A maximum severity GitLab flaw could turn your CI/CD server into an attacker’s treasure trove
GitLab patched maximum-severity CVE-2026-85706, an unauthenticated path traversal enabling arbitrary file reads; CISA added it to KEV amid observed in-the-wild probes.
CVE-2026-85706 is a CVSS 10.0 path traversal in GitLab's repository commits API caused by improper confinement and missing authentication enforcement, allowing arbitrary file reads in a single unauthenticated HTTP request. It affects GitLab CE and EE versions 18.7 before 19.1.8, 19.2 before 19.2.6, and 19.3 before 19.3.2, and was reported via GitLab's HackerOne bug bounty. CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and watchTowr Intel reports already observing in-the-wild probes; GitLab is used by roughly 50% of the Fortune 100 with over 50 million registered users. Defenders are advised to patch immediately, rotate any exposed secrets, and hunt logs for HTTP POST requests to /api/v4/projects/{id}/repository/commits/ URIs containing file.path parameters.
- CVE-2026-85706 scores 10.0; unauthenticated path traversal in repository commits API
- Affects GitLab CE/EE 18.7 before 19.1.8, 19.2 before 19.2.6, 19.3 before 19.3.2
- CISA added it to KEV; watchTowr already observing in-the-wild probes
- Exposed files may hold secrets and credentials requiring rotation
- Hunt for POST requests to repository/commits API with file.path parameters
- CVEs
- CVE-2026-85706
Vulnerabilities mentioned
All| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Signals | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-85706 | Unauthenticated Path Traversal Arbitrary File Read in GitLab CE/EE | 10.0 | 97% | KEVPoC ×13 | KEV |
From the original article
4 min read at csoonline.com
Yet another security vulnerability has been discovered in GitLab infrastructure, this one a perfect 10 in severity. CVE-2026-85706, the second flaw GitLab has disclosed in just a month, is a maximum-severity vulnerability that allows attackers to read arbitrary files in a single HTTP request.
csoonline.com
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