GitLab: Missing Authorization
CVE-2025-5121 is a critical-severity missing authorization vulnerability in GitLab, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 17.11.4, 18.0.2 as the first without the flaw, so updating GitLab to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 12.4% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is in the top 3.72% of all scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update GitLab to 17.11.4 or 18.0.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitLab | GitLab | 17.11 up to, but not including, 17.11.4; 18.0 up to, but not including, 18.0.2 | 17.11.4, 18.0.2 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.5 | High | CNA (gitlab.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 9.9 | Critical | NVD |
Official description
An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 17.11 before 17.11.4 and 18.0 before 18.0.2. A missing authorization check may have allowed compliance frameworks to be applied to projects outside the compliance framework's group.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Authorization
The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
- Ensure that access control checks are performed related to the business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that are applied to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to the patient and the patient's doctor.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
- hackerone.com/reports/3153908Permissions Required
Other vulnerabilities in GitLab
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 7.3 High severity
Recent Missing Authorization vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.6 High severity
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