CVE-2025-0516
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an improper authorization vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE that allows users with limited permissions to perform unauthorized actions on critical project data. It affects all GitLab instances running versions 17.7 through 17.7.3 and 17.8 through 17.8.1. Attackers with any level of access could potentially modify or delete important project information they shouldn't have access to.
💻 Affected Systems
- GitLab Community Edition
- GitLab Enterprise Edition
📦 What is this software?
Gitlab by Gitlab
GitLab is a complete DevOps platform providing source code management, CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, container registry, and collaboration tools used by millions of developers and thousands of enterprises worldwide. As both a cloud-hosted SaaS offering (GitLab.com) and self-managed software, G...
Learn more about Gitlab →Gitlab by Gitlab
GitLab is a complete DevOps platform providing source code management, CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, container registry, and collaboration tools used by millions of developers and thousands of enterprises worldwide. As both a cloud-hosted SaaS offering (GitLab.com) and self-managed software, G...
Learn more about Gitlab →Gitlab by Gitlab
GitLab is a complete DevOps platform providing source code management, CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, container registry, and collaboration tools used by millions of developers and thousands of enterprises worldwide. As both a cloud-hosted SaaS offering (GitLab.com) and self-managed software, G...
Learn more about Gitlab →Gitlab by Gitlab
GitLab is a complete DevOps platform providing source code management, CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, container registry, and collaboration tools used by millions of developers and thousands of enterprises worldwide. As both a cloud-hosted SaaS offering (GitLab.com) and self-managed software, G...
Learn more about Gitlab →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with minimal permissions could delete or modify critical project data, repositories, or configurations, potentially causing data loss or service disruption.
Likely Case
Users with limited access could perform actions beyond their intended permissions, such as modifying project settings, deleting branches, or altering access controls.
If Mitigated
With proper monitoring and least privilege principles, unauthorized actions could be detected and rolled back before significant damage occurs.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but minimal permissions. The vulnerability is in authorization logic, making exploitation straightforward for authenticated users.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 17.7.4, 17.8.2
Vendor Advisory: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/513540
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup your GitLab instance. 2. Update to GitLab 17.7.4 or 17.8.2 using your preferred method (Omnibus package, Docker, source). 3. Restart GitLab services. 4. Verify the update completed successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Temporary permission restrictions
allTighten project permissions and review user access levels to minimize potential damage.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and review all user permissions regularly.
- Enable comprehensive audit logging and monitor for unauthorized project modifications.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check GitLab version via admin dashboard or run: sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info | grep 'GitLab version'Check Version:
sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info | grep 'GitLab version'Verify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify version is 17.7.4 or 17.8.2 or higher using the same command.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized project modification attempts in audit logs
- Users performing actions beyond their permission level
Network Indicators:
- Unusual API calls to project modification endpoints from low-privilege users
SIEM Query:
source="gitlab" AND (event_type="project_modified" OR event_type="repository_modified") AND user_permission_level="guest" OR user_permission_level="reporter"