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GitLabApplication

CVE-2022-3639

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-10-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.1.6 / 15.2.4 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
A potential DOS vulnerability was discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 10.8 before 15.1.6, all versions starting from 15.2 before 15.2.4, all versions starting from 15.3 before 15.3.2. Improper data handling on branch creation could have been used to trigger high CPU usage.

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 confidence

A denial-of-service vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE allows attackers to trigger high CPU usage via improper data handling during branch creation, causing service degradation or unavailability.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab to version 15.1.6, 15.2.4, 15.3.2, or later to resolve the improper data handling in branch creation that causes excessive CPU consumption.

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:>= 10.8.0, < 15.1.6>= 15.2, < 15.2.4>= 15.3, < 15.3.2

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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. Identify installed GitLab version
    Run `sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info` or check the GitLab admin interface at /admin/about, or use `gitlab-ctl version`
    Affected if The command output shows a version number that falls within the affected ranges: >= 10.8.0 and < 15.1.6, OR >= 15.2.0 and < 15.2.4, OR >= 15.3.0 and < 15.3.2
  2. Confirm version is from omnibus package
    If using the Omnibus package, check `/opt/gitlab/version-manifest.txt` or run `head -1 /opt/gitlab/gitlab-gitlab-ci`
    Affected if The version file lists a version within the affected ranges listed above
  3. Verify GitLab web interface is accessible
    Attempt to access the GitLab web UI at the usual hostname, or confirm the service is running via `sudo gitlab-ctl status`
    Affected if GitLab is running and the branch creation feature (Projects > Select Project > Repository > New branch) is accessible to users
  4. Review CPU usage during branch operations
    Monitor system CPU usage using `top`, `htop`, or similar tools while creating a new branch via the UI or API (POST /projects/:id/repository/branches)
    Affected if Branch creation causes unusually high CPU consumption or visible service degradation

You are affected if your GitLab installation version falls within any of the three vulnerable ranges (10.8.0 to 15.1.5, 15.2.0 to 15.2.3, or 15.3.0 to 15.3.1) and the branch creation feature is available to users.

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 15.1.6 / 15.2.4 / 15.3.2 or later
Fixed in 15.1.615.2.415.3.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab to version 15.1.6, 15.2.4, 15.3.2, or later to resolve the improper data handling in branch creation that causes excessive CPU consumption.

Recommended fix High confidence

15.3.2 (or 15.2.4 if on 15.2.x branch, or 15.1.6 if on 15.1.x branch)

  1. Create a full backup of your GitLab instance using `gitlab-backup-create` or the administrative UI
  2. Review the GitLab upgrade documentation for your installation method (Omnibus or source)
  3. Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements for the target version
  4. For Omnibus installations: Update your package repository and run `apt-get update && apt-get install gitlab-ce=<version>` or `gitlab-ee=<version>`
  5. For source installations: Stop GitLab services, download the target version from gitlab.com, and follow the upgrade steps in the documentation
  6. After upgrade, verify GitLab is running properly: `gitlab-rake gitlab:check`
  7. Monitor system resources to confirm the high CPU issue is resolved
Caveat Standard GitLab upgrades may require database migrations; ensure adequate downtime window and test in staging first

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-2022-3639 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