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GitLabApplication

CVE-2025-5101

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-08-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 18.1.5 / 18.2.5 or later.
See remediation →
50/100
Remediation priority · Moderate

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 CE/EE affecting all versions before 18.1.5, 18.2 before 18.2.5, and 18.3 before 18.3.1 that under certain conditions could have allowed an authenticated attacker to distribute malicious code that appears harmless in the web interface by taking advantage of ambiguity between branches and tags during repository imports.

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

In GitLab CE/EE versions before 18.1.5, 18.2 before 18.2.5, and 18.3 before 18.3.1, an authenticated attacker can exploit ambiguity between branches and tags during repository imports to make malicious code appear harmless in the web interface. The vulnerability allows attackers to import repositories where branch and tag names can be manipulated to obscure the true nature of code, deceiving users who view the repository through the web interface.

MitigationUpgrade GitLab to version 18.1.5, 18.2.5, 18.3.1 or later. Until upgrade is possible, restrict repository import functionality to trusted users and carefully review all imported repositories for suspicious branch/tag naming.

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:< 18.1.5>= 18.2.0, < 18.2.5= 18.3.0

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
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
High
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/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. Determine installed GitLab version
    Access the GitLab Admin area via web UI (go to Admin area > Dashboard or use /admin), or run `gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info` from the server shell, or check the version file at `/opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-rails/VERSION`
    Affected if The installed version is before 18.1.5, or between 18.2.0 and 18.2.4 inclusive, or exactly 18.3.0
  2. Verify repository import feature is accessible
    Check if the repository import functionality is enabled in Admin settings under Settings > Repository > Repository imports (or navigate to /admin/application_settings/repository on newer versions). Also verify if any user roles have permission to import repositories.
    Affected if Repository import is enabled and accessible to authenticated users (especially untrusted or external users)
  3. Identify recently imported repositories
    Use GitLab admin area to review imported repositories: go to Projects > filter by import type (look for 'git import' or similar import sources). Alternatively, query the database: `SELECT id, name, import_type, import_source, created_at FROM projects WHERE import_type IS NOT NULL AND import_type != '' ORDER BY created_at DESC;`
    Affected if Any repositories were imported from untrusted sources after the affected version was deployed
  4. Inspect branch and tag names in imported repositories
    For each imported repository, navigate to the repository and review all branches (Repository > Branches) and tags (Repository > Tags). Look for branches and tags with identical or very similar names that could cause visual ambiguity, or names containing special characters, hidden text, or attempts to mimic legitimate branch/tag names.
    Affected if Any branch/tag pairs exist with identical names, or tags with names that could obscure the actual branch content when viewed in the web interface

You are affected if your GitLab version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND repository import is enabled and has been used, with imported repositories potentially containing ambiguous branch/tag naming.

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 18.1.5 / 18.2.5 or later
Fixed in 18.1.518.2.5
Interim mitigation

Upgrade GitLab to version 18.1.5, 18.2.5, 18.3.1 or later. Until upgrade is possible, restrict repository import functionality to trusted users and carefully review all imported repositories for suspicious branch/tag naming.

Recommended fix High confidence

18.1.5, 18.2.5, or 18.3.1 (depending on your current major.minor branch; choose latest stable in that branch)

  1. Identify your current GitLab version using the GitLab UI or `gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info`
  2. If running a version before 18.1.5, upgrade to version 18.1.5 or later (preferably the latest 18.1.x stable release)
  3. If running version 18.2.0 through 18.2.4, upgrade to version 18.2.5 or later (preferably the latest 18.2.x stable release)
  4. If running version 18.3.0, upgrade to version 18.3.1 or later (preferably the latest 18.3.x stable release)
  5. After upgrade, verify the GitLab instance is functioning correctly
  6. Review release notes for any known issues in the target version
Caveat Review GitLab release notes for the target version for any known breaking changes or required manual migration steps before upgrading

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
  • Testing5.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,790
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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-2025-5101 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