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CVE-2023-7028

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in GitLab CE/EE. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for GitLab’s, see GitLab flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2023-7028 is a security flaw in GitLab CE/EE, software teams use to store and build code. Attackers can reach parts of GitLab CE/EE that should be locked to them. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 1 May 2024.[1]

GitLab CE/EE is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Fixed in version 16.1.6, 16.2.9, 16.3.7 and 16.4.5 and others of GitLab.

Description

CISA calls it a community and enterprise editions improper access control in GitLab GitLab CE/EE. In its words: “GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions contain an improper access control vulnerability. This allows an attacker to trigger password reset emails to be sent to an unverified email address to ultimately facilitate an account takeover.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 16.1 prior to 16.1.6, 16.2 prior to 16.2.9, 16.3 prior to 16.3.7, 16.4 prior to 16.4.5, 16.5 prior to 16.5.6, 16.6 prior to 16.6.4, and 16.7 prior to 16.7.2 in which user account password reset emails could be delivered to an unverified email address.”[2]

The underlying weakness is improper access control (CWE-284), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.

It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record lists these fixed versions: in each line, everything before the version shown is affected.[2]

ProductFixed in
GitLab16.1.6
GitLab16.2.9
GitLab16.3.7
GitLab16.4.5
GitLab16.5.6
GitLab16.6.4
GitLab16.7.2

Most families won’t have GitLab CE/EE; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 1 May 2024, 110 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 22 May 2024 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 94%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

GitLab has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.”[1]

  1. Check whether you use it.GitLab CE/EE is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
  2. Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed (fixed in version 16.1.6, 16.2.9, 16.3.7 and 16.4.5 and others of GitLab), or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 22 May 2024 to fix it.
  3. If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.

You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 94%.[4]

See also

Other GitLab flaws

  • CVE-2026-97229, GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition: integer overflow or wraparound ·
  • CVE-2026-85706, GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition: path traversal ·
  • CVE-2021-22175, GitLab: server-side request forgery (SSRF) ·
  • CVE-2021-39935, GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions: server-side request forgery (SSRF) ·
  • CVE-2021-22205, GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions: remote code execution ·

Other improper access control flaws

  • CVE-2015-3306, ProFTPD: improper access control ·
  • CVE-2026-21962, Oracle HTTP Server and Oracle Weblogic Server Proxy Plug-in: improper access control ·
  • CVE-2026-56290, Joomlack Page Builder: improper access control ·
  • CVE-2026-34908, Ubiquiti UniFi OS: improper access control ·
  • CVE-2026-48907, Widget Factory Joomla Content Editor: improper access control ·

Every GitLab flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in May 2024

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions Improper Access Control Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 1 May 2024.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2023-7028 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 12 Jan 2024.
  3. ^ GitLab. Advisories and fixes: about.gitlab.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.945, percentile 99.9, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2023-7028”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.