CVE-2023-4002 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This CVE record, assigned by GitLab, highlights an issue of improper access control in GitLab Enterprise Edition. The vulnerability was discovered in versions ranging from 14.1 to 16.2.2, potentially allowing EE-licensed users to link certain security policy projects to projects or groups they have access to, thereby exposing sensitive security policies.

Understanding CVE-2023-4002

The CVE-2023-4002 vulnerability in GitLab EE pertains to improper access control, presenting a security risk to affected users and projects.

What is CVE-2023-4002?

CVE-2023-4002 is an improper access control issue found in GitLab EE versions 14.1 to 16.2.2, enabling unauthorized linking of security policy projects to accessible projects or groups.

The Impact of CVE-2023-4002

The vulnerability in CVE-2023-4002 could result in the exposure of security projects' configured policies, posing a threat to the confidentiality of sensitive data within GitLab.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-4002

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems and versions, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability involves EE-licensed users being able to link security policy projects by ID to projects or groups they can access, potentially revealing sensitive security policy configurations.

Affected Systems and Versions

All GitLab EE versions from 14.1 to 16.2.2 are susceptible to this improper access control issue.

Exploitation Mechanism

By exploiting this vulnerability, unauthorized users could improperly link security policy projects, gaining access to confidential security policy settings.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard against CVE-2023-4002, users and organizations should take immediate steps, implement long-term security practices, and apply necessary patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Affected users should upgrade GitLab EE to versions 16.2.2, 16.1.3, 16.0.8, or newer to mitigate the improper access control vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

In the long term, organizations should enforce strict access controls, regularly audit security configurations, and provide security awareness training to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Regularly updating GitLab EE to the latest versions and promptly applying security patches can help prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-4002.