CVE-2026-16301
Received Received - Intake

Authenticated CI/CD Pipeline Execution in GitLab CE/EE

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-13

Assigner: GitLab Inc.

Description
GitLab has remediated an issue in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 18.7 before 19.2.8, 19.3 before 19.3.5, and 19.4 before 19.4.2 that, under certain conditions, could have allowed an authenticated user with Developer role to execute CI/CD pipelines on protected branches without authorization due to improper authorization checks in the downstream pipeline creation service.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-13
Last Modified
2026-10-13
Generated
2026-10-13
AI Q&A
2026-10-13
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-16301
EUVD
EUVD-2026-98222

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 3 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
GitLab GitLab 18.7
GitLab GitLab 19.3
GitLab GitLab 19.4

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-863 The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE allows an authenticated user with Developer role to run CI/CD pipelines on protected branches without proper authorization. It exists due to incorrect authorization checks in the downstream pipeline creation service.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves improper authorization checks in GitLab's CI/CD pipeline creation service. To detect it, check GitLab server logs for unauthorized pipeline executions on protected branches by users with Developer role. Look for downstream pipeline creation events without proper authorization. Verify GitLab version is updated to 19.2.8, 19.3.5, or 19.4.2 or later.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to execute unauthorized pipelines on protected branches, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized code execution, or disruption of CI/CD workflows.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or data exposure, violating compliance requirements for data protection and security in standards like GDPR and HIPAA.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade GitLab to a patched version: 19.2.8, 19.3.5, or 19.4.2 or later. Verify the upgrade was successful and check for unauthorized CI/CD pipeline executions on protected branches.

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