CVE-2024-28236

Insecure Variable Substitution in Vela

Description

Vela is a Pipeline Automation (CI/CD) framework built on Linux container technology written in Golang. Vela pipelines can use variable substitution combined with insensitive fields like `parameters`, `image` and `entrypoint` to inject secrets into a plugin/image and — by using common substitution string manipulation — can bypass log masking and expose secrets without the use of the commands block. This unexpected behavior primarily impacts secrets restricted by the "no commands" option. This can lead to unintended use of the secret value, and increased risk of exposing the secret during image execution bypassing log masking. **To exploit this** the pipeline author must be supplying the secrets to a plugin that is designed in such a way that will print those parameters in logs. Plugin parameters are not designed for sensitive values and are often intentionally printed throughout execution for informational/debugging purposes. Parameters should therefore be treated as insensitive. While Vela provides secrets masking, secrets exposure is not entirely solved by the masking process. A docker image (plugin) can easily expose secrets if they are not handled properly, or altered in some way. There is a responsibility on the end-user to understand how values injected into a plugin are used. This is a risk that exists for many CICD systems (like GitHub Actions) that handle sensitive runtime variables. Rather, the greater risk is that users who restrict a secret to the "no commands" option and use image restriction can still have their secret value exposed via substitution tinkering, which turns the image and command restrictions into a false sense of security. This issue has been addressed in version 0.23.2. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should not provide sensitive values to plugins that can potentially expose them, especially in `parameters` that are not intended to be used for sensitive values, ensure plugins (especially those that utilize shared secrets) follow best practices to avoid logging parameters that are expected to be sensitive, minimize secrets with `pull_request` events enabled, as this allows users to change pipeline configurations and pull in secrets to steps not typically part of the CI process, make use of the build approval setting, restricting builds from untrusted users, and limit use of shared secrets, as they are less restrictive to access by nature.

Categories

7.7
CVSS
Severity: High
CVSS 3.1 •
EPSS 0.13%
Vendor Advisory github.com
Affected: go-vela worker
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2024-28236?
CVE-2024-28236 has been scored as a high severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2024-28236?
To fix CVE-2024-28236, make sure you are using an up-to-date version of the affected component(s) by checking the vendor release notes. As for now, there are no other specific guidelines available.
Is CVE-2024-28236 being actively exploited in the wild?
As for now, there are no information to confirm that CVE-2024-28236 is being actively exploited. According to its EPSS score, there is a ~0% probability that this vulnerability will be exploited by malicious actors in the next 30 days.
What software or system is affected by CVE-2024-28236?
CVE-2024-28236 affects go-vela worker.
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