CVE-2025-8770Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Approval-policy bypass via editable rule identifiers

Published Aug 13, 2025 · Updated Aug 13, 2025

Authorization bypass in GitLab EE allows remote authenticated users with Developer access to remove merge request approval requirements. The merge request update endpoint accepts a policy-originated approval rule identifier and edits that hidden rule because default settings do not prevent such changes. Developer access to a contained project is sufficient, allowing a merge request to proceed without its policy-required approval.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.32%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authorization bypass in GitLab EE allows remote authenticated users with Developer access to remove merge request approval requirements. The merge request update endpoint accepts a policy-originated approval rule identifier and edits that hidden rule because default settings do not prevent such changes. Developer access to a contained project is sufficient, allowing a merge request to proceed without its policy-required approval.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-8770
Published
Aug 13, 2025
Updated
Aug 13, 2025
Vendor
GitLab
Product
GitLab
Classifications
CWE-639, T1562.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 13, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 13, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=18.0 <18.0.6
  2. Affected versionversion=18.1 <18.1.4
  3. Affected versionversion=18.2 <18.2.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

GitLab · GitLabversion=18.0 <18.0.6; version=18.1 <18.1.4; version=18.2 <18.2.2

Published CVSS scores

6.5GitLab Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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-639Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
T1562.001Impair Defenses

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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