GitLabApplication
CVE-2024-0402
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 from 16.0 prior to 16.6.6, 16.7 prior to 16.7.4, and 16.8 prior to 16.8.1 which allows an authenticated user to write files to arbitrary locations on the GitLab server while creating a workspace.
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 confidenceA path traversal vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE allows authenticated users to write files to arbitrary locations on the server during workspace creation. This file write capability combined with the ability to write to any path makes remote code execution straightforward.
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
>= 16.0.0, < 16.5.8>= 16.6.0, < 16.6.6>= 16.7.0, < 16.7.4= 16.8.0CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
-
Identify GitLab versionRun 'gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info' or check Admin Area > Help > Version. Compare the version number against the affected ranges: 16.0.0 to 16.5.7, 16.6.0 to 16.6.5, 16.7.0 to 16.7.3, and 16.8.0 exactly.Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: >= 16.0.0 and < 16.5.8, >= 16.6.0 and < 16.6.6, >= 16.7.0 and < 16.7.4, or equals 16.8.0.
-
Confirm workspace creation is enabledNavigate to Admin Area > Settings > CI/CD > General and locate the 'Workspaces' section, or run 'gitlab-ctl show-config 2>/dev/null | grep -i workspace' to inspect the configuration.Affected if Workspaces are enabled and users have access to create them.
-
Verify user permissions for workspace creationCheck which users or groups can create workspaces by reviewing project/group settings under CI/CD settings, or inspect the API endpoint /api/v4/projects/:id/workspaces if it responds without permission errors.Affected if Authenticated users with write access to repositories can create workspaces.
-
Inspect for unauthorized files outside expected directoriesSearch for files with modified timestamps after the vulnerability disclosure (January 2024) in locations outside /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-runner and project-specific directories. Use 'find / -newerct 2024-01-01 -type f 2>/dev/null' as a starting point, focusing on system directories like /etc, /opt, or /var/www.Affected if Files exist in unexpected system directories with recent modification dates, indicating potential exploitation.
You are affected if your GitLab version is in the vulnerable range AND workspace creation is enabled for authenticated users.
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 · scoped16.5.816.6.616.7.4
Upgrade GitLab to version 16.6.6, 16.7.4, 16.8.1 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict or disable workspace creation features for untrusted users.
16.8.1 or later stable release
- 1. Back up your GitLab instance database and repositories before upgrading.
- 2. For Omnibus installations, run: sudo gitlab-ctl stop
- 3. Download and install the appropriate GitLab version for your operating system from https://about.gitlab.com/install/ or https://packages.gitlab.com/gitlab/gitlab-ee
- 4. For Omnibus: sudo gitlab-ctl start or sudo gitlab-ctl restart
- 5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the GitLab version at /help or running: sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info
- 6. Confirm the vulnerability is patched by verifying the GitLab version is 16.5.8+, 16.6.6+, 16.7.4+, or 16.8.1+
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 / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-0402 — 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-2024-0402 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
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.
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.
- 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