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GitLabApplication

CVE-2024-6502

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 17.1.6 / 17.2.4 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 was discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 8.2 prior to 17.1.6 starting from 17.2 prior to 17.2.4, and starting from 17.3 prior to 17.3.1, which allows an attacker to create a branch with the same name as a deleted tag.

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

GitLab CE/EE fails to properly validate branch names against deleted tags, allowing an attacker to create a branch using a name that previously existed as a deleted tag. This creates potential reference confusion and could be exploited for social engineering or repository management confusion attacks.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab to version 17.1.6, 17.2.4, or 17.3.1 or later to resolve the improper validation of branch names against deleted tag references.

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:>= 8.2.0, < 17.1.6>= 17.2.0, < 17.2.4>= 17.3.0, < 17.3.1

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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check GitLab version
    Run `sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info` or access Admin Area > Overview > System Info to view the installed GitLab version
    Affected if The installed version falls within >= 8.2.0 and < 17.1.6, OR >= 17.2.0 and < 17.2.4, OR >= 17.3.0 and < 17.3.1
  2. Verify API version endpoint
    Query `GET /api/v4/version` on your GitLab instance to confirm the exact version number
    Affected if The returned version matches the affected ranges listed above
  3. Identify branches with potential tag name conflicts
    List all branches in affected repositories using `GET /api/v4/projects/:id/repository/branches` and compare branch names against current tag list from `GET /api/v4/projects/:id/repository/tags`
    Affected if A branch exists with a name that matches a currently existing tag name, indicating the validation flaw may have allowed this collision

You are affected if your GitLab version is within the vulnerable ranges AND you have branches whose names match existing tags, suggesting the improper branch-to-deleted-tag validation occurred.

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 17.1.6 / 17.2.4 / 17.3.1 or later
Fixed in 17.1.617.2.417.3.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab to version 17.1.6, 17.2.4, or 17.3.1 or later to resolve the improper validation of branch names against deleted tag references.

Recommended fix High confidence

17.1.6, 17.2.4, or 17.3.1 (or latest 17.3.x release)

  1. Before upgrading, create a full backup of your GitLab instance (database, repositories, attachments)
  2. Review the GitLab upgrade documentation for your specific installation method (Omnibus, source, Docker, Helm)
  3. Ensure your current version is compatible with the target upgrade path - GitLab recommends upgrading one minor version at a time
  4. Schedule a maintenance window as upgrades may require downtime
  5. For Omnibus installations: run 'gitlab-ctl backup-etc' and 'gitlab-backup-create' before starting
  6. For Docker: stop the container, pull the new image, then recreate the container with the same volume mounts
  7. After upgrade, run 'gitlab-rake gitlab:check' to verify the installation
  8. For Enterprise Edition: ensure you have a valid license for the target version
Caveat Review GitLab release notes for breaking changes between your current and target version before upgrading

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
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.

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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-2024-6502 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