CVE-2023-2022Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Developer protected-branch scheduling via ref-blind authorization

Published Aug 2, 2023 · Updated Nov 20, 2025

Missing authorization in affected GitLab CE/EE 16.x releases allows remote authenticated users to schedule pipelines on protected branches. Projects::PipelineSchedulesController authorizes against the project, while ProjectPolicy omits the target ref and its protected-branch merge permission. Developer access to the project is required; the demonstrated consequence is unauthorized schedule creation rather than broader repository access.

CVSS severity4.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.46%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Missing authorization in affected GitLab CE/EE 16.x releases allows remote authenticated users to schedule pipelines on protected branches. Projects::PipelineSchedulesController authorizes against the project, while ProjectPolicy omits the target ref and its protected-branch merge permission. Developer access to the project is required; the demonstrated consequence is unauthorized schedule creation rather than broader repository access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2022
Published
Aug 2, 2023
Updated
Nov 20, 2025
Vendor
GitLab
Product
GitLab
Classifications
CWE-862, T1053
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 2, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 20, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <16.0.8
  2. Affected versionversion=16.1.0 <16.1.3
  3. Affected versionversion=16.2.0 <16.2.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

GitLab · GitLabversion=0 <16.0.8; version=16.1.0 <16.1.3; version=16.2.0 <16.2.2

Published CVSS scores

4.3GitLab CNACVSS: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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-862Missing Authorization
T1053Scheduled Task/Job

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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