GitLabApplication
CVE-2020-26405
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedPath traversal vulnerability in package upload functionality in GitLab CE/EE starting from 12.8 allows an attacker to save packages in arbitrary locations. Affected versions are >=12.8, <13.3.9,>=13.4, <13.4.5,>=13.5, <13.5.2.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA path traversal vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE's package upload functionality (starting version 12.8) allows authenticated attackers to save packages in arbitrary filesystem locations by manipulating file paths during upload. This could lead to arbitrary file write on the server.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
GitLabApplication
>= 12.8.0, < 13.3.9>= 13.4.0, < 13.4.5>= 13.5.0, < 13.5.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify GitLab installation and versionRun `gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info` or check `/opt/gitlab/version` to retrieve the installed GitLab version. Alternatively, check the Admin Area > Settings page for the version number.Affected if The installed version falls within 12.8.0 to 13.3.8, 13.4.0 to 13.4.4, or 13.5.0 to 13.5.1.
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Verify package registry is accessibleNavigate to a project and check if the Package Registry feature is available under the project menu. This feature must be enabled for the vulnerability to be exploitable.Affected if Package Registry is enabled and users have permission to upload packages.
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Review audit logs for anomalous package uploadsIn GitLab Admin Area, navigate to Audit Events and filter for package-related events. Look for uploads containing path traversal patterns such as `../` in package file names or unusual upload destinations.Affected if Audit logs show package uploads with suspicious path manipulation patterns or unexpected destination directories.
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Check for unexpected files in system directoriesInspect the GitLab data directory and system directories (such as `/var/opt/gitlab`, `/home`, or `/tmp`) for newly created files that correspond to package names with path traversal sequences.Affected if Files exist in directories outside the expected package storage location, indicating successful path traversal exploitation.
A user is affected if their GitLab version is within the vulnerable range AND the Package Registry feature is enabled, allowing authenticated users to upload packages.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data13.3.913.4.513.5.2
Upgrade GitLab to version 13.3.9, 13.4.5, 13.5.2 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict package upload permissions and monitor for suspicious upload patterns.
Fix this in GitLab
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-26405 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-26405 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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