info: "See the Technical Writers assigned to Development Guidelines: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments-to-development-guidelines"
This is a [breaking change](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/deprecation_guidelines/).
Review the details carefully before upgrading.
All [security report schema](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/security-products/security-report-schemas) versions before 15.0.0 are considered deprecated in GitLab %15.8. Specifically, all [schemas](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/ee/lib/ee/gitlab/ci/parsers/security/validators/schemas) that match 14.*.* will be deprecated.
Please note that any [security report scanner integration](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/integrations/secure.html) with GitLab using a deprecated schema version will result in a deprecation warning as a result of [report validation](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/integrations/secure.html#report-validation).
See [Security report validation](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/#security-report-validation) for more information.
The [**Maximum number of active pipelines per project** limit](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/admin_area/settings/continuous_integration.html#set-cicd-limits) was never enabled by default and will be removed in GitLab 16.0. This limit can also be configured in the Rails console under [`ci_active_pipelines`](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/instance_limits.html#number-of-pipelines-running-concurrently). Instead, use the other recommended rate limits that offer similar protection:
- [**Total number of jobs in currently active pipelines**](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/admin_area/settings/continuous_integration.html#set-cicd-limits).
This is a [breaking change](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/deprecation_guidelines/).
Review the details carefully before upgrading.
With GitLab 13.9, in the Omnibus GitLab package and GitLab Helm chart 4.9, the Redis version [was updated to Redis 6](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2021/02/22/gitlab-13-9-released/#omnibus-improvements).
Redis 5 has reached the end of life in April 2022 and will no longer be supported as of GitLab 15.6.
If you are using your own Redis 5.0 instance, you should upgrade it to Redis 6.0 or higher before upgrading to GitLab 16.0 or higher.
The `job_age` parameter, returned from the `POST /jobs/request` API endpoint used in communication with GitLab Runner, was never used by any GitLab or Runner feature. This parameter will be removed in GitLab 16.0.
This could be a breaking change for anyone that developed their own runner that relies on this parameter being returned by the endpoint. This is not a breaking change for anyone using an officially released version of GitLab Runner, including public shared runners on GitLab.com.
The [Jira DVCS Connector](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/integration/jira/dvcs.html) (which enables the [Jira Development Panel](https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/view-development-information-for-an-issue/)), will no longer support Jira Cloud users starting with GitLab 16.0. The [GitLab for Jira App](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/integration/jira/connect-app.html) has always been recommended for Jira Cloud users, and it will be required instead of the DVCS connector. If you are a Jira Cloud user, we recommended you begin migrating to the GitLab for Jira App.
Any Jira Server and Jira Data Center users will need to confirm they are not using the GitHub Enterprise Connector to enable the GitLab DVCS integration, but they may continue to use the [native GitLab DVCS integration](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/integration/jira/dvcs.html) (supported in Jira 8.14 and later).
Previously, the [PipelineSecurityReportFinding GraphQL type was updated](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/335372) to include a new `title` field. This field is an alias for the current `name` field, making the less specific `name` field redundant. The `name` field will be removed from the PipelineSecurityReportFinding type in GitLab 16.0.
The [`project_fingerprint`](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/2791) attribute of vulnerability findings is being deprecated in favor of a `uuid` attribute. By using UUIDv5 values to identify findings, we can easily associate any related entity with a finding. The `project_fingerprint` attribute is no longer being used to track findings, and will be removed in GitLab 16.0.
The ability to sort the Vulnerability Report by the `Tool` column (scan type) was disabled and put behind a feature flag in GitLab 14.10 due to a refactor
of the underlying data model. The feature flag has remained off by default as further refactoring will be required to ensure sorting
by this value remains performant. Due to very low usage of the `Tool` column for sorting, the feature flag will instead be removed in
GitLab 15.3 to simplify the codebase and prevent any unwanted performance degradation.
Previous work helped [align the vulnerabilities calls for pipeline security tabs](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/343469) to match the vulnerabilities calls for project-level and group-level vulnerability reports. This helped the frontend have a more consistent interface. The old `project.pipeline.securityReportFindings` query was formatted differently than other vulnerability data calls. Now that it has been replaced with the new `project.pipeline.vulnerabilities` field, the old `project.pipeline.securityReportFindings` is being deprecated and will be removed in GitLab 16.0.
Support for PostgreSQL 12 is scheduled for removal in GitLab 16.0.
In GitLab 16.0, PostgreSQL 13 becomes the minimum required PostgreSQL version.
PostgreSQL 12 will be supported for the full GitLab 15 release cycle.
PostgreSQL 13 will also be supported for instances that want to upgrade prior to GitLab 16.0.
