CVE-2024-7803 Overview
CVE-2024-7803 is a denial of service vulnerability in GitLab Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE). The flaw resides in the Discord webhook integration and allows unauthenticated attackers to exhaust server resources over the network. The vulnerability affects all GitLab versions from 11.6 before 17.10.7, 17.11 before 17.11.3, and 18.0 before 18.0.1. GitLab classifies the issue under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling. Successful exploitation does not compromise confidentiality or integrity but can render GitLab instances unavailable to legitimate users.
Critical Impact
An attacker can trigger resource exhaustion through the Discord webhook integration, causing denial of service against GitLab CE/EE instances without requiring authentication or user interaction.
Affected Products
- GitLab Community Edition (CE) versions 11.6 through 17.10.6
- GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE) versions 17.11 through 17.11.2
- GitLab CE/EE version 18.0.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-23 - CVE-2024-7803 published to NVD
- 2025-08-08 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-7803
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a denial of service condition caused by improper resource handling in the Discord webhook integration of GitLab CE/EE. The flaw is tracked under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling. An attacker with network access to the GitLab instance can send crafted requests that interact with the Discord webhook code path. The integration processes these requests without enforcing sufficient limits, causing high resource consumption on the server. Repeated or sustained exploitation degrades service availability for legitimate users. The issue impacts availability only, with no confidentiality or integrity impact reported by the vendor.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of proper throttling and resource boundaries in the Discord webhook integration logic. GitLab's webhook handler does not enforce constraints sufficient to prevent abuse-driven resource exhaustion. This permits an attacker to drive the server into a state where it cannot process additional requests.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker only needs reachability to the GitLab instance and the ability to trigger the Discord webhook code path. For technical details, refer to the GitLab Issue Discussion and the HackerOne Report #2648631.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. The vulnerability mechanism is described in the vendor references rather than reproduced here.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7803
Indicators of Compromise
- Sustained spikes in CPU, memory, or worker thread usage on GitLab application servers without correlating legitimate workload increases.
- Elevated request volumes targeting Discord webhook integration endpoints or project integration APIs.
- Background job queues backing up in Sidekiq workers associated with webhook delivery.
- Application logs showing repeated webhook-related errors, timeouts, or retries.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor GitLab application and Sidekiq logs for abnormal patterns of webhook configuration changes or webhook delivery activity.
- Baseline normal Discord integration traffic and alert on deviations in request rate or payload characteristics.
- Correlate web server access logs with backend resource metrics to identify request floods aimed at integration endpoints.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track GitLab service availability with synthetic transactions against authentication and project endpoints.
- Forward GitLab application, Nginx, and Sidekiq logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation and long-term retention.
- Alert on sudden growth in queued background jobs or sustained worker saturation.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7803
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade affected GitLab instances to a fixed version: 17.10.7, 17.11.3, or 18.0.1 or later.
- Restrict network exposure of self-managed GitLab instances to trusted networks where feasible.
- Audit project-level integrations and disable unused Discord webhooks until patching is complete.
Patch Information
GitLab has released patched versions 17.10.7, 17.11.3, and 18.0.1 that remediate CVE-2024-7803. Administrators of self-managed GitLab CE/EE deployments should upgrade to one of these versions or later. GitLab.com is operated by the vendor and is patched on its release cadence. Refer to the GitLab Issue Discussion for vendor-provided remediation details.
Workarounds
- Disable the Discord webhook integration at the project and group level until the instance is upgraded.
- Place a rate-limiting reverse proxy or web application firewall in front of GitLab to throttle abusive request patterns.
- Limit access to the GitLab web interface using IP allow-listing or VPN-only access where the deployment model permits.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
