CVE-2023-2001 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 06/07/2023
An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions before 15.10.8, all versions starting from 15.11 before 15.11.7, all versions starting from 16.0 before 16.0.2. An attacker was able to spoof protected tags, which could potentially lead a victim to download malicious code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2025
This vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of version control systems by enabling tag spoofing attacks. The issue affects multiple version ranges including all releases before 15.10.8, versions from 15.11.x before 15.11.7, and 16.0.x before 16.0.2, demonstrating a widespread impact across the GitLab product line. The vulnerability specifically targets the protected tag mechanism that is designed to prevent unauthorized modifications to version tags, which are critical for software distribution and security verification processes.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within GitLab's tag protection system, allowing attackers to manipulate or forge protected tags through carefully crafted requests. This vulnerability operates at the core of GitLab's access control and authentication framework, where the system fails to properly verify the authenticity of tag operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness to create malicious tags that appear legitimate to users, potentially leading to the execution of unauthorized code when users pull or clone repositories using these forged tags. The underlying issue is classified under CWE-284 Access Control, which specifically addresses inadequate access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to perform privileged operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple code manipulation, as it fundamentally compromises the trust model that developers rely upon when using GitLab for software distribution. When users encounter what appears to be a legitimate protected tag, they may unknowingly download and execute malicious code that has been inserted into the repository. This creates a significant risk for organizations that depend on GitLab for their software development and deployment processes, particularly those that use protected tags as part of their release management workflows. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including direct API manipulation, repository manipulation, or by leveraging existing access privileges within the GitLab instance.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1556.002 Credential Access - Brute Force, as attackers can potentially exploit the tag protection bypass to gain unauthorized access to repository resources. The attack chain typically involves identifying protected tag configurations, crafting malicious tag operations, and then distributing the forged tags to victims through various means such as repository cloning or API requests. Organizations that have not updated to the patched versions remain vulnerable to supply chain attacks where malicious actors could inject compromised code into legitimate software releases, potentially affecting thousands of downstream users who trust the integrity of GitLab-protected tags. The remediation requires immediate patching of affected systems to ensure that proper authentication and authorization checks are enforced for all tag operations, restoring the integrity of the version control system and protecting against potential code injection attacks.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in collaborative development environments where multiple stakeholders rely on the integrity of version control systems. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that many organizations use GitLab for their continuous integration and deployment pipelines, where protected tags are often used to mark stable releases and security patches. Without proper protection, attackers can manipulate these critical points in the software development lifecycle, potentially leading to widespread compromise across multiple applications and systems that depend on the affected repositories. The security implications extend to software supply chain integrity, as users may unknowingly incorporate malicious code into their applications through trusted release tags, creating cascading security risks throughout the software ecosystem.