CVE-2024-23840 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the GoReleaser tool, specifically version 1.23.0. GoReleaser is a popular open-source utility used to automate the building and releasing of Go binaries across multiple platforms, including the creation of GitHub releases and pushing Homebrew formulas to tap repositories. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-532, which pertains to the insertion of sensitive information into log files. In this case, when the command `goreleaser release --debug` is executed, secret values used in the custom publisher configuration are inadvertently logged in plaintext within the debug output. This exposure of secrets in logs can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive credentials or tokens that may be used to access critical resources or repositories. The vulnerability requires low privileges (PR:L) and local access (AV:L) to exploit, does not require user interaction, and affects confidentiality but not integrity or availability. The flaw was addressed and fixed in GoReleaser version 1.24.0. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the presence of secrets in logs poses a risk if logs are accessed by unauthorized users or if logs are collected in centralized systems without proper access controls.

For European organizations, the exposure of sensitive information in logs can have significant security implications. Many organizations use GoReleaser as part of their CI/CD pipelines to automate software releases. If secret tokens or credentials are logged, attackers or malicious insiders with access to these logs could leverage them to gain unauthorized access to source code repositories, package repositories, or deployment environments. This could lead to intellectual property theft, insertion of malicious code, or disruption of software delivery processes. Additionally, European organizations are subject to strict data protection regulations such as GDPR, which mandate the protection of sensitive information. Leakage of secrets could lead to compliance violations, reputational damage, and potential legal consequences. The impact is heightened in environments where logs are aggregated and stored for extended periods or shared across teams without stringent access controls. Since the vulnerability does not affect the integrity or availability of the system directly, the primary concern is confidentiality breach of sensitive credentials.

European organizations using GoReleaser should immediately upgrade to version 1.24.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Until the upgrade is applied, organizations should avoid running GoReleaser with the `--debug` flag in production or sensitive environments to prevent logging of secrets. Review and sanitize existing logs to identify and securely remove any exposed secrets. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on log storage systems to limit exposure. Additionally, rotate any secrets or tokens that may have been exposed through logs to invalidate compromised credentials. Incorporate secret management best practices such as using environment variables or dedicated secret management tools that avoid embedding secrets directly in configuration files or logs. Finally, audit CI/CD pipeline configurations to ensure that debug logging is disabled by default and that sensitive information is never logged.