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GitLabApplication

CVE-2023-2030

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-01-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 16.5.6 / 16.6.4 or later.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 12.2 prior to 16.5.6, 16.6 prior to 16.6.4, and 16.7 prior to 16.7.2 in which an attacker could potentially modify the metadata of signed commits.

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 CE/EE versions 12.2 through 16.7.1 contain a flaw where an attacker could potentially modify the metadata of cryptographically signed commits. Signed commits rely on cryptographic signatures to verify author identity and commit integrity; this vulnerability allows metadata manipulation while potentially preserving the appearance of a valid signature, undermining the trust model of commit signing.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab to version 16.5.6, 16.6.4, or 16.7.2 or later. For systems on older major versions, plan a staged upgrade path to reach a patched release.

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:>= 12.2.0, < 16.5.6>= 16.6.0, < 16.6.4= 16.7.0= 16.7.1

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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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 version
    Run command: gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info OR check /opt/gitlab/version AND /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-rails/VERSION file
    Affected if Version falls within >= 12.2.0 and < 16.5.6, OR >= 16.6.0 and < 16.6.4, OR equals 16.7.0 or 16.7.1
  2. Verify GPG signed commit feature is in use
    Review repository settings at Settings > Repository > Sign commits and Settings > Repository > Sign tags, or query the database: SELECT * FROM project_settings WHERE sign_commit_enabled = true OR sign_tag_enabled = true;
    Affected if Signed commits or signed tags are enabled on any project
  3. Check for existing signed commits in repositories
    Run: git log --show-signature on repositories or query database: SELECT COUNT(*) FROM signatures WHERE signature_type = 'GPG';
    Affected if Any GPG-signed commits exist in the GitLab instance
  4. Verify commit verification settings
    Review GitLab merge request settings and protected branch rules to confirm enforcement of signed commits is required, check: Settings > Repository > Protected branches > Require signed commits
    Affected if Protected branches or merge requests require or rely on commit signatures for verification

The environment is affected if GitLab version falls within the affected ranges AND the instance uses GPG-signed commits for commit verification or trust validation.

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 16.5.6 / 16.6.4 or later
Fixed in 16.5.616.6.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab to version 16.5.6, 16.6.4, or 16.7.2 or later. For systems on older major versions, plan a staged upgrade path to reach a patched release.

Recommended fix High confidence

16.5.6, 16.6.4, or 16.7.2 (or later)

  1. 1. Back up your GitLab instance data and configuration
  2. 2. Plan your upgrade following GitLab's official upgrade path documentation for your current version
  3. 3. Upgrade to one of the fixed releases: 16.5.6, 16.6.4, or 16.7.2 (or later)
  4. 4. After upgrade, verify that signed commit metadata cannot be modified by testing with a test repository
  5. 5. Review commit signatures in existing repositories to ensure integrity
Caveat Major GitLab upgrades may require database migrations; review release notes for breaking changes between your current and target version

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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-2030 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