CVE-2023-5207 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
A vulnerability was discovered in GitLab CE and EE affecting all versions starting 16.0 prior to 16.2.8, 16.3 prior to 16.3.5, and 16.4 prior to 16.4.1. An authenticated attacker could perform arbitrary pipeline execution under the context of another user.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2025
This vulnerability in GitLab CE and EE represents a critical privilege escalation flaw that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary pipeline jobs under the context of different users within the same project. The issue stems from insufficient access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions when initiating pipeline executions. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to resources and potentially escalate their privileges within the system. The vulnerability affects multiple version branches including 16.0 through 16.3 and 16.4, with specific patch releases required to remediate the issue.
The technical flaw manifests in the pipeline execution workflow where the system does not adequately verify whether the requesting user has proper authorization to execute pipelines for other users. This misconfiguration creates a path for attackers to manipulate pipeline execution contexts and potentially access sensitive data or systems that should be restricted to authorized personnel. The vulnerability is classified as an access control issue that violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper authorization checking. This weakness directly relates to common weakness enumeration CWE-284 which describes improper access control vulnerabilities in software systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized pipeline execution to potentially enable more severe security breaches. An attacker could leverage this flaw to execute malicious code within the pipeline environment, access confidential project information, or even compromise the underlying infrastructure. The vulnerability affects both GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition, making it a widespread concern across different deployment scenarios. Organizations using affected versions face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data exposure through compromised pipeline execution contexts.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected GitLab installations to versions 16.2.8, 16.3.5, or 16.4.1 depending on the specific version in use. Additionally, organizations should implement enhanced monitoring of pipeline execution activities and user permissions to detect anomalous behavior. Security teams should conduct thorough reviews of existing pipeline configurations and access controls to identify potential exploitation vectors. The vulnerability aligns with attack techniques described in the attack pattern taxonomy under privilege escalation methods that exploit weak access control mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as pipeline job authorization checks and user activity auditing to reduce the risk of successful exploitation.