Upgrading to PostgreSQL 13 is not yet supported for GitLab instances with Geo enabled. Geo support for PostgreSQL 13 will be announced in a minor release version of GitLab 15, after the process is fully supported and validated. For more information, read the Geo related verifications on the [support epic for PostgreSQL 13](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/3832).
by this value remains performant. Due to very low usage of the `State` column for sorting, the feature flag will instead be removed to simplify the codebase and prevent any unwanted performance degradation.
In GitLab 15.0, for Dependency Scanning, the default version of Java that the scanner expects will be updated from 11 to 17. Java 17 is [the most up-to-date Long Term Support (LTS) version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_version_history). Dependency scanning continues to support the same [range of versions (8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/dependency_scanning/#supported-languages-and-package-managers), only the default version is changing. If your project uses the previous default of Java 11, be sure to [set the `DS_Java_Version` variable to match](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/dependency_scanning/#configuring-specific-analyzers-used-by-dependency-scanning).
As Advanced Search migrations usually require support multiple code paths for a long period of time, it’s important to clean those up when we safely can. We use GitLab major version upgrades as a safe time to remove backward compatibility for indices that have not been fully migrated. See the [upgrade documentation](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/update/index.html#upgrading-to-a-new-major-version) for details.
Toggling notes confidentiality with REST and GraphQL APIs is being deprecated. Updating notes confidential attribute is no longer supported by any means. We are changing this to simplify the experience and prevent private information from being unintentionally exposed.
To reduce the overall complexity and maintenance burden of GitLab's [object storage feature](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/object_storage.html), support for using `background_upload` to upload files is deprecated and will be fully removed in GitLab 15.0. Review the [15.0 specific changes](https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus/update/gitlab_15_changes.html) for the [removed background uploads settings for object storage](https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus/update/gitlab_15_changes.html#removed-background-uploads-settings-for-object-storage).
Long term service and support (LTSS) for [Debian 9 Stretch ends in July 2022](https://wiki.debian.org/LTS). Therefore, we will no longer support the Debian 9 distribution for the GitLab package. Users can upgrade to Debian 10 or Debian 11.
GitLab self-monitoring gives administrators of self-hosted GitLab instances the tools to monitor the health of their instances. This feature is deprecated in GitLab 14.9, and is scheduled for removal in 16.0.
The GitLab Package stage offers a Package Registry, Container Registry, and Dependency Proxy to help you manage all of your dependencies using GitLab. Each of these product categories has a variety of settings that can be adjusted using the API.
The permissions model for GraphQL is being updated. After 15.0, users with the Guest, Reporter, and Developer role can no longer update these settings:
The [`custom_hooks_dir`](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/server_hooks.html#create-a-global-server-hook-for-all-repositories) setting is now configured in Gitaly, and will be removed from GitLab Shell in GitLab 15.0.
The GitLab Composer repository can be used to push, search, fetch metadata about, and download PHP dependencies. All these actions require authentication, except for downloading dependencies.
Downloading Composer dependencies without authentication is deprecated in GitLab 14.9, and will be removed in GitLab 15.0. Starting with GitLab 15.0, you must authenticate to download Composer dependencies.
The Container Registry supports [authentication](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/container-registry/-/blob/master/docs/configuration.md#auth) with `htpasswd`. It relies on an [Apache `htpasswd` file](https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/programs/htpasswd.html), with passwords hashed using `bcrypt`.
The `user_email_lookup_limit` [API field](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/settings.html) is deprecated and will be removed in GitLab 15.0. Until GitLab 15.0, `user_email_lookup_limit` is aliased to `search_rate_limit` and existing workflows will continue to work.
All functionality related to GitLab's Container Network Security and Container Host Security categories is deprecated in GitLab 14.8 and scheduled for removal in GitLab 15.0. Users who need a replacement for this functionality are encouraged to evaluate the following open source projects as potential solutions that can be installed and managed outside of GitLab: [AppArmor](https://gitlab.com/apparmor/apparmor), [Cilium](https://github.com/cilium/cilium), [Falco](https://github.com/falcosecurity/falco), [FluentD](https://github.com/fluent/fluentd), [Pod Security Admission](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/security/pod-security-admission/). To integrate these technologies into GitLab, add the desired Helm charts into your copy of the [Cluster Management Project Template](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/clusters/management_project_template.html). Deploy these Helm charts in production by calling commands through GitLab [CI/CD](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/clusters/agent/ci_cd_workflow.html).
For additional context, or to provide feedback regarding this change, please reference our open [deprecation issue](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/7476).
For those using Dependency Scanning for Python projects, we are deprecating the default `gemnasium-python:2` image which uses Python 3.6 as well as the custom `gemnasium-python:2-python-3.9` image which uses Python 3.9. The new default image as of GitLab 15.0 will be for Python 3.9 as it is a [supported version](https://endoflife.date/python) and 3.6 [is no longer supported](https://endoflife.date/python).
