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CVE Record

CVE-2021-22250: Improper authorization in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions since 13.3 allowed users to view and delete i...

Improper authorization in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions since 13.3 allowed users to view and delete impersonation tokens that administrators created for their account

MediumCVSS 5.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This GitLab flaw let an authenticated user view and delete impersonation tokens that administrators had created for that same user account. It is not described as remote unauthenticated compromise, but it could expose or disrupt sensitive administrative access mechanisms in affected GitLab deployments.

Executive priority

Prioritize normal patch governance unless sensitive impersonation tokens were used broadly or on high-value accounts. The issue has moderate severity and requires authentication, but token exposure can affect trust in administrative automation and account-management workflows.

Technical view

CVE-2021-22250 is an improper authorization issue in GitLab CE/EE. A low-privileged authenticated user could access and delete administrator-created impersonation tokens for their account. Affected ranges are GitLab versions 13.3 through before 13.12.9, 14.0 before 14.0.7, and 14.1 before 14.1.2.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely in self-managed GitLab CE/EE instances running the listed affected versions and using administrator-created impersonation tokens. Instances already upgraded outside those ranges are not indicated as affected by the provided sources.

Exploitation context

The CVSS vector requires network access and low privileges, with no user interaction. The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Treat this as an access-control weakness requiring authenticated access, not as confirmed internet-scale exploitation.

Researcher notes

Evidence is limited to the CVE metadata and referenced GitLab/HackerOne records. The key research focus is authorization boundaries around impersonation token visibility and deletion for tokens created by administrators on behalf of users.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade GitLab CE/EE outside the listed affected version ranges.
  • Check GitLab vendor guidance for the relevant supported upgrade path.
  • Review administrator-created impersonation tokens for affected user accounts.
  • Rotate or revoke tokens where unauthorized access is suspected.
  • Limit impersonation token use to documented operational needs.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory GitLab CE/EE versions across all environments.
  • Confirm no instance runs 13.3 to before 13.12.9.
  • Confirm no instance runs 14.0 before 14.0.7 or 14.1 before 14.1.2.
  • Review audit evidence for unexpected impersonation token viewing or deletion.
  • Identify accounts with administrator-created impersonation tokens.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

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CVE-2021-22250 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.4 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
5.4CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N2.82.5Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

5.4Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2021-22250Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
GitLabGitLab>=13.3, <13.12.9, >=14.0, <14.0.7, >=14.1, <14.1.2Listed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.