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GitLab CI/CD job token (FREE)

When a pipeline job is about to run, GitLab generates a unique token and injects it as the CI_JOB_TOKEN predefined variable.

You can use a GitLab CI/CD job token to authenticate with specific API endpoints:

The token has the same permissions to access the API as the user that caused the job to run. A user can cause a job to run by taking action like pushing a commit, triggering a manual job, or being the owner of a scheduled pipeline. Therefore, this user must be assigned to a role that has the required privileges.

The token is valid only while the pipeline job runs. After the job finishes, you cannot use the token anymore.

A job token can access a project's resources without any configuration, but it might give extra permissions that aren't necessary. There is a proposal to redesign the feature for more strategic control of the access permissions.

You can also use the job token to authenticate and clone a repository from a private project in a CI/CD job:

git clone https://gitlab-ci-token:${CI_JOB_TOKEN}@gitlab.example.com/<namespace>/<project>

GitLab CI/CD job token security

To make sure that this token doesn't leak, GitLab:

  • Masks the job token in job logs.
  • Grants permissions to the job token only when the job is running.

To make sure that this token doesn't leak, you should also configure your runners to be secure. Avoid:

  • Using Docker privileged mode if the machines are re-used.
  • Using the shell executor when jobs run on the same machine.

If you have an insecure GitLab Runner configuration, you increase the risk that someone tries to steal tokens from other jobs.

Configure CI/CD job token access

You can control what projects a CI/CD job token can access to increase the job token's security. A job token might give extra permissions that aren't necessary to access specific private resources. The job token scope only controls access to private projects. If an accessed project is public or internal, token scoping does not apply.

If a job token is leaked, it could potentially be used to access private data to the job token's user. By limiting the job token access scope, private data cannot be accessed unless projects are explicitly authorized.

There is a proposal to add more strategic control of the access permissions, see epic 3559.

NOTE: Because CI_REGISTRY_TOKEN uses CI_JOB_TOKEN to authenticate, the access configuration also applies to CI_REGISTRY_TOKEN.

Allow access to your project with a job token

Create an allowlist of projects which can access your project through their CI_JOB_TOKEN.

For example, project A can add project B to the allowlist. CI/CD jobs in project B (the "allowed project") can now use their CI/CD job token to authenticate API calls to access project A. If project A is public or internal, the project can be accessed by project B without adding it to the allowlist.

By default, the allowlist of any project only includes itself.

It is a security risk to disable this feature, so project maintainers or owners should keep this setting enabled at all times. Add projects to the allowlist only when cross-project access is needed.

Disable the job token scope allowlist

WARNING: It is a security risk to disable the allowlist. A malicious user could try to compromise a pipeline created in an unauthorized project. If the pipeline was created by one of your maintainers, the job token could be used in an attempt to access your project.

You can disable the job token scope allowlist for testing or a similar reason, but you should enable it again as soon as possible.

Prerequisite:

  • You must have at least the Maintainer role for the project.

To disable the job token scope allowlist:

  1. On the top bar, select Main menu > Projects and find your project.
  2. On the left sidebar, select Settings > CI/CD.
  3. Expand Token Access.
  4. Toggle Allow access to this project with a CI_JOB_TOKEN to disabled. Enabled by default in new projects.

You can also disable the allowlist with the API.

Add a project to the job token scope allowlist

You can add projects to the allowlist for a project. Projects added to the allowlist can make API calls from running pipelines by using the CI/CD job token.

Prerequisite:

  • You must have at least the Maintainer role in the current project and at least the Guest role in the allowed project.
  • You must not have more than 100 projects added to the allowlist.

To add a project:

  1. On the top bar, select Main menu > Projects and find your project.
  2. On the left sidebar, select Settings > CI/CD.
  3. Expand Token Access.
  4. Verify Allow access to this project with a CI_JOB_TOKEN is enabled.
  5. Under Allow CI job tokens from the following projects to access this project, add projects to the allowlist.

You can also add a target project to the allowlist with the API.

Limit your project's job token access

NOTE: This feature is disabled by default for all new projects and is scheduled for removal in GitLab 16.0. Project maintainers or owners should enable the access control instead.

Control your project's job token scope by creating an allowlist of projects which can be accessed by your project's job token.

By default, the allowlist includes your current project. Other projects can be added and removed by maintainers with access to both projects.

With the setting disabled, all projects are considered in the allowlist and the job token is limited only by the user's access permissions.

For example, when the setting is enabled, jobs in a pipeline in project A have a CI_JOB_TOKEN scope limited to project A. If the job needs to use the token to make an API request to a private project B, then B must be added to the allowlist for A. If project B is public or internal, you do not need to add B to the allowlist to grant access.

Configure the job token scope

Prerequisite:

  • You must not have more than 100 projects added to the token's scope.

To configure the job token scope:

  1. On the top bar, select Main menu > Projects and find your project.
  2. On the left sidebar, select Settings > CI/CD.
  3. Expand Token Access.
  4. Toggle Limit CI_JOB_TOKEN access to enabled.
  5. Optional. Add existing projects to the token's access scope. The user adding a project must have the Maintainer role in both projects.

Download an artifact from a different pipeline (PREMIUM)

CI_JOB_TOKEN for artifacts download with the API was introduced in GitLab 9.5.

You can use the CI_JOB_TOKEN to access artifacts from a job created by a previous pipeline. You must specify which job you want to retrieve the artifacts from:

build_submodule:
  stage: test
  script:
    - apt update && apt install -y unzip
    - curl --location --output artifacts.zip "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/1/jobs/artifacts/main/download?job=test&job_token=$CI_JOB_TOKEN"
    - unzip artifacts.zip

Read more about the jobs artifacts API.

Troubleshooting

CI job token failures are usually shown as responses like 404 Not Found or similar:

  • Unauthorized Git clone:

    $ git clone https://gitlab-ci-token:$CI_JOB_TOKEN@gitlab.com/fabiopitino/test2.git

Cloning into 'test2'...
remote: The project you were looking for could not be found or you don't have permission to view it.
fatal: repository 'https://gitlab-ci-token:[MASKED]@gitlab.com/<namespace>/<project>.git/' not found

  • Unauthorized package download:

    $ wget --header="JOB-TOKEN: $CI_JOB_TOKEN" ${CI_API_V4_URL}/projects/1234/packages/generic/my_package/0.0.1/file.txt

--2021-09-23 11:00:13--  https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/1234/packages/generic/my_package/0.0.1/file.txt
Resolving gitlab.com (gitlab.com)... 172.65.251.78, 2606:4700:90:0:f22e:fbec:5bed:a9b9
Connecting to gitlab.com (gitlab.com)|172.65.251.78|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 404 Not Found
2021-09-23 11:00:13 ERROR 404: Not Found.

  • Unauthorized API request:

    $ curl --verbose --request POST --form "token=$CI_JOB_TOKEN" --form ref=master "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/1234/trigger/pipeline"

< HTTP/2 404
< date: Thu, 23 Sep 2021 11:00:12 GMT
{"message":"404 Not Found"}
< content-type: application/json

While troubleshooting CI/CD job token authentication issues, be aware that:

  • A GraphQL example mutation is available to toggle the scope settings per project.
  • When the CI/CD job token scopes are enabled, and the job token is being used to access a different project:
    • The user that executes the job must be a member of the project that is being accessed.
    • The user must have the permissions to perform the action.
    • The accessed project must have the project attempting to access it added to the allowlist.
  • The CI job token becomes invalid if the job is no longer running, has been erased, or if the project is in the process of being deleted.