Repository hash overwrite via hexadecimal branch import
Published Jan 27, 2023 · Updated Mar 27, 2025
Type confusion in GitLab CE/EE before 15.6.1, 15.5.5, and 15.4.6 allows remote authenticated users to overwrite a repository hash. During URL-based repository import, after_import calls remove_prohibited_branches before expiring a stale existence cache, so the check returns early and retains a 40-character hexadecimal branch. The user must have repository-import access and supply the hexadecimal branch; successful exploitation changes repository references and can interrupt repository use.
Summary
What happened
Type confusion in GitLab CE/EE before 15.6.1, 15.5.5, and 15.4.6 allows remote authenticated users to overwrite a repository hash. During URL-based repository import, after_import calls remove_prohibited_branches before expiring a stale existence cache, so the check returns early and retains a 40-character hexadecimal branch. The user must have repository-import access and supply the hexadecimal branch; successful exploitation changes repository references and can interrupt repository use.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-4205
- Published
- Jan 27, 2023
- Updated
- Mar 27, 2025
- Vendor
- GitLab
- Product
- GitLab
- Classifications
- CWE-843, T1565.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 27, 2025Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=>=1.0, <12.9.8
- Affected versionversion=>=15.5, <15.5.5
- Affected versionversion=>=15.6, <15.6.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GitLab issue 374082 reproductionproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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