For users using Python 3.9 or 3.9-compatible projects, you should not need to take action and dependency scanning should begin to work in GitLab 15.0. If you wish to test the new container now please run a test pipeline in your project with this container (which will be removed in 15.0). Use the Python 3.9 image:
For users using Python 3.6, as of GitLab 15.0 you will no longer be able to use the default template for dependency scanning. You will need to switch to use the deprecated `gemnasium-python:2` analyzer image. If you are impacted by this please comment in [this issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/351503) so we can extend the removal if needed.
For users using the 3.9 special exception image, you must instead use the default value and no longer override your container. To verify if you are using the 3.9 special exception image, check your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file for the following reference:
In GitLab 13.0, we introduced new project and design replication details routes in the Geo Admin UI. These routes are `/admin/geo/replication/projects` and `/admin/geo/replication/designs`. We kept the legacy routes and redirected them to the new routes. In GitLab 15.0, we will remove support for the legacy routes `/admin/geo/projects` and `/admin/geo/designs`. Please update any bookmarks or scripts that may use the legacy routes.
In GitLab 14.8, we are [replacing the `geo:db:*` Rake tasks with built-in tasks](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/77269/diffs) that are now possible after [switching the Geo tracking database to use Rails' 6 support of multiple databases](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/6458).
The following `geo:db:*` tasks will be replaced with their corresponding `db:*:geo` tasks:
The feature flag `PUSH_RULES_SUPERSEDE_CODE_OWNERS` is being removed in GitLab 15.0. Upon its removal, push rules will supersede CODEOWNERS. The CODEOWNERS feature will no longer be available for access control.
Using environment variables `GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM` and `GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL` to configure Gitaly is [deprecated](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352609).
These variables are being replaced with standard [`config.toml` Gitaly configuration](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/gitaly/reference.html).
Elasticsearch 6.8 is also incompatible with Amazon OpenSearch, which we [plan to support in GitLab 15.0](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/327560).
- Do not contain the `status` field will be rejected with a `422` error. For more information, see [the relevant issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/338827).
- Contain any value other than `passed` will cause the status check to fail. For more information, see [the relevant issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/339039).
We are removing a non-standard extension to our GraphQL processor, which we added for backwards compatibility. This extension modifies the validation of GraphQL queries, allowing the use of the `ID` type for arguments where it would normally be rejected.
Some arguments originally had the type `ID`. These were changed to specific
kinds of `ID`. This change may be a breaking change if you:
The [GitLab SAST SpotBugs analyzer](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/security-products/analyzers/spotbugs) scans [Java, Scala, Groovy, and Kotlin code](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/sast/#supported-languages-and-frameworks) for security vulnerabilities.
For technical reasons, the analyzer must first compile the code before scanning.
Unless you use the [pre-compilation strategy](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/sast/#pre-compilation), the analyzer attempts to automatically compile your project's code.
- Remove Java 8 from the analyzer image to reduce the size of the image.
- Add Java 17 to the analyzer image to make it easier to compile with Java 17.
If you rely on Java 8 being present in the analyzer environment, you must take action as detailed in the [deprecation issue for this change](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352549#breaking-change).
The `instanceStatisticsMeasurements` GraphQL node has been renamed to `usageTrendsMeasurements` in 13.10 and the old field name has been marked as deprecated. To fix the existing GraphQL queries, replace `instanceStatisticsMeasurements` with `usageTrendsMeasurements`.
[Request profiling](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/monitoring/performance/request_profiling.html) is deprecated in GitLab 14.8 and scheduled for removal in GitLab 15.0.
We're working on [consolidating our profiling tools](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/7327) and making them more easily accessible.
We [evaluated](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/350152) the use of this feature and we found that it is not widely used.
It also depends on a few third-party gems that are not actively maintained anymore, have not been updated for the latest version of Ruby, or crash frequently when profiling heavy page loads.
The [required pipeline configuration](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/admin_area/settings/continuous_integration.html#required-pipeline-configuration) feature is deprecated in GitLab 14.8 for Premium customers and is scheduled for removal in GitLab 15.0. This feature is not deprecated for GitLab Ultimate customers.
This change to move the feature to GitLab's Ultimate tier is intended to help our features better align with our [pricing philosophy](https://about.gitlab.com/company/pricing/#three-tiers) as we see demand for this feature originating primarily from executives.
This change will also help GitLab remain consistent in its tiering strategy with the other related Ultimate-tier features of:
[Security policies](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/policies/) and [compliance framework pipelines](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/settings/index.html#compliance-pipeline-configuration).
