CVE-2021-22166Network attack vector

Prometheus service interruption via malformed HTTP methods

Published Jan 15, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Uncontrolled resource consumption in GitLab 13.7.0 through 13.7.1 allows remote attackers to interrupt Prometheus via a malformed HTTP method. GitLab identifies Prometheus request handling and the attacker-controlled method as the trigger but has not published the resource-consumption operation. No authentication or user interaction is required, and the reported consequence is limited to Prometheus availability.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability1.38%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled resource consumption in GitLab 13.7.0 through 13.7.1 allows remote attackers to interrupt Prometheus via a malformed HTTP method. GitLab identifies Prometheus request handling and the attacker-controlled method as the trigger but has not published the resource-consumption operation. No authentication or user interaction is required, and the reported consequence is limited to Prometheus availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-22166
Published
Jan 15, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
GitLab
Product
GitLab
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 15, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=>=13.7, <13.7.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

GitLab · GitLabversion=>=13.7, <13.7.2

Published CVSS scores

5.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.3GitLab Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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