CVE-2024-0507: GitHub Enterprise Server Privilege Escalation

CVE-2024-0507 Overview

CVE-2024-0507 is a command injection vulnerability in GitHub Enterprise Server that enables privilege escalation. An attacker with access to a Management Console user account with the editor role could exploit this vulnerability to escalate their privileges through command injection in the Management Console. This vulnerability was reported via the GitHub Bug Bounty program and affects all versions of GitHub Enterprise Server prior to the patched releases.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with editor-level access can leverage command injection to escalate privileges and potentially gain full administrative control over the GitHub Enterprise Server instance.

Affected Products

• GitHub Enterprise Server versions prior to 3.11.3
• GitHub Enterprise Server versions prior to 3.10.5
• GitHub Enterprise Server versions prior to 3.9.8
• GitHub Enterprise Server versions prior to 3.8.13

Discovery Timeline

• January 16, 2024 - CVE-2024-0507 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0507

Vulnerability Analysis

This command injection vulnerability (CWE-77) exists within the Management Console of GitHub Enterprise Server. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation (CWE-20) where user-supplied input is passed to system commands without adequate sanitization. An attacker who has already obtained access to an editor-role account in the Management Console can craft malicious input that injects arbitrary commands into the underlying system.

The attack is network-accessible and requires low complexity to execute once the attacker has valid credentials. While initial authentication is required, no user interaction is needed for exploitation. Successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-0507 is improper input validation (CWE-20) combined with command injection (CWE-77). The Management Console fails to properly sanitize user-controlled input before passing it to system command execution functions. This allows specially crafted input containing shell metacharacters or command separators to break out of the intended command context and execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability requires the following conditions:

1. The attacker must have network access to the GitHub Enterprise Server Management Console
2. The attacker must possess valid credentials for a user account with the editor role
3. The attacker submits specially crafted input through the Management Console interface
4. The unsanitized input is processed by a vulnerable command execution function
5. The injected commands execute with elevated privileges, enabling privilege escalation

Since no verified proof-of-concept code is available, specific exploitation techniques are not publicly documented. Organizations should refer to the GitHub Release Notes for technical details on the fix.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0507

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual command execution patterns or shell spawning from GitHub Enterprise Server processes
• Unexpected privilege changes for Management Console user accounts
• Anomalous process trees originating from the Management Console application
• Suspicious authentication attempts followed by administrative actions from editor-role accounts

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Management Console access logs for unusual activity patterns from editor-role accounts
• Implement process monitoring on GitHub Enterprise Server hosts to detect unexpected command execution
• Configure alerting for privilege escalation events or role changes in the Management Console
• Review audit logs for administrative actions performed by non-administrative accounts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive audit logging for all Management Console activities
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions on GitHub Enterprise Server hosts
• Implement network-level monitoring for anomalous traffic patterns to the Management Console
• Establish baseline behavior for editor-role accounts and alert on deviations

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0507

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade GitHub Enterprise Server to version 3.11.3, 3.10.5, 3.9.8, or 3.8.13 immediately
• Audit all Management Console user accounts and verify appropriate role assignments
• Review recent Management Console activity logs for signs of exploitation
• Restrict network access to the Management Console to trusted IP ranges where possible
• Implement multi-factor authentication for all Management Console accounts

Patch Information

GitHub has released security patches addressing this vulnerability across multiple supported version branches. Organizations should upgrade to the following fixed versions based on their current deployment:

• Version 3.11.x: Upgrade to 3.11.3 or later
• Version 3.10.x: Upgrade to 3.10.5 or later
• Version 3.9.x: Upgrade to 3.9.8 or later
• Version 3.8.x: Upgrade to 3.8.13 or later

Workarounds

• Limit the number of users with editor role access to the Management Console to minimize attack surface
• Implement network segmentation to restrict Management Console access to administrative networks only
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to filter potentially malicious input patterns
• Enable enhanced logging and monitoring until patches can be applied

# Example: Restrict Management Console access via firewall
# Limit access to trusted administrative IP ranges only
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8443 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8443 -j DROP