CVE-2023-3401: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') in GitLab

Severity: medium (CVSS 6.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.6% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2023-08-02 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-94

Description

An issue has been discovered in GitLab affecting all versions before 16.0.8, all versions starting from 16.1 before 16.1.3, all versions starting from 16.2 before 16.2.2. The main branch of a repository with a specially designed name allows an attacker to create repositories with malicious code.

Affected products

GitLab: before 16.0.8; from 16.1 before 16.1.3; from 16.2 before 16.2.2 — fixed in 16.0.8, 16.1.3, 16.2.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: GitLab 16.0.8, 16.1.3, 16.2.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/416252
https://hackerone.com/reports/2031845
https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/416252
https://hackerone.com/reports/2031845

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