GitLab CI Security Review
A GitLab variable marked protected is only protected if the branch is. We pen test the gap between what your CI configuration intends and what a contributor with push access to an unprotected branch can actually obtain. CREST-certified testers, fixed price from £2,830, scoped in 24 hours.
- Unlimited retesting
- No rescheduling or cancellation fees
- Fixed quote within 24 hours
“I would highly recommend EJN Labs to any organisation seeking reliable, detailed, and well-managed penetration testing services, particularly for government or enterprise-level projects.”
Imran SaghirProject Lead, SquareOne“There wasn’t another company we could find that could deliver what we needed in the timeframe we needed. The client loved it, and we got instant ROI from the engagement.”
Dan WilcocksonCo-Founder, CelloriGitLab’s protected variable mechanism is sound and widely misunderstood. A protected variable is exposed only to pipelines running on protected branches or tags, which means the security of that secret is entirely a function of your branch protection rules.
Why protected variables are conditional
Where branch protection is loose, or where a wildcard protects more branches than intended, a contributor can push a branch that both qualifies as protected and runs a modified CI configuration. At that point the secret is theirs.
Runners are the other half. Shared runners that reuse a Docker socket or a cached workspace between jobs let one project’s pipeline reach another’s, and a runner with a privileged executor can escape the container it was supposed to contain.
ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS and Cyber Essentials Plus audits accept manual penetration test evidence. Scan-only evidence is generally insufficient.
VARIABLES, RUNNERS + BRANCHES
What we actually pen test on a GitLab CI setup
Manual pen testing across pipeline injection, CI/CD variable protection and masking, runner isolation and tagging, protected branch rules and registry access.
Pipeline configuration injection
Variables and predefined values reaching script blocks, whether branch or tag names and merge request titles can inject commands, include and remote template handling, and rules evaluation.
CI/CD variables and protection
Which variables are protected and masked, whether masking actually holds for the values in use, group versus project variable inheritance, and whether a variable can be printed or exfiltrated by a job permitted to use it.
Protected branches and tags
Branch and tag protection patterns and wildcards, who may push and merge, whether a contributor can create a branch matching a protected pattern, and merge request approval rules and their bypass.
Runner isolation and tagging
Shared versus specific runners, executor configuration including privileged mode and Docker socket mounting, cache and artefact reuse between jobs, and whether runner tags actually constrain what runs where.
Registry and package access
Container registry and package registry permissions, CI job token scope, whether a job token from one project can reach another, and dependency proxy configuration.
Environments and deployment
Deployment approval rules, environment-scoped variables, whether production deployment requires review, and what the deployment credentials reach.
METHODOLOGY
GitLab CI Security Review: From Scope to Attestation
CREST-aligned methodology built on OWASP Web Security Testing Guide, OWASP ASVS, NIST SP 800-115, and PTES. Each finding maps to all four standards plus your specific compliance regime.
Reconnaissance
Application mapping, technology fingerprinting, content discovery, parameter enumeration, authentication-flow analysis, role-matrix construction.
Vulnerability Assessment
Authenticated and unauthenticated automated scanning across every user role, plus targeted manual checks for known weakness patterns.
Manual Exploitation
Hands-on testing by a CREST-certified pentester. Business-logic exploitation, chained vulnerabilities, privilege escalation, impact validation.
Reporting + Retest
Executive summary, technical report with CVSS scores and reproduction steps, walkthrough call, free retest after remediation, attestation letter.
CREDENTIALS
Verified Accreditations Auditors Accept
Every credential below is independently verifiable. UK procurement teams, FCA supervisors, ISO 27001 / SOC 2 auditors, and cyber insurance underwriters all recognise these standards.
GET YOUR QUOTE
Get a CREST GitLab CI pen test quote in 24 hours
A fixed-price quote back in one business day, from a named CREST assessor. No sales pipeline, no chasing.
- CREST and IASME accredited. Testing your auditors and clients already recognise.
- Fast-track testing within 24 hours where required. Free retest of every fix included.
- Live findings via your client portal, not a four-week PDF.
- Fixed price from £3,500 for a single-role, single-app scope, agreed up front. Most engagements run £5,000 and up. No day-rate surprises.
Dan WilcocksonCo-Founder, CelloriUnder NDA Further named references available on a scoping call.
- We reply within one business day with a fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
- You approve the scope and we book a start date, usually within 24 hours.
- Live findings land in your client portal as we test, with a free retest of every fix.
Get your fixed pen test quote in 24 hours
Quote request received
We will reply within one business day with your fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
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or book a 20-min scoping call first
We reply within one business day. Your data stays with us. No newsletter signup.
