CVE-2021-22226 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability has been identified in GitLab versions affecting users' ability to push to protected branches, leading to unauthorized access under certain conditions.

Understanding CVE-2021-22226

This vulnerability allows some users to push changes to restricted branches using deploy keys in GitLab versions.

What is CVE-2021-22226?

The vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE versions 13.9 to 14.0.2 enables users to push to protected branches intended only for deploy keys.

The Impact of CVE-2021-22226

The impact ranges from unauthorized access to critical data due to improper authorization, posing a medium severity risk.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-22226

The vulnerability's CVSS score is 6.4 (Medium) with high confidentiality and integrity impacts and low attack complexity.

Vulnerability Description

Under specific conditions, users can push changes to branches intended for deploy keys only, bypassing restrictions.

Affected Systems and Versions

GitLab versions 13.9 to 14.0.2 are affected, allowing unauthorized access to protected branches.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploiting the vulnerability requires high privileges and no user interaction, with a network-based attack vector.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2021-22226, immediate actions and long-term security practices must be implemented.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update GitLab to versions 13.11.6, 13.12.6, or 14.0.2 to prevent unauthorized access to protected branches.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement proper authorization controls and regularly monitor and update GitLab for security patches.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates from GitLab and promptly apply patches to mitigate the risk of unauthorized branch access.