CVE-2022-1174 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A detailed analysis of a potential Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability discovered in GitLab software versions 13.7, 14.8, and 14.9.

Understanding CVE-2022-1174

This CVE highlights a vulnerability in GitLab that could allow an attacker to cause high CPU usage through specially crafted input in various components.

What is CVE-2022-1174?

A potential DoS vulnerability has been identified in GitLab versions 13.7 before 14.7.7, all versions starting from 14.8 before 14.8.5, and all versions starting from 14.9 before 14.9.2. This vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker to trigger high CPU consumption by inserting malicious input in areas like Issues, Merge requests, Milestones, and Wiki pages.

The Impact of CVE-2022-1174

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as MEDIUM severity with a CVSS base score of 4.2. The attack complexity is LOW, requiring no user interaction, and privileges required are also LOW. While the confidentiality and integrity impacts are NONE, the availability impact is rated as LOW.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-1174

This section delves into the technical specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in GitLab allows an adversary to induce high CPU usage by injecting specific input types in vulnerable versions of the software.

Affected Systems and Versions

GitLab versions affected by this vulnerability include 13.7 before 14.7.7, 14.8 before 14.8.5, and 14.9 before 14.9.2.

Exploitation Mechanism

By leveraging the vulnerability, an attacker could exploit the software's input handling mechanisms to degrade system performance through excessive CPU consumption.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines measures to mitigate the risk of exploitation and prevent potential attacks.

Immediate Steps to Take

GitLab users should update their installations to versions 14.7.7, 14.8.5, and 14.9.2 or newer to address this vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Adopting secure coding practices, monitoring for unusual CPU consumption, and conducting regular security audits can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly applying software updates and security patches released by GitLab can help eliminate known vulnerabilities and strengthen system security.