ZDF
Sign inSign up

Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2021-22205

GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Published Apr 23, 2021 · catalog updated Aug 5, 2026 · GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions

Patch now

CVE-2021-22205 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Nov 17, 2021. Confirm GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Gaps on this record

  • No version range is stored. A customer cannot check an installed version against this record.
Severity
Critical10.0
Known exploitation
CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
99.73%
Remediation
Remediation guidance
Affected products
cpe gitlab/gitlab · vendor GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions

GitHub Community and Enterprise Editions that utilize the ability to upload images through GitLab Workhorse are vulnerable to remote code execution. Workhorse passes image file extensions through ExifTool, which improperly validates the image files. VulnCheck canary evidence. Initial-access exploit intelligence.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe gitlab/gitlabversion unspecified
  • vendor GitLab Community and Enterprise Editionsversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2021-22205

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

CVE-2021-22205 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Nov 17, 2021. Confirm GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Which versions are affected?

Affected version ranges are not on this record. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-20: Improper Input Validation; CWE-94: Code Injection; CWE-95. EPSS 99.73%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Apr 23, 2021 · Catalog

    Detected

    GitHub Community and Enterprise Editions that utilize the ability to upload images through GitLab Workhorse are vulnerable to remote code execution. Workhorse passes image file extensions through ExifTool, which improperly validates the image files.

  2. Nov 3, 2021 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  3. Nov 17, 2021 · CISA KEV

    Remediation due

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  4. Aug 5, 2026 · Catalog

    Updated

    GitHub Community and Enterprise Editions that utilize the ability to upload images through GitLab Workhorse are vulnerable to remote code execution. Workhorse passes image file extensions through ExifTool, which improperly validates the image files.

Sources

  • CISA Cybersecurity AdvisoriesGovernment advisoryCVE-2021-22205

    Advisory at a Glance Title Chinese Government-linked Cyber Threat Actors Combine Automated and Hands-on Hacking Tools to Steal Sensitive Data <div class="TableCellContent SCXW40

    cisa.gov
  • CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2021-22205

    GitHub Community and Enterprise Editions that utilize the ability to upload images through GitLab Workhorse are vulnerable to remote code execution. Workhorse passes image file extensions through ExifTool, which improperly validates the image files.

    cisa.gov
  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2021-22205

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2021-22205

    30-day exploitation probability 99.7%

    first.org
  • Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference50532

    Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.

    exploit-db.com
  • Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_multi/http/gitlab_exif_rce

    Public module reference (excellent). Module source is not copied into this catalog.

    rapid7.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2021-22205

    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.

    nvd.nist.gov
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164768/GitLab-Unauthenticated-Remote-ExifTool-Command-Injection.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164994/GitLab-13.10.2-Remote-Code-Execution.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2021-22205

    GitHub Community and Enterprise Editions that utilize the ability to upload images through GitLab Workhorse are vulnerable to remote code execution. Workhorse passes image file extensions through ExifTool, which improperly validates the image files.

    vulncheck.com

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.