GitLabApplication
CVE-2021-22171
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 · uneditedInsufficient validation of authentication parameters in GitLab Pages for GitLab 11.5+ allows an attacker to steal a victim's API token if they click on a maliciously crafted link
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 · moderate confidenceGitLab Pages lacks proper validation of authentication parameters, allowing attackers to craft malicious links that can exfiltrate a victim's API token when clicked. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of URL parameters in the Pages authentication flow, enabling credential theft via cross-site request forgery-like attacks.
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
>= 11.5.0, < 13.5.6>= 13.6.0, < 13.6.4>= 13.7.0, < 13.7.2CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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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Determine installed GitLab versionRun `gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info` or check `/opt/gitlab/version` or `cat /home/git/gitlab/VERSION` depending on installation methodAffected if Version falls within >= 11.5.0 and < 13.5.6, OR >= 13.6.0 and < 13.6.4, OR >= 13.7.0 and < 13.7.2
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Verify GitLab Pages is enabledCheck GitLab admin panel under Settings > Pages, or run `gitlab-ctl status` and look for pages daemon, or inspect `/etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb` for `pages_external_url` configurationAffected if Pages is enabled and accessible to users
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Confirm Pages authentication is in useReview the Pages domain configuration and verify that authenticated Pages features are accessible, or check if users can access private projects via PagesAffected if Users can access Pages with authentication enabled
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Inspect URL handling for PagesReview web server logs or proxy logs for unusual URL parameters being passed to Pages endpoints, particularly around authentication callbacksAffected if Unusual or unexpected URL parameters appear in Pages-related requests
If GitLab version is within any of the three affected ranges AND Pages is enabled with authentication accessible, the environment is vulnerable to API token exfiltration via malicious link parameters.
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 data13.5.613.6.413.7.2
Upgrade GitLab to the latest version containing the security fix. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict Pages access and warn users against clicking untrusted links.
Fix this in GitLab
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-22171 — 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-2021-22171 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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- 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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