GitLabApplication
CVE-2023-2164
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 · uneditedAn issue has been discovered in GitLab affecting all versions starting from 15.9 before 16.0.8, all versions starting from 16.1 before 16.1.3, all versions starting from 16.2 before 16.2.2. It was possible for an attacker to trigger a stored XSS vulnerability via user interaction with a crafted URL in the WebIDE beta.
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 confidenceA stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in GitLab's WebIDE beta feature. Attackers can inject malicious scripts through crafted URLs that get stored and executed when users interact with the WebIDE, potentially compromising sessions or stealing credentials.
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
>= 15.9, < 16.0.8>= 16.1, < 16.1.3>= 16.2, < 16.2.2CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed GitLab versionRun `gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info` or access the GitLab admin dashboard Help > Version to see the running versionAffected if The installed version falls within 15.9 to 16.0.7, 16.1.0 to 16.1.2, or 16.2.0 to 16.2.1
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Verify WebIDE beta feature is enabledNavigate to Project Settings > General > Visibility or check via GitLab admin area under Features or Feature Flags. Alternatively, query the GitLab Rails console for feature flag status: `Feature.enabled?(:ide_beta)`Affected if The WebIDE beta feature flag (:ide_beta) is set to enabled
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Check project webhooks or pipeline triggersReview any project or group webhooks and pipeline triggers for suspicious entries that may have been injected via crafted URLs interacting with WebIDEAffected if Unexpected or malicious webhooks exist that were not created by legitimate administrators
A user is affected if their GitLab version is within the vulnerable ranges AND the WebIDE beta feature is currently enabled, allowing stored XSS payloads to be executed when users access the WebIDE.
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.
dbcve · scoped16.0.816.1.316.2.2
Upgrade GitLab to version 16.0.8, 16.1.3, 16.2.2 or later. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, disable the WebIDE beta feature as a temporary workaround.
16.2.2 (or 16.1.3 or 16.0.8 depending on your current major.minor branch)
- Identify the currently running GitLab version within the affected ranges (15.9-16.0.7, 16.1-16.1.2, or 16.2-16.2.1)
- Plan the upgrade ensuring compatibility with your current GitLab installation method (Omnibus, source, or Docker)
- Review GitLab upgrade documentation for your specific installation method
- Execute the upgrade to a fixed version: 16.0.8 or later, 16.1.3 or later, or 16.2.2 or later
- Verify the upgrade completed successfully
- Confirm the WebIDE beta functionality works as expected post-upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in GitLab
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-2164 — 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-2023-2164 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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