Gitlab Security Starts with the Right Questions
GitLab is more than just a Git server. It’s a full DevOps platform that handles everything from source code management to CI/CD, monitoring, and security scanning. However, as development workflows grow more complex, so do the risks. That’s why understanding GitLab security, how GitLab vulnerability risks can emerge, and how to use built-in and external GitLab security scanning tools effectively is critical for modern teams.
In this guide, we answer the most common GitLab questions developers ask, from how to make a secure merge request to how attackers exploit exposed tokens. Every answer includes best practices and actionable insights, helping you write, deploy, and maintain secure code with confidence.
Whether you’re self-hosting or using GitLab SaaS, these FAQs will help you secure your GitLab instance, spot vulnerabilities early, and avoid preventable security mistakes.
What Is GitLab?
GitLab is an all-in-one DevOps platform that lets teams manage source code, run CI/CD pipelines, and deliver software securely, from a single interface. It offers Git-based version control, issue tracking, code reviews, and built-in tools for DevSecOps like GitLab security scanning and vulnerability detection.
Unlike other platforms that require multiple integrations, GitLab covers the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC) in one place. Developers can push code, run tests, scan for vulnerabilities, and deploy to production, all within GitLab.
From a Gitlab security perspective, the platform includes:
- Static and dynamic security scanners (SAST, DAST, Secret Detection)
- Container and dependency scanning
- Vulnerability management dashboards
- Policy enforcement with approvals and merge checks
This tight integration helps DevOps teams apply secure-by-default practices without needing third-party tools.
How Do Hackers Steal Exposed GitLab Authentication Tokens?
GitLab authentication tokens, like Personal Access Tokens (PATs), OAuth tokens, or CI job tokens, are powerful. If leaked, they can let attackers clone repos, modify code, access secrets, or pivot deeper into your infrastructure. Unfortunately, developers often commit them by accident, or expose them in logs, .env files, or public CI pipelines.
Hackers typically steal GitLab tokens by:
- Scanning public repos for hardcoded credentials
- Searching CI logs or artifacts for exposed secrets
- Using leaked tokens from third-party breaches reused across systems
- Brute-forcing weak tokens if rate limits or 2FA aren’t enforced
This is where Gitlab security scanning becomes essential.
To avoid token exposure, apply these best practices:
- Store all tokens in secure variables, never in code
- Use short-lived tokens or environment-scoped tokens
- Revoke unused or inactive tokens regularly
- Monitor for suspicious activity or unauthorized token usage
And with Xygeni, you can automate token protection:
- It scans all commits and merge requests for hardcoded secrets, including GitLab tokens
- It validates if exposed tokens are active and revokes them on detection (with AutoFix)
- It blocks risky merges via Guardrails if secrets are found in code, config, or pipelines
So, instead of relying on manual reviews, Xygeni ensures real-time detection, remediation, and enforcement. As a result, your team stays productive, without leaving critical Gitlab security gaps open to exploitation.
Who Owns GitLab?
GitLab Inc. is the company behind GitLab. It was founded by Dmitriy Zaporozhets and Sid Sijbrandij, and today it’s a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol GTLB.
Although GitLab started as an open-source project, it now operates under a dual-license model. This means some features remain free and open source, while others are part of paid tiers. Still, the core product remains developer-focused and widely used in both startups and enterprises.
From a GitLab security perspective, ownership matters. The platform is maintained by a dedicated team with transparent release cycles and a strong focus on security practices. GitLab also has a public security disclosure policy and bug bounty program, which increases trust among DevOps and security professionals.
Additionally, the company follows strict compliance standards like SOC 2, ISO/IEC 27001, and GDPR. As a result, GitLab offers a reliable foundation for teams looking to secure their development pipelines.
Is GitLab Free? What’s Free, and What Includes GitLab Security Scanning?
Yes, GitLab offers a free tier, and for many developers, it’s more than enough to get started. The Free plan includes unlimited public and private repositories, basic CI/CD, and issue tracking. However, if your team needs advanced features such as gitlab security scanning, compliance controls, or performance dashboards, you’ll need a paid plan.
GitLab’s pricing is structured in four tiers:
- Free: Great for individuals or small teams. Includes core DevOps tools.
- Premium: Adds role-based access controls, group-level CI/CD, and 24/7 support.
- Ultimate: Designed for enterprises with built-in gitlab security tools, vulnerability scanning, and audit compliance.
- Self-Managed: A separate pricing path for companies hosting GitLab on their own infrastructure.
Importantly, GitLab’s Ultimate tier includes powerful gitlab vulnerability and code quality features such as SAST, DAST, Dependency Scanning, and License Compliance. These are essential for AppSec teams focused on securing software supply chains and release pipelines.
