dbcve.org
GitLabApplication

CVE-2023-3399

HIGH · 7.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.9.8 / 12.10.7 or later.
See remediation →
83/100
Remediation priority · High
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 EE affecting all versions starting from 11.6 before 16.3.6, all versions starting from 16.4 before 16.4.2, all versions starting from 16.5 before 16.5.1. It was possible for an unauthorised project or group member to read the CI/CD variables using the custom project templates.

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 authorization bypass vulnerability in GitLab EE where an unauthorized project or group member could read CI/CD variables through custom project templates. The vulnerability allows exposure of sensitive environment variables that typically contain secrets, API tokens, and credentials used in CI/CD pipelines.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab EE to versions 16.3.6, 16.4.2, 16.5.1 or later. Additionally, audit CI/CD variables to rotate any potentially exposed secrets and review member permissions on projects using custom templates.

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:>= 11.6.0, < 12.9.8>= 12.10.0, < 12.10.7= 13.0.0

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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. Identify the installed GitLab EE version
    Run `gitlab-rake gitlab:version` or check the GitLab admin panel under /help for the exact version number
    Affected if The installed version falls within >= 11.6.0 AND < 12.9.8, OR >= 12.10.0 AND < 12.10.7, OR exactly 13.0.0
  2. Determine if custom project templates are in use
    Check GitLab admin settings at /admin/application_settings/templates or review projects created from templates in the group template settings
    Affected if Any projects were created using custom project templates from groups
  3. Audit project and group membership for unauthorized access
    Review member lists on projects using custom templates at Project Settings > Members, and check for users with Reporter, Guest, or minimal access roles who should not have visibility into CI/CD variables
    Affected if Projects using templates have members with access levels that could now improperly view CI/CD variables due to the authorization bypass
  4. Inspect CI/CD variable visibility settings
    Navigate to Project Settings > CI/CD > Variables and note which variables are marked as 'Public' versus masked or protected - the vulnerability allows reading variables that should be restricted
    Affected if CI/CD variables with secrets, API tokens, or credentials are visible to members who only have template-derived access and should not have read permission

A user is affected if their GitLab EE version matches the affected ranges AND they have projects using custom project templates with members who may have gained unauthorized read access to CI/CD variables.

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 12.9.8 / 12.10.7 or later
Fixed in 12.9.812.10.7
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab EE to versions 16.3.6, 16.4.2, 16.5.1 or later. Additionally, audit CI/CD variables to rotate any potentially exposed secrets and review member permissions on projects using custom templates.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

16.3.6, 16.4.2, or 16.5.1 (or later stable release)

  1. 1. Backup your GitLab instance and database before proceeding with the upgrade.
  2. 2. Identify your current GitLab version by navigating to the GitLab Admin area or running `gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info`.
  3. 3. Plan your upgrade path based on your current version: if on 11.6.x-12.x, upgrade to 12.9.8 first, then to a 16.x stable release; if on 13.0.0, upgrade directly to a 16.x stable release.
  4. 4. Review the GitLab upgrade documentation for your specific upgrade path at https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/update/.
  5. 5. Stop GitLab services using `gitlab-ctl stop`.
  6. 6. Install the desired fixed version (16.3.6, 16.4.2, or 16.5.1 or later) using your package manager or source.
  7. 7. Reconfigure GitLab using `gitlab-ctl reconfigure`.
  8. 8. Start GitLab services using `gitlab-ctl start`.
Caveat Review GitLab upgrade guides for breaking changes between your current version and target version; major version jumps may have significant configuration or feature changes.

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
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-3399 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-3399 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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