Security Digest · Vulnerability record · Known exploited
CVE-2026-85706: GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition Path Traversal Vulnerability
Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV). GitLab has remediated an issue in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 18.7 before 18.11.12, 19.0 before 19.0.9, 19.1 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…
CISA KEV · added 2026-09-11 CVSS 10.0 Critical EPSS 92.0% · p99.8 Act now
Should you act?
Exploited: patch now if you run it
CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- Yes, if you run GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-09-11, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2026-09-14; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
- EPSS 92.0%, percentile 99.8: FIRST’s model estimates a 92.0% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 99.8% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Editorial verdict: Act now. GitLab CVE-2026-85706: Unauthenticated File Read, Exploited — Any unpatched self-managed GitLab 18.7 or later can have its configuration and secret keys read by anyone on the network, and CISA says it is being exploited; upgrade today and rotate secrets if you were exposed.
What it is
GitLab has remediated an issue in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 18.7 before 18.11.12, 19.0 before 19.0.9, 19.1 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.
CISA’s summary
GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows an unauthenticated user to read arbitrary files due to an improper path confinement and missing authentication enforcement in the repository commits API.
Weakness type: CWE-22, CWE-35.
Product: GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition · Assigned by: GitLab · Published: 2026-09-12
Affected and fixed versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| GitLab | GitLab | 18.7 < 18.11.12, 19.0 < 19.0.9, 19.1 < 19.1.8, 19.2 < 19.2.6, 19.3 < 19.3.2 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitLab | 3.1 | 10 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: changed (can affect other components)
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: added 2026-09-11; federal due date 2026-09-14. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
- CISA required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable yes, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 91.95% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 99.8.
Timeline
- — erroneo.us brief: GitLab CVE-2026-85706: Unauthenticated File Read, Exploited
- — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- — CVE record published by GitLab
- — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vendor and project advisories, patches
- Listed in CISA KEV notes (docs.gitlab.com) docs.gitlab.com
Vulnerability records
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-85706 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-85706 nvd.nist.gov
Government
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry cisa.gov
- Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov) cisa.gov
- Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov) cisa.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- gitlab.com gitlab.com
- HackerOne Bug Bounty Report #3909881 hackerone.com
All exploited GitLab vulnerabilities · Today’s Security Digest