What is CVE-2023-2442?A medium-severity flaw in GitLab, explained.

Medium severity1 affected product
The short answer

CVE-2023-2442 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.4) in GitLab, published on 7 June 2023. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 96%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.

Published 7 June 2023. Record last updated 7 January 2025. We keep this page's data up to date.

What it does

What is CVE-2023-2442? In plain terms.

It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet with an ordinary user account, but a person has to take an action first. If it works, the attacker can read some data and change some data.

The official description

An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 15.11 before 15.11.7, all versions starting from 16.0 before 16.0.2. A specially crafted merge request could lead to a stored XSS on the client side which allows attackers to perform arbitrary actions on behalf of victims.

What kind of flaw is it?

  • CWE-79Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
CVSS 3.1 scoreMedium · 5.4

How an attack on it works

Read straight from its severity rating, translated out of the shorthand.

  • Where an attacker can beAnywhere on the internet
  • How hard it is to pull offEasy: no special conditions
  • Login needed firstAn ordinary user account
  • Does someone have to clickYes, a person has to take an action
  • What an attacker getsCan read some data and change some data

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Exploitation

Is CVE-2023-2442 being exploited? Not that we know of.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 96%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

Known to be exploitedNoNot on the list of exploited flaws today
Chance of use in the next 30 days96%Its EPSS score, from the latest forecast

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. Record last updated
  3. Exploit likelihood jumped
  4. Exploit likelihood fell
How Precursor Intelligence ranks it
69out of 100Medium

CVE-2023-2442 scores 69. Action: Plan remediation.

We keep the score of every published flaw up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, and evidence that criminals are actually using it counts most. In order:

  • Evidence it is being exploitedBiggest factor
  • How severe it isStrong factor
  • How widely exposed it isSmaller factor
  • Threat activity around itSmaller factor

85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score.

When CVE-2023-2442 matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.

See your own ranked list →
Affected products

Who is affected by CVE-2023-2442? One product.

The published record lists 1 product from 1 vendor. Versions are shown as published: "15.11.0 to before 15.11.7" means from 15.11.0 up to, but not including, 15.11.7. If you run one of these, check your version, then go to the fix below.

  • Application

    GitLab

    by GitLab

    Affected versions
    15.11.0 to before 15.11.716.0.0 to before 16.0.2
Remediation

How do I fix CVE-2023-2442? Four steps.

  1. Check whether you run itCompare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
  2. Apply the vendor’s fixInstall the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisory first in the list.
  3. If you can’t patch todayFollow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
  4. Keep an eye on itTrack the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.
Precursor Intelligence

Does CVE-2023-2442 affect you? We'll keep checking.

Looking flaws up one at a time doesn't scale. Tell us what you run once, and we tell you which flaws matter to you, in what order, and keep watching for new ones.

  1. Tell us what you runPick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
  2. We match it to every flawOver 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
  3. Ranked by real-world riskA 0 to 100 score, led by evidence criminals are using it.
  4. Told as soon as we knowAn alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.

Free plan, no card needed. Nothing to install.

FAQ

Common questions, answered plainly.

Something else? Talk to the team →

CVE-2023-2442 is a medium-severity flaw in GitLab, published on 7 June 2023. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet with an ordinary user account, but a person has to take an action first. If it works, the attacker can read some data and change some data.

It scores 5.4 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is medium. Our risk score for CVE-2023-2442 is 69 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 96%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

For GitLab: 15.11.0 to before 15.11.7, 16.0.0 to before 16.0.2.

Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.