CVE-2023-7028

CRITICAL KEV NUCLEI LAB

GitLab Password Reset Account Takeover

Title source: metasploit
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2023-7028 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added May 1, 2024. EIP tracks 19 public exploits from researchers including 0xB455, Vozec, RandomRobbieBF, including a Metasploit module auxiliary/admin/http/gitlab_password_reset_account_takeover. A Nuclei detection template is also available.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This exploit demonstrates an authentication bypass vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE by manipulating the password reset functionality through a parameter pollution attack. The PoC shows how an attacker can associate their email with a valid user's account to potentially reset the password.

Description

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.

Exploits (19)

exploitdb WORKING POC
by 0xB455 · textremotejava
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/51889

This exploit demonstrates an authentication bypass vulnerability in GitLab CE/EE by manipulating the password reset functionality through a parameter pollution attack. The PoC shows how an attacker can associate their email with a valid user's account to potentially reset the password.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab CE/EE < 16.7.2, < 16.6.4, < 16.5.6
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Valid email address of a target user · Attacker-controlled email address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 243 stars
by Vozec · remote
https://github.com/Vozec/CVE-2023-7028

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, which targets GitLab's password reset functionality. The exploit automates the process of sending a password reset request to both the target and an attacker-controlled email, then intercepts the reset token to change the target's password.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to the target GitLab instance · Ability to receive emails at a controlled address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 58 stars
by RandomRobbieBF · remote
https://github.com/RandomRobbieBF/CVE-2023-7028

The repository contains a functional Python script that exploits CVE-2023-7028, a vulnerability in GitLab allowing account takeover via password reset without user interaction. The script automates the process of grabbing a CSRF token and sending a crafted password reset request to change the victim's email to the attacker's email.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab CE/EE (versions 16.1 prior to 16.1.5, 16.2 prior to 16.2.8, 16.3 prior to 16.3.6, 16.4 prior to 16.4.4, 16.5 prior to 16.5.6, 16.6 prior to 16.6.4, 16.7 prior to 16.7.2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Valid GitLab instance URL · Victim's email address · Attacker's email address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 4 stars
by Esonhugh · remote
https://github.com/Esonhugh/gitlab_honeypot

The repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, which abuses GitLab's password reset functionality to send reset emails to both a target and an attacker-controlled email. The exploit automates CSRF token retrieval and crafted request submission to trigger the vulnerability.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab (versions affected by CVE-2023-7028)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target GitLab instance URL · Target user email · Attacker-controlled email for interception
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 3 stars
by duy-31 · remote
https://github.com/duy-31/CVE-2023-7028

The repository contains a functional exploit PoC for CVE-2023-7028, which allows password reset emails to be sent to unverified email addresses in GitLab. The script automates the exploitation process by sending a crafted request to the password reset endpoint.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab CE/EE (versions 16.1 to 16.7.1)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to GitLab instance · SMTP configured for email delivery
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by sariamubeen · remote
https://github.com/sariamubeen/CVE-2023-7028

This repository contains a functional Python exploit for CVE-2023-7028, a GitLab password reset poisoning vulnerability. The exploit abuses the `/users/password` endpoint to send password reset emails to both the victim and attacker-controlled email addresses, enabling account takeover.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab (versions affected by CVE-2023-7028)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target GitLab URL · Victim email address · Attacker-controlled email address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by thanhlam-attt · remote
https://github.com/thanhlam-attt/CVE-2023-7028

The repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, an account takeover vulnerability in GitLab. The exploit leverages a flaw in the password reset form to send reset tokens to both the victim's and attacker's email addresses, allowing the attacker to hijack the account.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab CE/EE (versions 16.1 to 16.1.5, 16.2 to 16.2.8, 16.3 to 16.3.6, 16.4 to 16.4.4, 16.5 to 16.5.5, 16.6 to 16.6.3, 16.7 to 16.7.1)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to the GitLab password reset form · Victim's email address · Attacker's email address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by szybnev · remote
https://github.com/szybnev/CVE-2023-7028

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, which targets GitLab's password reset functionality. The exploit automates the process of sending a password reset request to both the target and an attacker-controlled email, then intercepts the reset token to change the target's password.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target email address · Access to a temporary email service (or manual input of reset link)
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by gh-ost00 · remote
https://github.com/gh-ost00/CVE-2023-7028

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, which targets GitLab's password reset functionality. The exploit automates the process of sending a password reset request to both the target and an attacker-controlled email, then intercepts the reset token to change the target's password.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target email address · Access to GitLab instance
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by hackeremmen · remote
https://github.com/hackeremmen/gitlab-exploit

The repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, which leverages a bug in GitLab's password reset email verification to send reset codes to both the target and attacker-controlled email addresses. The exploit automates the process of triggering the vulnerability by crafting a malicious password reset request.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab CE/EE (versions 16.1 to 16.1.5, 16.2 to 16.2.8, 16.3 to 16.3.6, 16.4 to 16.4.4, 16.5 to 16.5.5, 16.6 to 16.6.3, 16.7 to 16.7.1)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target GitLab instance URL · Target user's email address · Attacker-controlled email address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SUSPICIOUS 1 stars
by Trackflaw · poc
https://github.com/Trackflaw/CVE-2023-7028-Docker

The repository provides a Docker setup for GitLab 16.1.4 but lacks actual exploit code, instead redirecting users to external resources (blog, other GitHub repos) for the PoC. The README is vague and does not include technical details about the vulnerability.

Classification
Suspicious 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: GitLab 16.1.4
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Docker · GitLab SMTP configuration
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by KameliaZaman · remote
https://github.com/KameliaZaman/Exploiting-GitLab-CVE-2023-7028

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, which leverages an email injection vulnerability in GitLab's password reset functionality. The exploit sends a crafted password reset request to both the victim's and attacker's email addresses, allowing the attacker to intercept the reset link.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab (versions affected by CVE-2023-7028)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to the target GitLab instance · Valid email addresses for victim and attacker
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by Sornphut · remote
https://github.com/Sornphut/CVE-2023-7028-GitLab

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, which abuses GitLab's password reset functionality to send reset emails to both the victim and attacker. The exploit leverages a parameter pollution vulnerability to manipulate email delivery.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab (versions affected by CVE-2023-7028)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target GitLab instance URL · Victim email address · Attacker-controlled email address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by yoryio · poc
https://github.com/yoryio/CVE-2023-7028

The repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, which allows an attacker to take over a GitLab account via password reset without user interaction. The exploit sends a crafted POST request with manipulated email parameters to trigger the vulnerability.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition (< 16.1.6, < 16.2.9, < 16.3.7, < 16.4.5, < 16.5.6, < 16.6.4, < 16.7.2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target GitLab URL · Target email address · Attacker email address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by soltanali0 · remote
https://github.com/soltanali0/CVE-2023-7028

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2023-7028, an account takeover vulnerability in GitLab. The exploit automates the process of resetting a target user's password by leveraging a flaw in the password reset mechanism, using either a temporary email service or a user-provided email.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab CE 16.1.5
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Docker and Docker Compose installed · GitLab instance running version 16.1.5 or earlier
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by mochammadrafi · remote
https://github.com/mochammadrafi/CVE-2023-7028

This repository contains a functional Python script that automates the exploitation of CVE-2023-7028, a vulnerability in GitLab allowing password reset attacks via CSRF token manipulation. The script sends crafted requests to trigger password reset emails to both target and attacker-controlled addresses.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target GitLab URL · Victim email address · Attacker-controlled email address
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by Shimon03 · remote
https://github.com/Shimon03/CVE-2023-7028-Account-Take-Over-Gitlab

This PoC exploits CVE-2023-7028, an account takeover vulnerability in GitLab, by abusing the password reset functionality to send a reset link to an attacker-controlled email. It automates the process of requesting a password reset, intercepting the reset token via a temporary email service, and changing the victim's password.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab (versions affected by CVE-2023-7028)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Victim's email address · Access to GitLab instance · Network connectivity to 1secmail.com
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by googlei1996 · remote
https://github.com/googlei1996/CVE-2023-7028

The repository contains a functional proof-of-concept for CVE-2023-7028, demonstrating an email parameter manipulation vulnerability in GitLab. The exploit leverages array-based parameter injection to bypass validation, allowing an attacker to inject malicious email addresses.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable GitLab instance
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC
by h00die, asterion04 · rubypoc
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/auxiliary/admin/http/gitlab_password_reset_account_takeover.rb

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2023-7028, a GitLab account takeover vulnerability via password reset functionality. It sends a password reset request with two email addresses (target and attacker-controlled) to bypass authentication.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: GitLab (16.1 < 16.1.6, 16.2 < 16.2.9, 16.3 < 16.3.7, 16.4 < 16.4.5, 16.5 < 16.5.6, 16.6 < 16.6.4, 16.7 < 16.7.2)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target email address · Attacker-controlled email address · Access to GitLab password reset endpoint
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →

Nuclei Templates (1)

GitLab - Account Takeover via Password Reset
HIGHVERIFIEDby DhiyaneshDk,rootxharsh,iamnooob,pdresearch
Shodan: title:"Gitlab" || cpe:"cpe:2.3:a:gitlab:gitlab" || http.title:"gitlab"
FOFA: title="gitlab"

References (4)

Core 4
Core References
Exploit, Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory issue-tracking permissions-required
https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/436084
Permissions Required technical-description exploit
https://hackerone.com/reports/2293343

Scores

CVSS v3 10.0
EPSS 0.9343
EPSS Percentile 99.8%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable yes
Technical Impact total

Lab Environment

COMMUNITY
Community Lab
docker pull gitlab/gitlab-ce:16.1.4-ce.0
docker pull gitlab/gitlab-ce:16.1.5-ce.0
+15 more repos

Details

CISA KEV 2024-05-01
VulnCheck KEV 2024-05-01
InTheWild.io 2024-05-01
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2023-59219
CWE
CWE-640
Status published
Products (8)
GitLab/GitLab 16.1 - 16.1.6
gitlab/gitlab 16.1.0 - 16.1.6 (2 CPE variants)
GitLab/GitLab 16.2 - 16.2.9
GitLab/GitLab 16.3 - 16.3.7
GitLab/GitLab 16.4 - 16.4.5
GitLab/GitLab 16.5 - 16.5.6
GitLab/GitLab 16.6 - 16.6.4
GitLab/GitLab 16.7 - 16.7.2
Published Jan 12, 2024
KEV Added May 01, 2024
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026