CVE-2023-5963Network attack vector

Search denial of service via chained operators

Published Nov 6, 2023 · Updated Jun 4, 2026

Resource exhaustion in affected GitLab EE Advanced Search releases allows remote authenticated users to interrupt search service. The Advanced Search query processor accepts and evaluates excessively long chains of syntax operators without enforcing a resource limit. Exploitation requires a signed-in user and enabled Advanced Search, and the resulting consumption degrades search availability without reported data access or modification.

CVSS severity3.1
Low
EPSS probability0.48%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in affected GitLab EE Advanced Search releases allows remote authenticated users to interrupt search service. The Advanced Search query processor accepts and evaluates excessively long chains of syntax operators without enforcing a resource limit. Exploitation requires a signed-in user and enabled Advanced Search, and the resulting consumption degrades search availability without reported data access or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-5963
Published
Nov 6, 2023
Updated
Jun 4, 2026
Vendor
GitLab
Product
GitLab
Classifications
CWE-770, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 6, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 4, 2026Record 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=13.9 <16.3.6
  2. Affected versionversion=16.4.0 <16.4.2
  3. Affected versionversion=16.5.0 <16.5.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

GitLab · GitLabversion=13.9 <16.3.6; version=16.4.0 <16.4.2; version=16.5.0 <16.5.1

Published CVSS scores

4.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
3.1GitLab Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/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 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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-770Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
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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