GitLab has identified a critical vulnerability in certain versions of its Community and Enterprise Edition products, tracked as CVE-2024-5655, which could be exploited to execute pipelines as any user. The issue, which has a severity score of 9.6 out of 10, affects GitLab versions from 15.8 to 16.11.4, 17.0.0 to 17.0.2, and 17.1.0. If exploited, attackers could trigger pipelines under the guise of another user, potentially leading to unauthorized access and actions.
To address this security flaw, GitLab has released updated versions, including 17.1.1, 17.0.3, and 16.11.5, and strongly advises users to upgrade immediately. The updates also introduce two significant changes: automatic pipeline execution on merge request retargeting is disabled, requiring manual initiation, and CI_JOB_TOKEN is now disabled by default for GraphQL API authentication, necessitating alternative token configurations.
In addition to fixing the critical vulnerability, the latest GitLab update resolves 13 other issues, with three rated as high severity. These include CVE-2024-4901, a stored XSS vulnerability allowing script injection from imported commit notes; CVE-2024-4994, a CSRF vulnerability in the GraphQL API enabling unauthorized operations; and CVE-2024-6323, an authorization flaw in GitLab’s global search feature that risks exposing private repository data.
GitLab’s latest updates highlight the need for vigilance and prompt action in applying security patches. Users are encouraged to review the changes and implications of the new versions, particularly the adjustments affecting pipeline executions and API authentication, to ensure continued protection against potential exploits.
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