprise Server.
Promptly apply patches to ensure your systems are protected from known vulnerabilities.