Exploited CVEs / GitLab / CVE-2021-22205

CVE-2021-22205

GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. Exploitation in the wild is confirmed by CISA, not predicted, and the vulnerability is known to be used in ransomware campaigns. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2021-11-17 (that deadline has passed); treat that date as the outer bound for your own environment. The fix is in the vendor advisory: GitLab Releases (security), linked below.

Risk summary

CriticalCISA KEVRansomware

10.0

CVSS v3 base

100%

EPSS exploit probability

Critical

Severity

2021-11-03

Added to KEV

2021-11-17 (past due)

CISA due date

Actively exploited GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions vulnerability, Critical severity, CVSS v3 10.0. Added to the CISA KEV catalog 2021-11-03.

Senserva AI read on CVE-2021-22205 CISA required action Official fix for CVE-2021-22205 Admin questions #52 hottest CVE right now

Senserva AI Opinion for CVE-2021-22205

This is an unauthenticated remote code execution flaw in GitLab that stems from Workhorse passing uploaded image files to ExifTool, which mishandles malformed images. It affects both Community and Enterprise Editions, and the image upload path means attackers often need no valid account to reach it. With a CVSS of 10.0, confirmed CISA KEV listing since November 2021, and documented ransomware use, self-hosted GitLab servers are prime targets.

Do this: Upgrade your self-hosted GitLab instances to a patched release immediately and check logs for suspicious file uploads or unexpected processes spawned by the git user.

AI-generated from public data, 2026-07-22. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting.

Senserva AI Opinion and rich prompt for CVE-2021-22205

Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.

I run IT security. Facts for CVE-2021-22205, an actively exploited vulnerability (source: https://senserva.com/cve/CVE-2021-22205.html, data from CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS, NVD, refreshed once a day (early morning US Central)):
- CVE-2021-22205: GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Affected: GitLab Community and Enterprise Editions
- Severity: Critical, CVSS v3 10.0; EPSS 30-day exploitation probability 100%
- Added to CISA KEV: 2021-11-03; federal remediation due 2021-11-17
- Ransomware-linked: YES
- CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Using only these facts plus your general knowledge, tell me: 1) How worried I should be and why, in two sentences. 2) How attackers typically use this class of flaw. 3) The fastest safe path to remediation. 4) How to check whether my environment is exposed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Patch immediately

Exploited in the wild and used in ransomware campaigns.

The fix ships from the vendor: GitLab Releases (security).

Do this now: Move this ahead of everything else in the queue, then verify the fix actually landed on every exposed device.

Updated September 13, 2026. Data refreshed on every build from MSRC, CISA KEV, and FIRST EPSS.

Full tracking and change history for CVE-2021-22205

Published: 2021-11-03
Last revised: 2021-11-03
Changes tracked: 1

Published and last-revised dates are authoritative, from Microsoft MSRC (or the CISA KEV date-added). Senserva additionally records day-to-day changes from 2026-07-07, refreshed several times a day; the change count reflects that forward-only tracking.

Senserva Watchevery change we have recorded for this one

What changed, and when

2021-11-03 added to the CISA KEV catalog by CISA
2026-07-17 CVSS 0.0 to 10.0; EPSS first scored at 99.7%

Recorded by Senserva on the dates shown, from CISA KEV and FIRST EPSS. This is what moved and when, which neither the vendor advisory nor NVD publishes.

CISA required action

Federal (BOD 22-01) remediation due date: 2021-11-17 (past due).

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Official fix for CVE-2021-22205

The authoritative fix and affected-version list are published by the vendor. Find the Community and Enterprise Editions advisory on GitLab Releases (security).

GitLab Releases (security)CISA KEV entry

Common questions about CVE-2021-22205

Is CVE-2021-22205 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2021-22205 was added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2021-11-03, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed, not predicted. Its EPSS 30-day exploitation probability is 100%. CISA also reports it is known to be used in ransomware campaigns.

What is the CISA deadline and required action for CVE-2021-22205?

CISA set the federal (BOD 22-01) remediation due date at 2021-11-17, which has passed; treat any unremediated system as overdue. The verbatim required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What fixes CVE-2021-22205?

The authoritative fix is in the vendor advisory: see GitLab Releases (security) for the patched Community and Enterprise Editions versions and any workarounds. KEV listing makes this a fix-first item: patch it ahead of higher-CVSS issues nobody is exploiting.

Can I ask my own AI about CVE-2021-22205?

Yes. This page includes a free, ready-to-paste AI prompt containing CVE-2021-22205's key facts: severity, CVSS, EPSS, the KEV date, the CISA due date, and the required action. Copy it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot; the data is refreshed once a day (early morning US Central).

Scope and sources

More exploited GitLab CVEs: CVE-2026-85706 CVE-2021-22175 CVE-2021-39935 CVE-2023-7028
All GitLab exploited CVEs on one page: GitLab vulnerabilities actively exploited.
Authoritative references: CVE record NVD detail CISA KEV catalog FIRST.org EPSS

Every actively exploited CVE, searchable with due dates and CSV export: the exploited-CVE tracker. The newest additions: exploited this week.