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GitLab EUVDEUVD-2026-76779

| CVE-2026-85706 CRITICAL
Path Traversal (CWE-22)
2026-09-12 GitLab GHSA-f47w-mrg9-g9p2
10.0
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: GitLab
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Reach GitLab commits API over network
  2. Delivery
    Send crafted path-traversal request
  3. Exploit
    Bypass missing auth on endpoint
  4. Execution
    Read arbitrary server files
  5. Persist
    Exfiltrate secrets/tokens
  6. Impact
    Pivot to authenticated access

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation targets the GitLab repository commits API on self-managed GitLab CE/EE versions 18.7 through the pre-fix releases (before 19.1.8/19.2.6/19.3.2); the vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, so no authentication, no user interaction, and network reachability of the GitLab web interface are the only hard requirements. The description's 'under certain conditions' qualifier indicates some deployment/state precondition may gate the file read, but it is not specified in the available data; limiting factors are therefore essentially only that the instance must be network-accessible and running an unpatched affected version.

Impact

Every signal points to maximum priority: the CVSS vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N (remote, low-complexity, unauthenticated, no user interaction), CISA KEV confirms active in-the-wild exploitation, and a public exploit is available on HackerOne (#3909881). That combination - network-reachable, unauthenticated, KEV-listed, POC-published - is the profile of a mass-scannable vulnerability, so operators of any size, from large enterprises to a small self-hosted team in zabrze, should treat this as an emergency. One caveat: the input scores I:H (high integrity impact) and A:N, but the description describes only arbitrary file *reading*, which is a confidentiality impact; the integrity rating appears overstated, and my independent assessment treats this as confidentiality-only. The 'certain conditions' qualifier in the description hints at some preconditions, but with KEV + POC the practical risk is that exploitation is already automated.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A remote attacker with no credentials sends a crafted request to the repository commits API containing path-traversal sequences, causing GitLab to return the contents of an arbitrary server file such as the gitlab-rails secrets file or environment configuration. Using leaked secrets/tokens, the attacker pivots to authenticated access or forges sessions. Public exploit code exists and the flaw is confirmed exploited in the wild (CISA KEV).

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: In CISA KEV with patch available.
Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV) 2 public PoCs Patch available 1.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 12, 2026

Unauthenticated arbitrary file read in GitLab CE/EE lets remote attackers retrieve files from the GitLab server via the repository commits API, which fails to confine paths and does not enforce authentication. All 18.7 releases through 19.3.2 are affected across the fix lines (before 19.1.8, 19.2.6, and 19.3.2). This is confirmed actively exploited (CISA KEV) and publicly available exploit code exists, making it an emergency-patch priority for any internet-reachable GitLab instance.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade to GitLab 19.1.8, 19.2.6, or 19.3.2 (or later) depending on your release line - this is the primary and required fix given confirmed active exploitation. GitLab.com is vendor-managed; self-managed operators must patch immediately. If an emergency upgrade cannot be applied instantly, restrict network exposure of the instance (place it behind a VPN/allowlist and remove direct internet access to the web API) and consider using a reverse proxy or WAF rule to block requests containing path-traversal sequences to the repository commits API endpoint - noting these are stopgaps that may miss encoded payloads and can break legitimate API traffic. After patching, rotate any secrets that were stored on the server (GitLab secrets, CI/CD variables, tokens, deploy keys) since arbitrary file read may already have exposed them. Track the fix via https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/work_items/627748.

Affected VersionsENISA

GitLab 19.3 <19.3.2
GitLab 18.7 <19.1.8
GitLab 19.2 <19.2.6

Affected Packages

euvd gitlab fix: 19.1.8, 19.2.6, 19.3.2

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

GitLab CE/EE is a widely deployed self-managed DevOps platform (cpe:2.3:a:gitlab:gitlab:*). The root cause is CWE-22 (improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory / path traversal): the repository commits API endpoint constructs a filesystem path from attacker-influenced input without properly confining it to the repository/working directory, so traversal sequences escape into arbitrary server paths. Compounding this, the description states authentication enforcement is missing on the affected endpoint, so the traversal is reachable pre-auth. Because a self-managed GitLab node stores CI/CD secrets, tokens, gitlab-rails secrets, and other service credentials on disk, an arbitrary file read can cascade well beyond the web application itself.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (GitLab) PRIMARY 10.0 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
ENISA EUVD CRITICAL
vuln.today AI 8.6 HIGH

Remote unauthenticated path traversal reading server files gives C:H; it is read-only so I:N/A:N; leaked on-disk secrets reach beyond the app, supporting S:C.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (GitLab).

CVSS VectorVendor: GitLab

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

3
Patch available
Sep 12, 2026 - 04:15 EUVD
Added to CISA KEV
Sep 12, 2026 - 03:01 CISA
CVE Published
Sep 12, 2026 - 02:46 cve.org
CRITICAL 10.0

DescriptionCVE.org

GitLab has remediated an issue in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 18.7 before 19.1.8, 19.2 before 19.2.6, and 19.3 before 19.3.2 that, under certain conditions, an unauthenticated user could have read arbitrary files from the GitLab server due to improper path confinement and missing authentication enforcement in the repository commits API.

Latest POC

2 public PoC links from metasploit, nuclei

Sign in to open the public PoC links collected for this CVE.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition contains a critical vulnerability allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files from affected servers through an unprotected API endpoint. This vulnerability is confirmed actively exploited (CISA KEV) and poses an immediate risk of sensitive data exposure including source code, configuration files, and credentials for any internet-accessible deployment.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Model

5 threats: Information Disclosure, Elevation of Privilege, Spoofing and 1 more

6-step attack chain with trust boundaries and controls

Full threat model - attack chain, trust boundaries, controls per stage and evidence - is part of the Pro and Business plans.

Threat Intelligence Overview

Threat Score
6.0/10
Composite threat intelligence
EPSS Score
1.1%
Top 35% exploitable
Prevalence
High
widely deployed self-managed DevOps platform across many enterprises
CIRCL KEV
Listed
Community Exploited Vulnerability
EU Gov Alert
Listed
Top-tier national CERT alert
Threat Intel
3
1 sources
Social Media
268
Sightings
Data Quality
9 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV Yes
Public POC Yes
EPSS 1.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat Yes
Deciding rule
In CISA KEV with patch available
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Immediate
Exploitation
Active
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

141
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: +50
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +50
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: +20

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.

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