As a result, many security-conscious organizations choose GitLab Ultimate or pair it with platforms like Xygeni to boost visibility, enforce policies, and reduce risk throughout the SDLC.
What Is a Pull Request in GitLab?
In GitLab, a pull request is called a merge request. Although the terminology differs from GitHub, the concept is the same: it’s a way to propose changes from one branch into another, typically from a feature branch into the default branch (like main or master).
Merge requests help teams collaborate safely by:
- Reviewing code before it’s merged
- Running automated tests and security scans
- Enforcing approval policies
From a gitlab security perspective, merge requests are more than just collaboration tools. They are the ideal point to catch vulnerabilities early. With GitLab’s built-in scanning, each merge request can automatically trigger SAST, DAST, secret detection, and dependency scans—so risky code doesn’t slip into production unnoticed.
Additionally, merge requests support:
- Inline comments and suggestions for peer review
- Status checks from CI/CD pipelines
- Integration with Jira, Slack, and other tools
Therefore, using merge requests isn’t just good practice, it’s essential for maintaining a secure, auditable development workflow.
Want to go deeper on safe branching and reviews?
Read how to protect your branches and PRs
What GitLab Does and How GitLab Security Scanning Works
GitLab is an all-in-oneDevOps platform that helps teams manage their entire software development lifecycle in a single place. It combines Git-based version control, CI/CD pipelines, issue tracking, and security tools under one roof. Because everything is integrated, developers can plan, build, test, and deploy code without switching tools.
Although GitLab simplifies workflows, it also introduces risks if security isn’t embedded early. For example, CI pipelines might run unsafe scripts. Merge requests could bypass review. And vulnerable dependencies may go undetected until production.
That’s why gitlab security scanning is so important.
Here’s where GitLab adds value:
- Integrated CI/CD automation with Git
- Built-in support for containers, IaC, and Kubernetes
- Merge requests with inline code reviews
- Optional security scanners for SAST, dependency scanning, and license compliance
Still, GitLab’s default settings may not detect every gitlab vulnerability, especially in complex or fast-moving projects. That’s where Xygeni enhances your setup.
With Xygeni:
- You get deep gitlab security scanning for secrets, malware, IaC misconfigurations, and pipeline logic
- You can enforce merge policies that block risky code from going live
- You gain visibility across all repos, CI jobs, and third-party components
In short, GitLab helps you deliver software faster. Xygeni helps you do it securely, every step of the way.
Is GitLab Secure? Best Practices for GitLab Security and Vulnerability Prevention
Yes, GitLab offers both an open-source version and several commercial editions. The open-source version, known as GitLab Community Edition (CE), is available under an MIT license and includes essential Git and CI/CD features. For teams that need advanced permissions, security scanning, and enterprise integrations, GitLab also provides paid versions like Premium and Ultimate.
Although the core is open source, this dual model means not all security features are available in the free edition. For example, gitlab security scanning tools for static analysis, dependency detection, and container vulnerabilities are only fully available in GitLab Ultimate.
This leads to a critical point: using GitLab CE without external tools may leave gaps in visibility. Especially when it comes to gitlab vulnerability detection or policy enforcement across your CI/CD workflows.
To strengthen gitlab security regardless of edition:
- Use external scanners to analyze code, dependencies, and infrastructure
- Apply strict access controls to reduce risk exposure
- Monitor for secrets and unsafe pipelines even in private repos
Xygeni complements both open-source and enterprise editions by adding real-time scanning for secrets, IaC risks, and pipeline misconfigurations. It works alongside GitLab CE or Ultimate, closing visibility gaps and enforcing security guardrails across all repositories.
So yes, GitLab is open source, but securing it requires a full-spectrum strategy. Xygeni helps you get there without friction.
How to Check GitLab Version
Knowing your GitLab version is essential, especially when assessing security risk or applying patches. If your team skips this step, you may miss critical updates that fix gitlab vulnerabilities or improve gitlab security scanning features.
To check the current version of your GitLab instance:
For GitLab self-managed:
Open a terminal on the server and run:
gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info
- his command shows environment details, including the version number.
- For GitLab in the UI (Cloud or Self-hosted):
Navigate to the bottom of any page. You’ll often find the version in the footer.
If it’s hidden, go toHelp > Version Information.
Keeping this information up to date helps you:
- Verify compatibility with integrations or extensions
- Confirm whether known gitlab vulnerabilities affect your environment
- Decide when to schedule updates or apply hotfixes
That said, version checking is only the beginning. What truly protects your codebase is knowing what risks are present in your repos, pipelines, and infrastructure.
This is where Xygeni adds value. It works with any GitLab version to provide continuous Gitlab security insights. Whether you’re on CE or Ultimate, cloud or on-prem, Xygeni scans your pipelines, IaC, dependencies, and secrets, automatically detecting and prioritizing security issues before they hit production.
