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GitLabApplication

CVE-2022-3291

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-10-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.2.5 / 15.3.4 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
Serialization of sensitive data in GitLab EE affecting all versions from 14.9 prior to 15.2.5, 15.3 prior to 15.3.4, and 15.4 prior to 15.4.1 can leak sensitive information via cache

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 confidence

In affected GitLab EE versions, sensitive data is being serialized and stored in cache in a manner that allows unauthorized access to that sensitive information. This represents a data exposure vulnerability where cached serialized data can be leaked.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab EE to version 15.2.5, 15.3.4, or 15.4.1 (or later) to patch this vulnerability. Consider clearing any existing cache to remove potentially exposed sensitive data.

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
Affected:>= 14.9, < 15.2.5>= 15.3, < 15.3.4>= 15.4, < 15.4.1

CVSS 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
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed GitLab EE version
    Run command: sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info or check /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-rails/VERSION file. Alternatively, visit Admin Area > Settings > Metrics and profiling > Metrics - the version is displayed there.
    Affected if Version is 14.9.x through 15.2.4, or 15.3.x through 15.3.3, or 15.4.0
  2. Confirm GitLab edition is EE
    Check /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb for 'gitlab_ee\=true' or run: sudo gitlab-rails runner 'puts Gitlab::Edition'
    Affected if Edition is Enterprise Edition (EE)
  3. Verify cache is enabled
    Check /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb for cache settings. Run: sudo gitlab-rails runner 'puts ActionController::perform_caching'
    Affected if Caching is enabled (perform_caching returns true)
  4. Identify cache storage backend
    Check /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb for cache_classes and redis/cache configuration. Review Rails cache adapter in use.
    Affected if Cache is configured to use any backend (Redis, file, memory) - the vulnerability affects cached serialized data regardless of backend

User is affected if running GitLab EE version 14.9.x-15.2.4, 15.3.x-15.3.3, or 15.4.0 with caching enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 15.2.5 / 15.3.4 / 15.4.1 or later
Fixed in 15.2.515.3.415.4.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab EE to version 15.2.5, 15.3.4, or 15.4.1 (or later) to patch this vulnerability. Consider clearing any existing cache to remove potentially exposed sensitive data.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

GitLab 15.4.1 or later (15.3.4 for 15.3.x branch, 15.2.5 for 15.2.x branch)

  1. 1. Backup your GitLab instance data and configuration before proceeding with the upgrade
  2. 2. Ensure your system meets the requirements for the target version
  3. 3. For self-managed GitLab installations, stop the GitLab application services
  4. 4. Update your package repository and install the patched version (15.4.1 or later)
  5. 5. Run 'gitlab-ctl reconfigure' to apply the configuration changes
  6. 6. Start the GitLab services with 'gitlab-ctl start'
  7. 7. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the GitLab version and ensuring the application is functioning properly
Caveat Review GitLab 15.4 release notes for any breaking changes or deprecations that may affect your instance

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in GitLab Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-3291 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data