CVE-2021-39912 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A potential Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability was found in GitLab CE/EE versions starting from 13.7, allowing memory exhaustion through malformed TIFF images.

Understanding CVE-2021-39912

This CVE pertains to a DoS vulnerability in GitLab that can lead to memory exhaustion.

What is CVE-2021-39912?

The vulnerability in GitLab starting from version 13.7 enables an attacker to trigger memory exhaustion using malformed TIFF images.

The Impact of CVE-2021-39912

The base severity for this CVE is rated as MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 5.3, affecting the availability of the system with low impact on confidentiality and integrity.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-39912

This section covers the technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows uncontrolled resource consumption in GitLab instances, potentially leading to a DoS condition.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: GitLab
Vendor: GitLab
Versions:
=14.4, <14.4.1

=14.3, <14.3.4

=13.7, <14.2.6

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by utilizing malformed TIFF images to overwhelm system memory.

Mitigation and Prevention

Mitigation strategies to address CVE-2021-39912.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update GitLab to versions >=14.4.1, >=14.3.4, or >=14.2.6 to patch the vulnerability.
Implement network-level defenses to filter out potentially malicious image files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit system resource consumption to detect anomalous behavior.
Provide security awareness training to users to recognize and report suspicious activities.
Maintain up-to-date backups of critical GitLab data to mitigate the impact of a successful attack.

Patching and Updates

GitLab has released patches in versions >=14.4.1, >=14.3.4, and >=14.2.6 to address this vulnerability.