GitLabApplication
CVE-2023-3444
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 CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 15.3 before 15.11.10, all versions starting from 16.0 before 16.0.6, all versions starting from 16.1 before 16.1.1, which allows an attacker to merge arbitrary code into protected branches.
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 confidenceAn authorization bypass vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE allows authenticated attackers to merge arbitrary code into protected branches that should restrict such changes, effectively bypassing branch protection controls.
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
>= 15.3.0, < 15.11.10>= 16.0.0, < 16.0.6>= 16.1.0, < 16.1.1CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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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Determine your GitLab versionRun 'sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info' or check the GitLab admin area under /help for the exact version numberAffected if The installed version falls within >= 15.3.0, < 15.11.10 OR >= 16.0.0, < 16.0.6 OR >= 16.1.0, < 16.1.1
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Verify protected branches existNavigate to a project's Settings > Repository > Protected branches, or use the API endpoint GET /projects/:id/protected_branchesAffected if Any protected branches are defined in the GitLab instance
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Identify merge requests targeting protected branchesReview merge requests where the target branch is a protected branch. Check for any merge requests with 'Allow commits from members who can merge' or similar settings enabled, or examine merge request pipelines and approval status via the web UI or APIAffected if There are active or recently merged merge requests targeting protected branches in your projects
You are affected if your GitLab version is within the affected ranges AND you have protected branches with merge requests targeting them.
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 · scoped15.11.1016.0.616.1.1
Upgrade GitLab to version 15.11.10, 16.0.6, 16.1.1 or later to patch this authorization bypass in protected branch merge workflows.
15.11.10, 16.0.6, or 16.1.1 depending on your current major.minor branch
- Identify your current GitLab version using gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info
- Back up your GitLab database and repository data before upgrading
- Stop GitLab services (gitlab-ctl stop)
- Update GitLab to version 15.11.10 (if on 15.x), 16.0.6 (if on 16.0.x), or 16.1.1 (if on 16.1.x) using your package manager or omnibus installation method
- Run gitlab-ctl reconfigure after the package upgrade
- Start GitLab services (gitlab-ctl start)
- Verify the upgrade was successful and test protected branch merge functionality
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
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 locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-3444 — 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-2023-3444 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data