CVE-2021-39943Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Status-check approval spoofing via inherited merge-request permission

Published Feb 9, 2022 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Incorrect authorization in GitLab EE allows remote authenticated users to spoof external status-check approval on a merge request. The API's find_merge_request_with_access check requests approve_merge_request, but policy inheritance grants that permission through update_merge_request to Guest authors and assignees. A personal access token and an Ultimate-tier project with an external status check are required; the forged approval can falsely mark an unchecked merge request as accepted.

CVSS severity4.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.87%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in GitLab EE allows remote authenticated users to spoof external status-check approval on a merge request. The API's find_merge_request_with_access check requests approve_merge_request, but policy inheritance grants that permission through update_merge_request to Guest authors and assignees. A personal access token and an Ultimate-tier project with an external status check are required; the forged approval can falsely mark an unchecked merge request as accepted.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-39943
Published
Feb 9, 2022
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
GitLab
Product
GitLab
Classifications
CWE-863, T1565.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 9, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 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=>=14.1.0, <14.3.6
  2. Affected versionversion=>=14.4.0, <14.4.4
  3. Affected versionversion=>=14.5.0, <14.5.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

GitLab · GitLabversion=>=14.1.0, <14.3.6; version=>=14.4.0, <14.4.4; version=>=14.5.0, <14.5.2

Published CVSS scores

4.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N
4.3GitLab Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization
T1565.001Stored Data Manipulation

Public exploit references

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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