As of 14.8 the retire.js job is being deprecated from Dependency Scanning. It will continue to be included in our CI/CD template while deprecated. We are removing retire.js from Dependency Scanning on May 22, 2022 in GitLab 15.0. JavaScript scanning functionality will not be affected as it is still being covered by Gemnasium.
If you have explicitly excluded retire.js using DS_EXCLUDED_ANALYZERS you will need to clean up (remove the reference) in 15.0. If you have customized your pipeline's Dependency Scanning configuration related to the `retire-js-dependency_scanning` job you will want to switch to gemnasium-dependency_scanning before the removal in 15.0, to prevent your pipeline from failing. If you have not used the DS_EXCLUDED_ANALYZERS to reference retire.js, or customized your template specifically for retire.js, you will not need to take action.
Streamlining the set of analyzers will also enable faster [iteration](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/values/#iteration), better [results](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/values/#results), and greater [efficiency](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/values/#efficiency) (including a reduction in CI runner usage in most cases).
These analyzers will be removed from the [GitLab-managed SAST CI/CD template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Security/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml) and replaced with the [Semgrep-based analyzer](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/security-products/analyzers/semgrep).
They will no longer receive routine updates, except for security issues.
We will not delete container images previously published for these analyzers; any such change would be announced as a [deprecation, removal, or breaking change announcement](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/blog/release-posts/#deprecations-removals-and-breaking-changes).
We will also remove Java from the scope of the [SpotBugs](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/security-products/analyzers/spotbugs) analyzer and replace it with the [Semgrep-based analyzer](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/security-products/analyzers/semgrep).
This change will make it simpler to scan Java code; compilation will no longer be required.
This change will be reflected in the automatic language detection portion of the [GitLab-managed SAST CI/CD template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Security/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml). Note that the SpotBugs-based analyzer will continue to cover Groovy, Kotlin, and Scala.
If you've already dismissed a vulnerability finding from one of the deprecated analyzers, the replacement attempts to respect your previous dismissal. The system behavior depends on:
- whether you’ve excluded the Semgrep-based analyzer from running in the past.
- which analyzer first discovered the vulnerabilities shown in the project’s Vulnerability Report.
See [Vulnerability translation documentation](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/sast/analyzers.html#vulnerability-translation) for further details.
If you applied customizations to any of the affected analyzers or if you currently disable the Semgrep analyzer in your pipelines, you must take action as detailed in the [deprecation issue for this change](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352554#breaking-change).
In GitLab versions prior to 15.0, the default analyzer image (version 2) includes support for:
- .NET 2.1
- .NET 3.0 and .NET Core 3.0
- .NET Core 3.1
- .NET 5.0
In GitLab 15.0, we will change the default major version for this analyzer from version 2 to version 3. This change:
- Adds [severity values for vulnerabilities](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/350408) along with [other new features and improvements](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/security-products/analyzers/security-code-scan/-/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md).
- Removes .NET 2.1 support.
- Adds support for .NET 6.0, Visual Studio 2019, and Visual Studio 2022.
Version 3 was [announced in GitLab 14.6](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2021/12/22/gitlab-14-6-released/#sast-support-for-net-6) and made available as an optional upgrade.
If you rely on .NET 2.1 support being present in the analyzer image by default, you must take action as detailed in the [deprecation issue for this change](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352553#breaking-change).
To make it simpler and more reliable to [customize GitLab Secret Detection](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/secret_detection/#customizing-settings), we're deprecating some of the variables that you could previously set in your CI/CD configuration.
The following variables currently allow you to customize the options for historical scanning, but interact poorly with the [GitLab-managed CI/CD template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Security/Secret-Detection.gitlab-ci.yml) and are now deprecated:
-`SECRET_DETECTION_COMMIT_FROM`
-`SECRET_DETECTION_COMMIT_TO`
-`SECRET_DETECTION_COMMITS`
-`SECRET_DETECTION_COMMITS_FILE`
The `SECRET_DETECTION_ENTROPY_LEVEL` previously allowed you to configure rules that only considered the entropy level of strings in your codebase, and is now deprecated.
This type of entropy-only rule created an unacceptable number of incorrect results (false positives) and is no longer supported.
In GitLab 15.0, we'll update the Secret Detection [analyzer](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/terminology/#analyzer) to ignore these deprecated options.
You'll still be able to configure historical scanning of your commit history by setting the [`SECRET_DETECTION_HISTORIC_SCAN` CI/CD variable](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/secret_detection/#available-cicd-variables).
For further details, see [the deprecation issue for this change](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352565).
GitLab uses various [analyzers](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/terminology/#analyzer) to [scan for security vulnerabilities](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/).
Each analyzer is distributed as a container image.
Starting in GitLab 14.8, new versions of GitLab Secure and Protect analyzers are published to a new registry location under `registry.gitlab.com/security-products`.
