Analysis Summary

A maximum severity vulnerability in the GitHub Enterprise Server (GHES) that might let an attacker get beyond authentication safeguards has been patched by GitHub. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-4985 (CVSS score: 10.0), may allow unauthorized users to access an instance without first authenticating.

An attacker might fabricate a SAML answer to provision on instances that employ SAML single sign-on (SSO) authentication with the optional encrypted assertions functionality, or obtain access to a user who has administrator capabilities. GHES is a self-hosted software development platform that enables organizations to manage the deployment process, store and develop software using Git version control, and more.

The security flaw has been fixed in GHES versions 3.9.15, 3.10.12, 3.11.10, and 3.12.4 and affects all versions of GHES before 3.13.0. Moreover, according to GitHub, instances that do not use SAML single sign-on (SSO) or that use SAML SSO authentication but do not have encrypted assertions are unaffected by the bug.

By encrypting the messages that the SAML identity provider (IdP) provides throughout the authentication process, encrypted assertions enable site managers to increase the security of a GHES instance with SAML SSO. It is advised that organizations utilizing outdated versions of GHES update to the most recent version to protect themselves from potential security risks.

Impact

• Security Bypass
• Unauthorized Access

Indicators of Compromise

CVE

• CVE-2024-4985

Affected Vendors

Remediation

• Upgrade to the latest version of GitHub, available from the GitHub Website.
• Implement multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to login processes.
• Regularly monitor network activity for any unusual behavior, as this may indicate that a cyberattack is underway.
• Organizations need to stay vigilant and follow best practices for cybersecurity to protect their systems and data from potential threats. This includes regularly updating software and implementing strong access controls and monitoring tools.
• Develop a comprehensive incident response plan to respond effectively in case of a security breach or data leakage.
• Maintain regular backups of critical data and systems to ensure data recovery in case of a security incident.
• Adhere to security best practices, including the principle of least privilege, and ensure that users and applications have only the necessary permissions.
• Establish a robust patch management process to ensure that security patches are evaluated, tested, and applied promptly.
• Conduct security audits and assessments to evaluate the overall security posture of your systems and networks.
• Implement network segmentation to contain and isolate potential threats to limit their impact on critical systems.