Maintainer-to-Owner escalation via unchecked token access level
Published Mar 9, 2023 · Updated Feb 28, 2025
Improper authorization in GitLab CE/EE before 15.7.8, 15.8.4, or 15.9.2 allows remote authenticated users to gain Owner access. The project access-token settings handler accepts a crafted access_level=50 form parameter without enforcing the Maintainer caller's role ceiling. A remote authenticated user must already maintain the project; the resulting Owner-scoped token can perform actions beyond Maintainer authority within that project.
Summary
What happened
Improper authorization in GitLab CE/EE before 15.7.8, 15.8.4, or 15.9.2 allows remote authenticated users to gain Owner access. The project access-token settings handler accepts a crafted access_level=50 form parameter without enforcing the Maintainer caller's role ceiling. A remote authenticated user must already maintain the project; the resulting Owner-scoped token can perform actions beyond Maintainer authority within that project.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-1084
- Published
- Mar 9, 2023
- Updated
- Feb 28, 2025
- Vendor
- GitLab
- Product
- GitLab
- Classifications
- T1098
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 9, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 28, 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=>=0.0, <15.7.8
- Affected versionversion=>=15.8, <15.8.4
- Affected versionversion=>=15.9, <15.9.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Crafted Owner-level project access token requestproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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