We will update the default value of [GitLab-managed CI/CD templates](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Security) to reflect this change:
- For all analyzers except Container Scanning, we will update the variable `SECURE_ANALYZERS_PREFIX` to the new image registry location.
- For Container Scanning, the default image address is already updated. There is no `SECURE_ANALYZERS_PREFIX` variable for Container Scanning.
In a future release, we will stop publishing images to `registry.gitlab.com/gitlab-org/security-products/analyzers`.
Once this happens, you must take action if you manually pull images and push them into a separate registry. This is commonly the case for [offline deployments](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/offline_deployments/index.html).
Otherwise, you won't receive further updates.
See the [deprecation issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/352564) for more details.
The Secure and Protect stages will be bumping the major versions of their analyzers in tandem with the GitLab 15.0 release. This major bump will enable a clear delineation for analyzers, between:
- Those released prior to May 22, 2022, which generate reports that _are not_ subject to stringent schema validation.
- Those released after May 22, 2022, which generate reports that _are_ subject to stringent schema validation.
If you are not using the default inclusion templates, or have pinned your analyzer versions you will need to update your CI/CD job definition to either remove the pinned version or to update the latest major version.
Users of GitLab 12.0-14.10 will continue to experience analyzer updates as normal until the release of GitLab 15.0, following which all newly fixed bugs and newly released features in the new major versions of the analyzers will not be available in the deprecated versions because we do not backport bugs and new features as per our [maintenance policy](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/policy/maintenance.html). As required security patches will be backported within the latest 3 minor releases.
Specifically, the following are being deprecated and will no longer be updated after 15.0 GitLab release:
- API Security: version 1
- Container Scanning: version 4
- Coverage-guided fuzz testing: version 2
- Dependency Scanning: version 2
- Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): version 2
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Scanning: version 1
- License Scanning: version 3
- Secret Detection: version 3
- Static Application Security Testing (SAST): version 2 of [all analyzers](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/sast/#supported-languages-and-frameworks), except `gosec` which is currently at version 3
[project setting for test coverage parsing](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/pipelines/settings.html#add-test-coverage-results-using-project-settings-removed)
The vulnerability check feature is deprecated in GitLab 14.8 and scheduled for removal in GitLab 15.0. We encourage you to migrate to the new security approvals feature instead. You can do so by navigating to **Security & Compliance > Policies** and creating a new Scan Result Policy.
The new security approvals feature is similar to vulnerability check. For example, both can require approvals for MRs that contain security vulnerabilities. However, security approvals improve the previous experience in several ways:
- Users can choose who is allowed to edit security approval rules. An independent security or compliance team can therefore manage rules in a way that prevents development project maintainers from modifying the rules.
- Multiple rules can be created and chained together to allow for filtering on different severity thresholds for each scanner type.
- A two-step approval process can be enforced for any desired changes to security approval rules.
- A single set of security policies can be applied to multiple development projects to allow for ease in maintaining a single, centralized ruleset.
The predefined CI/CD variables that start with `CI_BUILD_*` were deprecated in GitLab 9.0, and will be removed in GitLab 16.0. If you still use these variables, be sure to change to the replacement [predefined variables](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/variables/predefined_variables.html) which are functionally identical:
The `projectFingerprint` field in the [PipelineSecurityReportFinding](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/graphql/reference/index.html#pipelinesecurityreportfinding)
GraphQL object is being deprecated. This field contains a "fingerprint" of security findings used to determine uniqueness.
The method for calculating fingerprints has changed, resulting in different values. Going forward, the new values will be
exposed in the UUID field. Data previously available in the projectFingerprint field will eventually be removed entirely.
The `started` field in the [iterations API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/iterations.html#list-project-iterations) is being deprecated and will be removed in GitLab 15.0. This field is being replaced with the `current` field (already available) which aligns with the naming for other time-based entities, such as milestones.
Third-party tools that [integrate with GitLab by outputting a container scanning security report](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/integrations/secure.html#report)
as a pipeline job artifact are affected. You must ensure that all output reports adhere to the correct schema with a minimum version of 14.0.0. Reports with a lower version or that fail to validate against the declared schema version will not be processed, and vulnerability findings will not display in MRs, pipelines, or Vulnerability Reports.
Third-party tools that [integrate with GitLab by outputting a coverage guided fuzzing security report](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/integrations/secure.html#report)
as a pipeline job artifact are affected. You must ensure that all output reports adhere to the correct
schema with a minimum version of 14.0.0. Any reports with a lower version or that fail to validate
against the declared schema version will not be processed, and vulnerability
findings will not display in MRs, pipelines, or Vulnerability Reports.