COMPLIANCE READY
Reports Mapped to Every Framework
Findings are explicitly tagged to the relevant control reference. Your audit team submits the report directly without translation work.
ISO 27001:2022
Annex A.8.8 management of technical vulnerabilities plus A.5.15-5.18 and A.8.2-8.5 access control validation.
SOC 2 Type I & II
CC6 logical access, CC7 system operations, CC8 change management evidence.
PCI DSS
Requirement 11.4 application penetration testing across cardholder data environments, including ecommerce penetration testing for online retail platforms.
FCA SYSC
SYSC 4.1.1R, 6.1.1R, 13 mapped to each finding for FCA-regulated firms.
UK GDPR
Article 32 effectiveness testing, customer-data security controls, ICO-acceptable evidence.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Direct certification through our IASME body status, single-vendor delivery.
PRICING
Transparent GitLab CI Security Review Pricing
Pricing depends on app complexity, user-role count, business-logic depth, and integration surface. The day count flexes; the included deliverables stay the same across all engagements.
2 to 3 testing days
Single user role, basic CRUD application, marketing website with auth. Around 5 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quote3 to 5 testing days
Multi-role SaaS, business application with payment integration. Around 8 to 12 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quote5 to 7 testing days
Multi-tenant platform, complex authorisation matrix, integration-heavy applications. Around 15 to 20 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quotePart of Technologies We Pen Test. These are examples of the stacks we publish pages for, not a complete list. If yours is not here we still test it. Related pages:
BY SECTOR
GitLab CI Security Review for Your Sector
Sector-specialist scoping for UK businesses with sector-specific compliance regimes and threat models.
Fintech & FCA-Regulated
FCA SYSC, Open Banking FAPI 1.0, PSD2 SCA, payment-flow scrutiny, KYC/AML testing.
Fintech sector pageSaaS Companies
SOC 2 Type I & II evidence, multi-tenant boundaries, role escalation, customer-tenant isolation.
SaaS sector pageLaw Firms
SRA Cyber Standard, privileged data, conveyancing fraud defence, partner-tier procurement.
Law firm sector pageHealthcare
NHS DTAC, DSP Toolkit v6, UK GDPR Article 32, EHR systems, telehealth platforms.
Healthcare sector pageInsurance
FCA / PRA Operational Resilience, cyber underwriting, claims data, broker portals.
Insurance sector pagePublic Sector
CCS / G-Cloud framework, NCSC-aligned, citizen-facing services, PSN-compliance scrutiny.
Public sector pageWHY EJN LABS
What You Get From GitLab CI Security Review
Six concrete differentiators competitors don’t all match.
CREST-Certified Testers, Verifiable
Every test by a CREST-certified pen tester (CRT, CCT APP, CCT INF where applicable). Verify our company status at crest-approved.org.
24-Hour Startup, Where Required
From signed scope to active testing in a single business day for incident response, audit deadlines, or regulator-driven timelines.
Live Findings, Not 4-Week PDFs
Critical issues reported during testing through your client portal. Your team remediates while testing continues.
Audit-Ready Reports
Executive summary plus full technical report with CVSS scores and explicit framework mappings (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, FCA SYSC).
Free Retests, Standard
Verify remediation of every finding before close-out. Letter of attestation for audit submission included. Most competitors charge £1,500-£3,000 per retest.
UK-Based CREST Testers
Every engagement performed by vetted, UK-based CREST-certified testers, matched to your needs, security clearance, and compliance scope.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
Do you test self-managed GitLab as well as gitlab.com?
Both. Self-managed adds the instance itself to the conversation, including version currency against known vulnerabilities and administrative access, and we scope that in where you want it.
What is the CI job token risk?
Job tokens are issued automatically to every pipeline and their permitted scope has changed across GitLab versions. On older or loosely configured instances a token from a low-value project can reach repositories it should not, which we test directly.
Do you need a maintainer account?
Read access to CI configuration, variables and runner settings is ideal. We demonstrate injection in a project you nominate rather than against anything important.
We use GitLab only for source control, not CI. Is this relevant?
Less so. If no pipelines run, the value is mostly in branch protection and access review, which may be better covered inside a wider review rather than as its own engagement. We will tell you that rather than sell you this.
What do we receive?
A report mapped to ISO 27001, SOC 2 and Cyber Essentials where relevant, a developer write-up with reproduction steps, and unlimited free retesting.
20+ CREST-accredited testing services in one place
Web, mobile, API, cloud, AI, infrastructure, red team. Pick the test that fits your environment.
Get a fixed price for your GitLab CI review
Tell us whether you are on gitlab.com or self-managed, roughly how many projects are in scope and whether you run your own runners. Fixed-price quote within one business day.