Always check your version. But more importantly, secure what runs inside it.
How to Delete a GitLab Project
Deleting a GitLab project might seem like a basic cleanup task. However, if done without caution, it can leave behind serious GitLab security risks, like lingering access tokens, unrevoked CI credentials, or untracked forks.
To delete a project in GitLab:
- Go to Settings > General inside the project.
- Scroll down to Advanced and click Delete project.
- Confirm by typing the project name.
Before confirming, always follow these steps to minimize risk:
- Review audit logs to check for recent activity.
- Revoke any linked personal access tokens or CI/CD secrets.
- Run a full GitLab security scanning pass to detect exposed secrets or unsafe IaC.
- Verify no sensitive data is left in commit history or pipelines.
Although GitLab deletes the project repository, it doesn’t automatically sanitize all possible exposures. For example, secrets might remain in forks, mirrors, or local clones. This could later result in a critical GitLab vulnerability.
That’s where Xygeni helps. It continuously scans all GitLab projects, including those about to be deleted, for sensitive data, secrets, misconfigurations, and CI/CD flaws. It flags issues before you remove anything, ensuring you don’t create new risks while cleaning up old ones.
In short, deleting projects should reduce risk, not introduce it. Use automation to verify, scan, and revoke so your GitLab security posture stays strong.
How to Create a Merge Request in GitLab
In GitLab, a merge request (MR) is how developers propose changes to a project. It’s the equivalent of a pull request in GitHub. Merge requests are essential for collaboration, but they can also become a hidden source of GitLab vulnerability if not managed securely.
To create a merge request in GitLab:
- Push your branch to the remote repository.
- Navigate to Merge Requests in the GitLab UI.
- Click New merge request, select your source and target branches.
- Add a title, description, and reviewers.
- Submit the request for review.
However, to maintain strong GitLab security, follow these practices before merging:
- Run GitLab security scanning on the code changes—check for secrets, unsafe patterns, and misconfigurations.
- Require at least one code reviewer and passing CI pipelines.
- Use signed commits for verification and traceability.
- Ensure the merge request doesn’t downgrade dependencies or introduce typosquatted packages.
This is where Xygeni makes a real impact. As soon as a merge request is opened, it scans the diff in real time. It detects exposed secrets, vulnerable code, suspicious infrastructure-as-code, and security flaws in CI/CD logic. You can even configure guardrails to block risky MRs until the issues are resolved.
Because security should happen before the merge, not after.
With automation and policy enforcement, Xygeni helps teams build safer pipelines without slowing down their GitLab workflow.
Is GitLab Secure?
GitLab is designed with multiple security features to protect your codebase, such as two-factor authentication, role-based access controls, and project visibility settings. However, GitLab security depends heavily on how you configure and use the platform in your day-to-day workflows.
Although the platform provides GitLab security scanning via integrated tools like Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Secret Detection, these must be enabled and maintained actively. Additionally, third-party dependencies, misconfigured pipelines, or exposed environment variables can still introduce GitLab vulnerabilities into your software supply chain.
To stay secure:
- Enable all relevant security scanners and review their outputs regularly.
- Restrict access to sensitive projects and enforce strong password policies.
- Monitor tokens, variables, and webhooks for possible misuse.
- Use audit logs to track unexpected changes or privilege escalation.
Moreover, Xygeni takes your GitLab security posture further by enforcing policies and continuously scanning code, secrets, and infrastructure files across your projects. It integrates with GitLab Merge Requests and CI/CD pipelines, flagging any risk, such as leaked credentials, unpinned dependencies, or reachable vulnerable code, before it gets merged.
In conclusion, GitLab offers a strong security foundation. But to reduce real-world risk, you need consistent visibility, early alerts, and guardrails that prevent unsafe changes from going live. Xygeni ensures that’s part of your workflow from the first commit to final deployment.
Final Thoughts on GitLab Security, Scanning, and Vulnerability Management
GitLab gives you powerful automation and collaboration features, but its security depends on how you use them. From secret scanning to permission controls, many protections are available, yet they require the right configuration and ongoing attention.
To reduce your GitLab vulnerability exposure, always enable security features like SAST and Dependency Scanning. Moreover, audit your tokens, review merge requests, and keep CI/CD logic tight.
Additionally, Xygeni extends these protections by integrating seamlessly into your GitLab environment. It adds real-time GitLab security scanning across your codebase, pipelines, and infrastructure files. Xygeni also prioritizes risks using exploitability metrics, so you focus only on what really matters.
In short, if you want to improve your GitLab security posture without slowing down development, start by answering the right questions, and let Xygeni handle the rest.
👉 Start your free trial with Xygeni and protect your GitLab workflows from code to cloud.
