GitHub, a leading software development platform, has disclosed multiple vulnerabilities in GitHub Enterprise Server (GHES). The most critical of these, CVE-2024-6800, has been assigned a CVSSv4 score of 9.5. This vulnerability could have allowed attackers to gain unauthorized administrator access, posing a significant threat to the integrity and security of affected GHES instances.
Vulnerability Overview:
- CVE ID: CVE-2024-6800 (Critical, CVSSv4 9.5)
- Other Related Vulnerabilities:
- CVE-2024-6337 (CVSSv4 5.9): Unauthorized access to private repository issues via GitHub Apps.
- CVE-2024-7711 (CVSSv4 5.3): Unauthorized modification of issue titles and labels in public repositories.
- Affected Product: GitHub Enterprise Server (GHES)
- Affected Versions: Versions prior to 3.14
- Patched Versions: 3.13.3, 3.12.8, 3.11.14, 3.10.16
Technical Details:
- CVE-2024-6800: This vulnerability is the most severe among the disclosed issues and resides in the SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) authentication mechanism of GHES. An attacker with direct network access could exploit this flaw by forging a SAML response, effectively bypassing authentication and granting themselves site administrator privileges. This bypass could lead to a complete compromise of the GHES instance, allowing unauthorized manipulation of repositories and potentially exposing sensitive data.
- CVE-2024-6337: This vulnerability allows a GitHub App with limited permissions to read issue content in private repositories, violating intended access controls. Although exploitation requires a user access token, it still presents a significant privacy concern.
- CVE-2024-7711: This flaw enables attackers to modify issue titles, assignees, and labels within public repositories. While less critical, this vulnerability could disrupt workflows and create confusion within development teams.
Significance:
The CVE-2024-6800 vulnerability is particularly concerning due to its potential to grant attackers full administrative control over GHES instances. This could lead to severe consequences, including data breaches, unauthorized code changes, and further exploitation of connected systems. The other vulnerabilities, while less critical, still highlight the importance of maintaining robust access controls and promptly addressing security flaws.
Mitigation and Response:
GitHub has released patches to address these vulnerabilities across affected GHES versions. Users running GHES versions prior to 3.14 are strongly advised to update to the latest patched versions:
- 3.13.3
- 3.12.8
- 3.11.14
- 3.10.16
Applying these updates will mitigate the risk of exploitation and protect against potential security breaches.
Recommendations:
- Immediate Update: Administrators should promptly apply the available patches to secure their GHES installations against these vulnerabilities.
- Review Access Controls: It is advisable to review and strengthen access controls, particularly around authentication mechanisms like SAML, to prevent similar issues.
- Regular Audits: Organizations should conduct regular security audits of their development environments to detect and remediate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
The disclosure and patching of CVE-2024-6800 and related vulnerabilities underscore the critical importance of timely updates and vigilant security practices in protecting development platforms like GitHub Enterprise Server. Administrators must act quickly to apply the necessary patches, ensuring the continued security and integrity of their software development processes.
