CVE-2021-22166 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability has been discovered in GitLab 13.7+ that could allow an attacker to cause a Prometheus denial of service by sending a specific HTTP request.

Understanding CVE-2021-22166

This CVE pertains to a vulnerability in GitLab that could lead to uncontrolled resource consumption due to a malformed method in an HTTP request.

What is CVE-2021-22166?

The vulnerability in GitLab versions >=13.7, <13.7.2 allows an attacker to trigger a Prometheus denial of service by sending a malformed HTTP request.

The Impact of CVE-2021-22166

With a CVSS base score of 5.3 (Medium), this vulnerability could result in a denial of service condition in affected GitLab instances and potentially disrupt services.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-22166

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit a Prometheus denial of service by sending a specially crafted HTTP request with a malformed method.

Affected Systems and Versions

GitLab versions >=13.7, <13.7.2 are impacted by this vulnerability, potentially exposing them to uncontrolled resource consumption.

Exploitation Mechanism

By sending an HTTP request with a malformed method, an attacker can cause a denial of service condition in GitLab instances running version 13.7 or higher.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2021-22166, immediate steps, long-term security practices, and the importance of patching and updates are discussed.

Immediate Steps to Take

Administrators are advised to update affected GitLab instances to versions beyond 13.7.2 to mitigate the risk of exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, monitoring network traffic for anomalies, and conducting regular security audits can enhance the overall security posture.

Patching and Updates

GitLab users are encouraged to stay informed about security patches released by the vendor and promptly apply them to safeguard their systems.