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GitLabApplication

CVE-2023-3385

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 16.0.8 / 16.1.3 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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 affecting all versions starting from 8.10 before 16.0.8, all versions starting from 16.1 before 16.1.3, all versions starting from 16.2 before 16.2.2. Under specific circumstances, a user importing a project 'from export' could access and read unrelated files via uploading a specially crafted file. This was due to a bug in `tar`, fixed in [`tar-1.35`](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnu/2023-07/msg00005.html).

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 path traversal vulnerability in GitLab's project import feature allows authenticated users to read arbitrary files on the server by uploading a specially crafted tar archive during project import from export. The vulnerability stems from a bug in the tar library used by GitLab.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab to version 16.0.8, 16.1.3, 16.2.2 or later to resolve the tar parsing bug. Until upgraded, disable or restrict project import from export for untrusted 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:>= 8.10, < 16.0.8>= 16.1, < 16.1.3>= 16.2, < 16.2.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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. Determine installed GitLab version
    Run command: gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info or check /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-rails/VERSION file
    Affected if Version falls within < 16.0.8, or >= 16.1.0 and < 16.1.3, or >= 16.2.0 and < 16.2.2
  2. Verify project import from export feature status
    Check GitLab admin settings at /admin/application_settings/import_export or review gitlab_rails['gitlab_import_export_enabled'] in gitlab.rb configuration file
    Affected if Import from export feature is enabled and accessible to users
  3. Confirm user access to import functionality
    Review which users/groups have permission to import projects by checking project import settings in admin panel or group settings
    Affected if Authenticated users or members with import permissions exist in the system
  4. Check if import source restrictions are applied
    Examine admin import settings for allowed import sources and whether import from export is restricted to admins only
    Affected if Non-admin users have ability to import projects from export
  5. Audit recent import events
    Review GitLab audit logs for project import_from_export events using admin area logs or API: GET /audit_events?entity_type=Project&audit_event_type=import_export_import
    Affected if Recent project imports from export have occurred in the environment

Environment is affected if running a GitLab version within the vulnerable ranges AND the project import from export feature is enabled for authenticated users who can trigger the tar parsing bug.

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 16.0.8 / 16.1.3 / 16.2.2 or later
Fixed in 16.0.816.1.316.2.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab to version 16.0.8, 16.1.3, 16.2.2 or later to resolve the tar parsing bug. Until upgraded, disable or restrict project import from export for untrusted users.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to GitLab 16.0.8 (or latest 16.0.x), 16.1.3 (or latest 16.1.x), or 16.2.2 (or latest 16.2.x) depending on your current version branch

  1. 1. Identify current GitLab version by navigating to Admin Area > Monitoring > Version (or running `gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info`)
  2. 2. Determine which version branch you are on (16.0.x, 16.1.x, or 16.2.x)
  3. 3. For GitLab installations using Omnibus: Run `gitlab-ctl stop` to stop services
  4. 4. For source installations: Stop the GitLab service
  5. 5. Create a full backup using `gitlab-backup-create` or the appropriate backup method for your installation type
  6. 6. Update GitLab to the appropriate version: If on 16.0.x, upgrade to 16.0.8 or later; if on 16.1.x, upgrade to 16.1.3 or later; if on 16.2.x, upgrade to 16.2.2 or later. For Omnibus: use `apt-get update && apt-get install gitlab-ce` (or ee) or download the specific package. For source: follow the upgrade docs for your installation method
  7. 7. Reconfigure GitLab: For Omnibus run `gitlab-ctl reconfigure`; for source run `bundle exec rake gitlab:shell:setup RAILS_ENV=production`
  8. 8. Verify the upgrade by checking the version at Admin Area > Monitoring > Version
Caveat Review GitLab 16.x upgrade notes for breaking changes; major upgrades between GitLab versions may require additional migration steps and downtime

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
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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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-2023-3385 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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