Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in GitLab
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 21/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.57% (FIRST EPSS).
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: GitLab GitLab 16.10.2, 16.8.6, 16.9.4.
- Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 8.7, NVD 5.4.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to GitLab GitLab 16.10.2, 16.8.6, 16.9.4 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 16.7 to 16.8.6 all versions starting from 16.9 before 16.9.4, all versions starting from 16.10 before 16.10.2. Using the autocomplete for issues references feature a crafted payload may lead to a stored XSS, allowing attackers to perform arbitrary actions on behalf of victims.
- Published
- Apr 11, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.5% · 46th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-79
Report tools
Action score
21
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 21 / 40 · 5.4 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.5%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 5.4
- CNA · GitLab
- 8.7
- 3.3 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| gitlab | gitlab | cpe:2.3:a:gitlab:gitlab |
Limit the impact of XSS
This is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. A well-configured Content-Security-Policy doesn't fix it, but greatly reduces its impact. Check your site's CSP and other security headers for free.
Check security headersAffected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- gitlab gitlab16.7.0 and later · before 16.8.6
- gitlab gitlab16.9.0 and later · before 16.9.4
- gitlab gitlab16.10.0 and later · before 16.10.2
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitLab). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
GitLab GitLab
- 16.7 and later · before 16.8.6affected · semver
- 16.9 and later · before 16.9.4affected · semver
- 16.10 and later · before 16.10.2affected · semver
Same product
gitlab: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2021-22205An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 11.9.KEV100Now
- CVE-2026-85706Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') in GitLabKEV98Now
- CVE-2023-7028Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password in GitLabKEV97Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2023-6489Apr 11, 2024 · Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity in GitLab26Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2023-6678Apr 11, 2024 · Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity in GitLab26Monitor
- Later →CVE-2024-3092Apr 11, 2024 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in GitLab21Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GitLab GitLab | 16.10.2 | Vendor (CNA) |
| GitLab GitLab | 16.8.6 | Vendor (CNA) |
| GitLab GitLab | 16.9.4 | Vendor (CNA) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2023-2442309 days apartAn 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 befo50Plan
- CVE-2024-145150 days apartImproper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in GitLab49Plan
- CVE-2023-0050399 days apartAn issue has been discovered in GitLab affecting all versions starting from 13.7 before 15.7.8, all versions starting from 15.8 before 15.8.49Plan
- CVE-2022-3265519 days apartA cross-site scripting issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions prior to 15.3.5, 15.4 prior to 15.4.4, and 15.5 prio47Plan
- CVE-2023-2164254 days apartImproper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in GitLab41Plan
- CVE-2022-2826531 days apartAn issue has been discovered in GitLab affecting all versions starting from 10.0 before 12.9.8, all versions starting from 12.10 before 12.139Monitor
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- low · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- Low
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
nvd-primary
Root cause
User content is inserted into the page as HTML. The browser interprets the content as code rather than data.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-79 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
commentEl.innerHTML = comment.body;Fixed
commentEl.textContent = comment.body;Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.