CVE-2021-22210 : What You Need to Know

An overview of the CVE-2021-22210 affecting GitLab, versions >=13.2, highlighting its impact, technical details, and mitigation steps.

Understanding CVE-2021-22210

This section covers the details of the vulnerability, its impact, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

What is CVE-2021-22210?

An issue discovered internally in GitLab CE/EE versions >=13.2 allows unauthorized access to a significant amount of data when querying repository branches through API.

The Impact of CVE-2021-22210

The vulnerability's CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3, categorizing it as MEDIUM severity with low attack complexity and network accessibility, impacting confidentiality and integrity to some extent.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-22210

This section provides in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in GitLab versions >=13.2 enables the bypass of query parameters, leading to the exposure of excessive results during API requests.

Affected Systems and Versions

GitLab versions >=13.2 but <13.11.2, <13.10.4, <13.9.7 across CE and EE editions are susceptible to this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating API requests to retrieve unauthorized data from repository branches.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines immediate steps to take and long-term security practices to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2021-22210.

Immediate Steps to Take

It is recommended to apply the latest security patches provided by GitLab to address the vulnerability promptly.

Long-Term Security Practices

Enforce strict API access controls, monitor API requests for anomalies, and conduct regular security audits to prevent similar issues in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update GitLab to versions that contain fixes for CVE-2021-22210 and other potential vulnerabilities.