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GitLabApplication

CVE-2023-3102

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-07-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 16.0.6 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
A sensitive information leak issue has been discovered in GitLab EE affecting all versions starting from 16.0 before 16.0.6, all versions starting from 16.1 before 16.1.1, which allows access to titles of private issue and MR.

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

This is an information disclosure vulnerability in GitLab EE where improper authorization allows authenticated users to view titles of private issues and merge requests they should not have access to. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access control checks in the API or web interface that expose sensitive title metadata despite the content being properly protected.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab EE to version 16.0.6 or later, or 16.1.1 or later, to patch the authorization bypass. Verify after upgrade that private issue/MR titles are not visible to unauthorized users.

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:>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.6= 16.1.0

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
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/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 the GitLab admin panel under Help > Version to see the currently installed GitLab EE version.
    Affected if The installed version is 16.0.0 through 16.0.5, or exactly 16.1.0.
  2. Verify project access control is enabled
    Confirm that at least one private project exists with issues or merge requests. Check in the project Settings > General > Visibility that 'Private' is selected for project visibility.
    Affected if Private projects with issues or MRs exist in the GitLab instance.
  3. Test unauthorized title access via API
    Create two different user accounts - User A with access to a private project, and User B without access. As User B, attempt to query the API endpoint for the private project issues (e.g., GET /api/v4/projects/:id/issues) or MRs without proper authorization, and observe if issue/MR titles are returned.
    Affected if User B (unauthorized) can retrieve titles of private issues or MRs via API without receiving a 404 or 403 error.
  4. Test unauthorized title access via web UI
    As an authenticated user without project access, navigate directly to the URL of a private issue or MR (e.g., /:namespace/:project/issues/:iid) and check if the title is displayed in the response.
    Affected if The title of a private issue or merge request is visible to an unauthorized authenticated user.

If the GitLab version falls within 16.0.0-16.0.5 or 16.1.0 AND private issues/MRs are present, an unauthorized authenticated user should be tested to confirm they cannot view titles that should be restricted.

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 16.0.6 or later
Fixed in 16.0.6
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab EE to version 16.0.6 or later, or 16.1.1 or later, to patch the authorization bypass. Verify after upgrade that private issue/MR titles are not visible to unauthorized users.

Recommended fix High confidence

GitLab EE 16.0.6 or later in the 16.0.x series; GitLab EE 16.1.1 or later in the 16.1.x series

  1. 1. Identify current GitLab version by running `sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info` or checking the GitLab admin dashboard
  2. 2. For GitLab EE versions 16.0.0 through 16.0.5: Plan upgrade to GitLab EE 16.0.6 or later (preferably latest 16.0.x stable)
  3. 3. For GitLab EE version 16.1.0: Plan upgrade to GitLab EE 16.1.1 or later (preferably latest 16.1.x stable)
  4. 4. Review GitLab upgrade documentation and perform a full backup before upgrading
  5. 5. Execute the upgrade following GitLab's official upgrade path for your deployment method (omnibus, source, etc.)
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify the fix by confirming that private issue and merge request titles are no longer accessible to unauthorized users
Caveat Review GitLab 16.0 and 16.1 release notes for any breaking changes specific to your deployment; standard upgrade precautions apply

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

Fix this in GitLab Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2023-3102 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