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GitLabApplication

CVE-2023-1965

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.9.6 / 15.10.5 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
An issue has been discovered in GitLab EE affecting all versions starting from 14.2 before 15.9.6, all versions starting from 15.10 before 15.10.5, all versions starting from 15.11 before 15.11.1. Lack of verification on RelayState parameter allowed a maliciously crafted URL to obtain access tokens granted for 3rd party Group SAML SSO logins. This feature isn't enabled by default.

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

GitLab EE fails to validate the RelayState parameter in SAML Group SSO login flows. An attacker can craft a malicious URL that manipulates or captures access tokens during the SAML authentication process for group memberships.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab to version 15.9.6, 15.10.5, 15.11.1 or later. Verify if Group SAML SSO is enabled and audit for suspicious authentication activity.

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:>= 14.2, < 15.9.6>= 15.10, < 15.10.5>= 15.11, < 15.11.1

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check installed GitLab version
    Run `sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info` or check /opt/gitlab/version to get the exact version number installed in your environment
    Affected if The version falls within >= 14.2, < 15.9.6 OR >= 15.10, < 15.10.5 OR >= 15.11, < 15.11.1
  2. Verify SAML Group SSO is configured
    Navigate to Admin Area > Settings > SAML SSO or check Group > Settings > SAML SSO to see if any SAML identity provider is linked for group access
    Affected if SAML Group SSO is enabled and configured for any top-level group or subgroup
  3. Inspect SAML settings for RelayState handling
    Review the GitLab SAML configuration file at /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb for `gitlab_rails['gitlab_saml_enabled']` setting or check via API: GET /groups/:id/saml_identities
    Affected if SAML SSO is enabled and the RelayState parameter can be controlled in authentication requests
  4. Review authentication logs for anomalous SAML flows
    Check GitLab production logs for entries containing 'SAML' and 'RelayState' around authentication events: `sudo gitlab-ctl tail production.log | grep -i saml`
    Affected if Unusual RelayState values appear in logs or authentication requests originate from unexpected sources

You are affected if your GitLab version is in the vulnerable range AND SAML Group SSO is currently enabled and configured for group authentication.

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 15.9.6 / 15.10.5 / 15.11.1 or later
Fixed in 15.9.615.10.515.11.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab to version 15.9.6, 15.10.5, 15.11.1 or later. Verify if Group SAML SSO is enabled and audit for suspicious authentication activity.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to GitLab 15.9.6, 15.10.5, or 15.11.1 (or later stable release)

  1. Back up your GitLab instance data and configuration before proceeding with the upgrade
  2. Plan your upgrade path based on your current version - if on 14.2-14.x, upgrade to 15.9.6 first then to latest; if on 15.10.x, upgrade to 15.10.5 or later; if on 15.11.x, upgrade to 15.11.1 or later
  3. Review GitLab upgrade documentation for your installation method (omnibus, source, etc.)
  4. Stop GitLab services before upgrade
  5. Perform the upgrade to the appropriate fixed version (minimum 15.9.6, 15.10.5, or 15.11.1 depending on your starting branch)
  6. After upgrade, verify that Group SAML SSO functionality works correctly
  7. If Group SAML SSO is in use, verify that the RelayState parameter is now properly validated
Caveat Review GitLab release notes for breaking changes between your current version and target version; test upgrade in staging environment first

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

Fix this in GitLab Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

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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-2023-1965 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