Third-party tools that [integrate with GitLab by outputting a DAST security report](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/integrations/secure.html#report)
as a pipeline job artifact are affected. You must ensure that all output reports adhere to the correct
schema with a minimum version of 14.0.0. Reports with a lower version or that fail to validate
against the declared schema version will not be processed, and vulnerability
findings will not display in MRs, pipelines, or Vulnerability Reports.
Third-party tools that [integrate with GitLab by outputting a Dependency scanning security report](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/integrations/secure.html#report)
as a pipeline job artifact are affected. You must ensure that all output reports adhere to the correct
schema with a minimum version of 14.0.0. Reports with a lower version or that fail to validate
against the declared schema version will not be processed, and vulnerability
findings will not display in MRs, pipelines, or Vulnerability Reports.
The logging features in GitLab allow users to install the ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana) to aggregate and manage application logs. Users can search for relevant logs in GitLab. However, since deprecating certificate-based integration with Kubernetes clusters and GitLab Managed Apps, we don't have a recommended solution for logging within GitLab. For more information, you can follow the issue for [integrating Opstrace with GitLab](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/6976).
By displaying data stored in a Prometheus instance, GitLab allows users to view performance metrics. GitLab also displays visualizations of these metrics in dashboards. The user can connect to a previously-configured external Prometheus instance, or set up Prometheus as a GitLab Managed App.
However, since certificate-based integration with Kubernetes clusters is deprecated in GitLab, the metrics functionality in GitLab that relies on Prometheus is also deprecated. This includes the metrics visualizations in dashboards. GitLab is working to develop a single user experience based on [Opstrace](https://about.gitlab.com/press/releases/2021-12-14-gitlab-acquires-opstrace-to-expand-its-devops-platform-with-open-source-observability-solution.html). An [issue exists](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/6976) for you to follow work on the Opstrace integration.
Third-party tools that [integrate with GitLab by outputting a SAST security report](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/integrations/secure.html#report)
as a pipeline job artifact are affected. You must ensure that all output reports adhere to the correct
schema with a minimum version of 14.0.0. Reports with a lower version or that fail to validate
against the declared schema version will not be processed, and vulnerability
findings will not display in MRs, pipelines, or Vulnerability Reports.
Third-party tools that [integrate with GitLab by outputting a Secret detection security report](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/integrations/secure.html#report)
as a pipeline job artifact are affected. You must ensure that all output reports adhere to the correct
schema with a minimum version of 14.0.0. Reports with a lower version or that fail to validate
against the declared schema version will not be processed, and vulnerability
findings will not display in MRs, pipelines, or Vulnerability Reports.
The Static Site Editor will no longer be available starting in GitLab 15.0. Improvements to the Markdown editing experience across GitLab will deliver smiliar benefit but with a wider reach. Incoming requests to the Static Site Editor will be redirected to the [Web IDE](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/web_ide/index.html).
Current users of the Static Site Editor can view the [documentation](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/static_site_editor/) for more information, including how to remove the configuration files from existing projects.
Tracing in GitLab is an integration with Jaeger, an open-source end-to-end distributed tracing system. GitLab users can navigate to their Jaeger instance to gain insight into the performance of a deployed application, tracking each function or microservice that handles a given request. Tracing in GitLab is deprecated in GitLab 14.7, and scheduled for removal in 15.0. To track work on a possible replacement, see the issue for [Opstrace integration with GitLab](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/6976).
The `merged_by` field in the [merge request API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/merge_requests.html#list-merge-requests) is being deprecated and will be removed in GitLab 15.0. This field is being replaced with the `merge_user` field (already present in GraphQL) which more correctly identifies who merged a merge request when performing actions (merge when pipeline succeeds, add to merge train) other than a simple merge.
In GitLab 15.0 we are going to limit the number of characters in CI/CD job names to 255. Any pipeline with job names that exceed the 255 character limit will stop working after the 15.0 release.
We deprecated legacy names for approval status of license policy (blacklisted, approved) in the `managed_licenses` API but they are still used in our API queries and responses. They will be removed in 15.0.
If you are using our License Compliance API you should stop using the `approved` and `blacklisted` query parameters, they are now `allowed` and `denied`. In 15.0 the responses will also stop using `approved` and `blacklisted` so you need to adjust any of your custom tools to use the old and new values so they do not break with the 15.0 release.
The `type` and `types` CI/CD keywords will be removed in GitLab 15.0. Pipelines that use these keywords will stop working, so you must switch to `stage` and `stages`, which have the same behavior.
As of 14.6 bundler-audit is being deprecated from Dependency Scanning. It will continue to be in our CI/CD template while deprecated. We are removing bundler-audit from Dependency Scanning on May 22, 2022 in 15.0. After this removal Ruby scanning functionality will not be affected as it is still being covered by Gemnasium.
