GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
GitLab · Community and Enterprise Editions
The flaw lies in GitLab's Community and Enterprise Editions, where image files passed to a file parser were not properly validated. An attacker who can supply a crafted image to the affected component can achieve remote command execution.
An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 11.9. GitLab was not properly validating image files that were passed to a file parser which resulted in a remote command execution.
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 0
- Tactics
- 3/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.How attackers get in
What they do
What can follow
Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited 6 months after disclosure. Public exploit code (Metasploit) was available 9 days before disclosure.
- Public exploit codeMetasploit9 days before
- Disclosedday 0
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidenceAdded to CISA KEVknown ransomware use; EU database agrees+6 mo
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
4 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order 4Initial AccessTA0001
CVE-2021-22205 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. The vulnerability was reported to be actively exploited for o assemble botnets and launch gigantic distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
ExecutionTA0002
ImpactTA0040
CVE-2021-22205 is a Remote Code Execution Vulnerability on GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions where threat actors have been reported to actively exploit the security flaw to co-opt unpatched GitLab servers into a botnet and launch distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 260 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2021-22205 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationT1190149 general rules
- Arcadyan Router Exploitationscriticaltest
- Citrix ADS Exploitation CVE-2020-8193 CVE-2020-8195criticaltest
- Citrix Netscaler Attack CVE-2019-19781criticaltest
- Confluence Exploitation CVE-2019-3398criticaltest
- CVE-2010-5278 Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
- CVE-2020-0688 Exchange Exploitation via Web Logcriticaltest
- CVE-2020-10148 SolarWinds Orion API Auth Bypasscriticaltest
- CVE-2020-5902 F5 BIG-IP Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
Command and Scripting InterpreterT105995 general rules
- HackTool - Sliver C2 Implant Activity Patterncriticaltest
- Lazarus Group Activitycriticaltest
- REvil Kaseya Incident Malware Patternscriticaltest
- Turla Group Lateral Movementcriticaltest
- Windows Defender AMSI Trigger Detectedhighstable
- Windows Defender Threat Detectedhighstable
- Abusable DLL Potential Sideloading From Suspicious Locationhightest
- Add Insecure Download Source To Wingethightest
Network Denial of ServiceT14983 general rules
Resource HijackingT149613 general rules
- Linux Crypto Mining Pool Connectionshighstable
- Monero Crypto Coin Mining Pool Lookuphighstable
- Network Communication With Crypto Mining Poolhighstable
- Potential Crypto Mining Activityhighstable
- Linux Crypto Mining Indicatorshightest
- Azure Kubernetes Network Policy Changemediumtest
- Azure Kubernetes RoleBinding/ClusterRoleBinding Modified and Deletedmediumtest
- Azure Kubernetes Secret or Config Object Accessmediumtest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Not named in any threat report yetAlso mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 202621 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX