CVE-2021-22205
CRITICALCISA KEVEPSS 100th pctlDescription
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.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Very high risk: more likely to be exploited than 100% of all known CVEs.
GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
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.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Remediation due: 2021-11-17
Associated with ransomware campaigns
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-94 (Code Injection) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2017-9841 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2015-1635 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2025-3248 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2022-22954 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2021-22204 | Medium | 6.8 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2012-0158 | High | 8.8 | 100% | KEV | - |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2021-22205?
Upgrade gitlab on debian unstable to 15.10.8+ds1-2 or later.
Is CVE-2021-22205 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2021-22205 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation has been observed in the wild. CISA has also linked it to known ransomware campaigns. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 2021-11-17. Treat it as a priority whatever its CVSS score says.
How severe is CVE-2021-22205?
CVE-2021-22205 has a CVSS v3 base score of 10.0, rated critical. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2021-22205 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for gitlab (Debian). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
Embed a live status badge for CVE-2021-22205
Markdown
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-08-06.