If you have explicitly excluded bundler-audit using DS_EXCLUDED_ANALYZERS you will need to clean up (remove the reference) in 15.0. If you have customized your pipeline's Dependency Scanning configuration, for example to edit the `bundler-audit-dependency_scanning` job, you will want to switch to gemnasium-dependency_scanning before removal in 15.0, to prevent your pipeline from failing. If you have not used the DS_EXCLUDED_ANALYZERS to reference bundler-audit, or customized your template specifically for bundler-audit, you will not need to take action.
Users often accidentally change instance runners to project runners, and they're unable to change them back. GitLab does not allow you to change a project runner to a shared runner because of the security implications. A runner meant for one project could be set to run jobs for an entire instance.
Administrators who need to add runners for multiple projects can register a runner for one project, then go to the Admin view and choose additional projects.
In [GitLab 14.3](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/merge_requests/3074), we added a configuration setting in the GitLab Runner `config.toml` file. This setting, [`[runners.ssh.disable_strict_host_key_checking]`](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/ssh.html#security), controls whether or not to use strict host key checking with the SSH executor.
In GitLab 15.0 and later, the default value for this configuration option will change from `true` to `false`. This means that strict host key checking will be enforced when using the GitLab Runner SSH executor.
A request to the API for `/api/v4/projects/:id/packages` returns a paginated result of packages. Each package lists all of its pipelines in this response. This is a performance concern, as it's possible for a package to have hundreds or thousands of associated pipelines.
The certificate-based integration with Kubernetes will be [deprecated and removed](https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2021/11/15/deprecating-the-cert-based-kubernetes-integration/). As a GitLab SaaS customer, on new namespaces, you will no longer be able to integrate GitLab and your cluster using the certificate-based approach as of GitLab 15.0. The integration for current users will be enabled per namespace. The integrations are expected to be switched off completely on GitLab SaaS around 2022 November 22.
For a more robust, secure, forthcoming, and reliable integration with Kubernetes, we recommend you use the
[agent for Kubernetes](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/clusters/agent/) to connect Kubernetes clusters with GitLab. [How do I migrate?](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/infrastructure/clusters/migrate_to_gitlab_agent.html)
For updates and details about this deprecation, follow [this epic](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/configure/-/epics/8).
GitLab self-managed customers can still use the feature [with a feature flag](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/update/deprecations.html#self-managed-certificate-based-integration-with-kubernetes).
The certificate-based integration with Kubernetes [will be deprecated and removed](https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2021/11/15/deprecating-the-cert-based-kubernetes-integration/).
As a self-managed customer, we are introducing the [feature flag](../administration/feature_flags.md#enable-or-disable-the-feature) `certificate_based_clusters` in GitLab 15.0 so you can keep your certificate-based integration enabled. However, the feature flag will be disabled by default, so this change is a **breaking change**.
In GitLab 16.0 we will remove both the feature and its related code. Until the final removal in 16.0, features built on this integration will continue to work, if you enable the feature flag. Until the feature is removed, GitLab will continue to fix security and critical issues as they arise.
For a more robust, secure, forthcoming, and reliable integration with Kubernetes, we recommend you use the
[agent for Kubernetes](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/clusters/agent/) to connect Kubernetes clusters with GitLab. [How do I migrate?](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/infrastructure/clusters/migrate_to_gitlab_agent.html)
For updates and details about this deprecation, follow [this epic](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/configure/-/epics/8).
Long term service and support (LTSS) for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 12 SP2 [ended on March 31, 2021](https://www.suse.com/lifecycle/). The CA certificates on SP2 include the expired DST root certificate, and it's not getting new CA certificate package updates. We have implemented some [workarounds](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-omnibus-builder/-/merge_requests/191), but we will not be able to continue to keep the build running properly.
In milestone 15.0, support for the `tags` and `tags_count` parameters will be removed from the Container Registry API that [gets registry repositories from a group](../api/container_registry.md#within-a-group).
The `GET /groups/:id/registry/repositories` endpoint will remain, but won't return any info about tags. To get the info about tags, you can use the existing `GET /registry/repositories/:id` endpoint, which will continue to support the `tags` and `tag_count` options as it does today. The latter must be called once per image repository.
We are changing how the date filter works in Value Stream Analytics. Instead of filtering by the time that the issue or merge request was created, the date filter will filter by the end event time of the given stage. This will result in completely different figures after this change has rolled out.
As part of the work to create a [Package Registry GraphQL API](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/6318), the Package group deprecated the `Version` type for the basic `PackageType` type and moved it to [`PackageDetailsType`](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/graphql/reference/index.html#packagedetailstype).
The GraphQL API field `defaultMergeCommitMessageWithDescription` has been deprecated and will be removed in GitLab 15.0. For projects with a commit message template set, it will ignore the template.
We added a feature flag because [GitLab-#11582](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/11582) changed how public groups use the Dependency Proxy. Prior to this change, you could use the Dependency Proxy without authentication. The change requires authentication to use the Dependency Proxy.
In GraphQL, there are two `pipelines` fields that you can use in a [`PackageDetailsType`](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/graphql/reference/#packagedetailstype) to get the pipelines for package versions:
- The `versions` field's `pipelines` field. This returns all the pipelines associated with all the package's versions, which can pull an unbounded number of objects in memory and create performance concerns.
- The `pipelines` field of a specific `version`. This returns only the pipelines associated with that single package version.
To mitigate possible performance problems, we will remove the `versions` field's `pipelines` field in milestone 15.0. Although you will no longer be able to get all pipelines for all versions of a package, you can still get the pipelines of a single version through the remaining `pipelines` field for that version.
In GitLab 14.5, we introduced the command `gitlab-ctl promote` to promote any Geo secondary node to a primary during a failover. This command replaces `gitlab-ctl promote-db` which is used to promote database nodes in multi-node Geo secondary sites. `gitlab-ctl promote-db` will continue to function as-is and be available until GitLab 15.0. We recommend that Geo customers begin testing the new `gitlab-ctl promote` command in their staging environments and incorporating the new command in their failover procedures.
In GitLab 14.5, we introduced the command `gitlab-ctl promote` to promote any Geo secondary node to a primary during a failover. This command replaces `gitlab-ctl promote-to-primary-node` which was only usable for single-node Geo sites. `gitlab-ctl promote-to-primary-node` will continue to function as-is and be available until GitLab 15.0. We recommend that Geo customers begin testing the new `gitlab-ctl promote` command in their staging environments and incorporating the new command in their failover procedures.
Audit events for [repository events](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/audit_events.html#removed-events) are now deprecated and will be removed in GitLab 15.0.
[GitLab Serverless](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/clusters/serverless/) is a feature set to support Knative-based serverless development with automatic deployments and monitoring.
We decided to remove the GitLab Serverless features as they never really resonated with our users. Besides, given the continuous development of Kubernetes and Knative, our current implementations do not even work with recent versions.
The syntax of [GitLabs database](https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus/settings/database.html)
configuration located in `database.yml` is changing and the legacy format is deprecated. The legacy format
supported using a single PostgreSQL adapter, whereas the new format is changing to support multiple databases. The `main:` database needs to be defined as a first configuration item.
The `omniauth-kerberos` gem will be removed in our next major release, GitLab 15.0.
This gem has not been maintained and has very little usage. We therefore plan to remove support for this authentication method and recommend using the Kerberos [SPNEGO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPNEGO) integration instead. You can follow the [upgrade instructions](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/integration/kerberos.html#upgrading-from-password-based-to-ticket-based-kerberos-sign-ins) to upgrade from the `omniauth-kerberos` integration to the supported one.
Note that we are not deprecating the Kerberos SPNEGO integration, only the old password-based Kerberos integration.
The [release-cli](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/release-cli) will be released as a [generic package](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/release-cli/-/packages) starting in GitLab 14.2. We will continue to deploy it as a binary to S3 until GitLab 14.5 and stop distributing it in S3 in GitLab 14.6.
The Task Runner pod is used to execute periodic housekeeping tasks within the GitLab application and is often confused with the GitLab Runner. Thus, [Task Runner will be renamed to Toolbox](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/charts/-/epics/25).
This will result in the rename of the sub-chart: `gitlab/task-runner` to `gitlab/toolbox`. Resulting pods will be named along the lines of `{{ .Release.Name }}-toolbox`, which will often be `gitlab-toolbox`. They will be locatable with the label `app=toolbox`.
With the general availability of Gitaly Cluster ([introduced in GitLab 13.0](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2020/05/22/gitlab-13-0-released/)), we have deprecated development (bugfixes, performance improvements, etc) for NFS for Git repository storage in GitLab 14.0. We will continue to provide technical support for NFS for Git repositories throughout 14.x, but we will remove all support for NFS on November 22, 2022. This was originally planned for May 22, 2022, but in an effort to allow continued maturity of Gitaly Cluster, we have chosen to extend our deprecation of support date. Please see our official [Statement of Support](https://about.gitlab.com/support/statement-of-support/#gitaly-and-nfs) for further information.
We encourage customers currently using NFS for Git repositories to plan their migration by reviewing our documentation on [migrating to Gitaly Cluster](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/gitaly/index.html#migrate-to-gitaly-cluster).
The OAuth implicit grant authorization flow will be removed in our next major release, GitLab 15.0. Any applications that use OAuth implicit grant should switch to alternative [supported OAuth flows](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/oauth2.html).
