CVE-2022-31068 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the GLPI software, an open-source IT asset and service management solution widely used for data center management, ITIL service desks, license tracking, and software auditing. The vulnerability exists in versions 10.0.0 up to but not including 10.0.2. It arises from an unauthenticated feature related to retrieving refused files within the native inventory component of GLPI. Specifically, this feature allows unauthorized actors to access sensitive information without authentication, resulting in an exposure of sensitive data (classified under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The flaw essentially permits attackers to bypass access controls and obtain potentially confidential data stored or managed by GLPI instances. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability was publicly disclosed on June 28, 2022, and has been addressed in GLPI version 10.0.2. Organizations running affected versions are strongly advised to upgrade to the patched release to mitigate the risk. The vulnerability impacts the confidentiality of sensitive information but does not directly affect system integrity or availability. Exploitation does not require authentication or user interaction, increasing the risk profile for exposed systems. Given GLPI’s role in managing critical IT assets and service operations, unauthorized data exposure could lead to further targeted attacks or data leakage.

For European organizations, the exposure of sensitive information through this vulnerability could have significant operational and compliance repercussions. GLPI is commonly used by public sector entities, educational institutions, and private enterprises for IT asset management and service desk operations. Unauthorized access to sensitive inventory or service data could reveal internal infrastructure details, license information, or operational workflows, potentially aiding attackers in crafting more sophisticated attacks or causing reputational damage. Additionally, exposure of sensitive data may lead to violations of data protection regulations such as the GDPR, resulting in legal and financial penalties. The impact is particularly critical for organizations managing large-scale IT environments or those with stringent compliance requirements. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise system availability or integrity, the confidentiality breach alone can undermine trust and security posture. The lack of authentication requirement for exploitation increases the risk of automated scanning and mass exploitation attempts, especially if GLPI instances are internet-facing or insufficiently segmented within internal networks.

Beyond the essential step of upgrading all affected GLPI instances to version 10.0.2 or later, European organizations should implement several targeted mitigations: 1) Conduct a comprehensive inventory to identify all GLPI deployments, including those in development, testing, and production environments, to ensure no vulnerable instances remain. 2) Restrict network access to GLPI interfaces, especially the native inventory features, by implementing network segmentation, firewall rules, and VPN access controls to limit exposure to trusted users only. 3) Enable and review detailed logging on GLPI servers to detect unusual access patterns or attempts to exploit the unauthenticated file retrieval feature. 4) Perform regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on GLPI components to identify residual risks or misconfigurations. 5) Educate IT and security teams about this vulnerability and the importance of timely patching and monitoring. 6) If immediate patching is not feasible, consider temporarily disabling or restricting the vulnerable native inventory feature or applying web application firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized access to the affected endpoints. 7) Review and tighten access control policies around sensitive IT asset data to minimize the impact of any potential data exposure.