GitLabApplication
CVE-2025-8770
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 EE affecting all versions from 18.0 prior to 18.0.6, 18.1 prior to 18.1.4, and 18.2 prior to 18.2.2 that could have allowed authenticated users with specific access to bypass merge request approval policies by manipulating approval rule identifiers.
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 confidenceGitLab EE versions 18.0 prior to 18.0.6, 18.1 prior to 18.1.4, and 18.2 prior to 18.2.2 contain an authorization bypass in the merge request approval subsystem. Authenticated users with project access can manipulate approval rule identifiers to bypass configured approval policies, allowing changes to bypass required review workflows.
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
>= 18.0.0, < 18.0.6>= 18.1.0, < 18.1.4>= 18.2.0, < 18.2.2CVSS 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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Check installed GitLab EE versionRun 'gitlab-rake gitlab:version' or check the GitLab admin area under '/help' to obtain the exact version numberAffected if The version is 18.0.0 through 18.0.5, 18.1.0 through 18.1.3, or 18.2.0 through 18.2.1 (the version falls within any of the three affected ranges)
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Verify merge request approval rules are configuredNavigate to Project Settings > Merge request approvals in the GitLab UI, or use the API endpoint GET /projects/:id/approval_rules to list configured approval rulesAffected if One or more approval rules or approval policies exist that enforce required reviews before merging
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Confirm project merge requests use approval rulesReview active merge requests in the affected projects and check whether any require approval based on configured rulesAffected if Any merge requests exist that are subject to approval requirements, meaning the vulnerable approval subsystem is in active use
You are affected if your GitLab EE version is 18.0.0-18.0.5, 18.1.0-18.1.3, or 18.2.0-18.2.1 AND you have merge request approval rules configured that could be bypassed.
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 · scoped18.0.618.1.418.2.2
Upgrade GitLab EE to version 18.0.6, 18.1.4, or 18.2.2 or later. After upgrading, verify that merge request approval policies are functioning correctly and that unauthorized changes cannot bypass required approvals.
18.0.6, 18.1.4, or 18.2.2 depending on your current branch
- Back up your GitLab instance data and configuration before proceeding
- Update GitLab to the appropriate fixed version based on your current installation: 18.0.6 (if on 18.0.x), 18.1.4 (if on 18.1.x), or 18.2.2 (if on 18.2.x)
- For Omnibus installations: run 'gitlab-ctl upgrade' or download the appropriate package from gitlab.com/installers
- For source installations: follow the standard upgrade procedure for GitLab, checking out the specific tag
- Run 'gitlab-ctl reconfigure' to apply configuration changes
- Restart GitLab services if not automatically done by reconfigure
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the GitLab version (Admin Area > Overview > Version)
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 / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-8770 — 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-2025-8770 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
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