CVE-2023-5995Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Internal repository disclosure via non-external policy bots

Published Dec 1, 2023 · Updated Nov 20, 2025

Improper authorization in GitLab EE 16.2 through 16.4.2, 16.5 through 16.5.2, and 16.6.0 allows remote authenticated users to clone internal projects. The bot creation service marks security policy bots as regular rather than external users, so captured bot CI job tokens inherit access that external users lack. Exploitation requires an external project Owner, or a Maintainer when a bot already exists, and a controlled runner that captures the token.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.56%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper authorization in GitLab EE 16.2 through 16.4.2, 16.5 through 16.5.2, and 16.6.0 allows remote authenticated users to clone internal projects. The bot creation service marks security policy bots as regular rather than external users, so captured bot CI job tokens inherit access that external users lack. Exploitation requires an external project Owner, or a Maintainer when a bot already exists, and a controlled runner that captures the token.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-5995
Published
Dec 1, 2023
Updated
Nov 20, 2025
Vendor
GitLab
Product
GitLab
Classifications
CWE-863, T1078
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 1, 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=16.2 <16.4.3
  2. Affected versionversion=16.5 <16.5.3
  3. Affected versionversion=16.6 <16.6.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

GitLab · GitLabversion=16.2 <16.4.3; version=16.5 <16.5.3; version=16.6 <16.6.1

Published CVSS scores

4.4GitLab Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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
T1078Valid Accounts

Public exploit references

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

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo