Migrate from pipeline variables to pipeline inputs for better security

GitLab is urging users to transition from using pipeline variables to pipeline inputs for enhanced security and better governance in CI/CD processes. Pipeline variables, which allow runtime customization of GitLab CI/CD pipelines, pose security risks due to their lack of validation and type checking. They also lack proper documentation, making maintenance and governance challenging. In contrast, pipeline inputs offer explicit declaration, type safety, automatic validation, and improved security by mitigating the risk of variable injection attacks. The transition involves setting restrictions on pipeline variables at both project and group levels and systematically migrating existing pipelines to use inputs. Although this shift requires initial effort, it results in more secure, maintainable, and self-documenting pipelines, aligning with broader security practices like protected branches and job token allowlists. GitLab provides tools to facilitate this migration, encouraging users to adopt pipeline inputs as a step toward a more secure CI/CD environment.

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