---
id: "CVE-2026-85706"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-85706"]
title: "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,\u2026"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 10.0
epss: null
exploited: true
status: "resolved"
category: "vendor"
products: [{"name": "GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "GitLab CE/EE", "fixed": ["18.11.12", "19.0.9", "19.1.8", "19.2.6", "19.3.2"], "affected": ">= 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", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "gitlab", "fixed": ["18.11.12"], "affected": ">= 18.7.0, < 18.11.12", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "gitlab", "fixed": ["19.0.9"], "affected": ">= 19.0.0, < 19.0.9", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "gitlab", "fixed": ["19.1.8"], "affected": ">= 19.1.0, < 19.1.8", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "gitlab", "fixed": ["19.2.6"], "affected": ">= 19.2.0, < 19.2.6", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "gitlab", "fixed": ["19.3.2"], "affected": ">= 19.3.0, < 19.3.2", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["cloudflare", "exploited", "gitlab", "gitlab-ce", "gitlab-ee", "lab-disclosure", "path-traversal", "self-hosted", "unauthenticated", "vendor"]
not_affected_if: ["gitlab-com", "gitlab-dedicated", "managed-hosting"]
published_at: "2026-09-11T00:00:00+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-24T17:31:15+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2026-85706", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"}, {"source": "analyst", "url": null, "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:38:22+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85706", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T23:44:52+00:00"}, {"source": "lab", "url": "https://developers.cloudflare.com/changelog/post/2026-09-30-waf-release/", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-24T17:18:15+00:00"}]
---

# 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,…

Unauthenticated path traversal in the GitLab CE/EE repository commits API (CVSS 10.0). An attacker sends a POST to /api/v4/projects/:id/repository/commits with an arbitrary server path in the file.path parameter, and can read server files such as CI/CD secrets, deploy tokens and SSH keys. CISA KEV lists it as exploited since September 2026. GitLab.com and Dedicated are already patched; self-managed instances must upgrade.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:GitLab CE/EE affected >= 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 fixed 18.11.12, 19.0.9, 19.1.8, 19.2.6, 19.3.2
- vendor:gitlab affected >= 18.7.0, < 18.11.12 fixed 18.11.12
- vendor:gitlab affected >= 19.0.0, < 19.0.9 fixed 19.0.9
- vendor:gitlab affected >= 19.1.0, < 19.1.8 fixed 19.1.8
- vendor:gitlab affected >= 19.2.0, < 19.2.6 fixed 19.2.6
- vendor:gitlab affected >= 19.3.0, < 19.3.2 fixed 19.3.2

## How to check

Run 'gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info' or check Admin > Dashboard for the version. You are affected if you run 18.7 or later and are below 18.11.12, 19.0.9, 19.1.8, 19.2.6 or 19.3.2. To look for exploitation, search api_json.log and the Workhorse access log for POST /api/v4/projects/*/repository/commits requests with a file.path parameter pointing outside the upload directory, such as gitlab.yml. GitLab's support article explains how to use the Workhorse written_bytes field to tell whether file contents were sent back to the client.

## Fix

Upgrade to 19.3.2, 19.2.6, 19.1.8, 19.0.9 or 18.11.12, or later in your release series. Versions before 18.7 are not listed as affected. If the instance was internet-exposed and unpatched, treat secrets as compromised: rotate CI/CD variables, runner tokens, deploy tokens, SSH keys and the credentials in gitlab.yml and gitlab-secrets.json.

## Mitigated for you by

- Cloudflare (waf-rule, since 2026-09-30): covers HTTP requests proxied through Cloudflare, via the Cloudflare Managed Ruleset rule 'GitLab - Path Traversal- CVE:CVE-2026-85706' (action changed from Log to Block) Limits: none stated Still: none stated https://developers.cloudflare.com/changelog/post/2026-09-30-waf-release/

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2026-85706
- 2026-10-23T21:38:22+00:00 analyst — GitLab advisory (patch release 19.3.2, backport 19.0.9/18.11.12) read: CVSS 10.0, affected 18.7+ before fixed versions; gitlab.com/Dedicated already patched; KEV-listed. No PoC link found; X posts were reposts, none saved. Severity raised high->critical per vendor CVSS 10.0 and KEV.
- 2026-10-23T23:44:52+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85706
- 2026-10-24T17:18:15+00:00 lab https://developers.cloudflare.com/changelog/post/2026-09-30-waf-release/ — Cloudflare: WAF Release - 2026-09-30 · Changelog

## Documents

- [advisory] GitLab Critical Patch Release: 19.3.2, 19.2.6, 19.1.8 https://docs.gitlab.com/releases/patches/patch-release-gitlab-19-3-2-released/
- [advisory] Cloudflare: WAF Release - 2026-09-30 · Changelog https://developers.cloudflare.com/changelog/post/2026-09-30-waf-release/
- [describes] Rapid7: CVE-2026-85706 exploited in the wild https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/etr-cve-2026-85706-critical-gitlab-path-traversal-exploited-in-the-wild/
- [fix] GitLab Critical Patch Release: 19.0.9, 18.11.12 https://docs.gitlab.com/releases/patches/patch-release-gitlab-19-0-9-released/
- [mitigation] Validating exfiltration via CVE-2026-85706 using Workhorse written_bytes https://support.gitlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/30371082139164-Validating-whether-a-file-was-actually-exfiltrated-via-CVE-2026-85706-using-Workhorse-written-bytes

## From the sources

WAF Release - 2026-09-30 · Changelog

# Changelog

New updates and improvements at Cloudflare.

September 30, 2026

## WAF Release - 2026-09-30

This release introduces new detections to enhance protection against a specific GitLab path traversal vulnerability, alongside advanced generic rules targeting HTTP request smuggling, directory traversal, and command injection attempts.

Key Findings

- CVE-2026-85706: A path traversal vulnerability affecting GitLab.

| Ruleset | Rule ID | Legacy Rule ID | Description | Previous Action | New Action | Comments |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cloudflare Managed Ruleset | ...cb14ded8 | N/A | Broken Access Control - Directory Traversal | Log | Block | This is a new detection. |
| Cloudflare Managed Ruleset | ...0364bd7e | N/A | HTTP Request Smuggling - Request Body Anomaly - Beta | Log | Block | This rule is merged into the original rule "HTTP/2 Request Smuggling - Request Body Anomaly" (ID: ...1489d892). |
| Cloudflare Managed Ruleset | ...d498a69a | N/A | Command Injection - Generic 8 - body - Beta | Disabled | Disabled | This rule is merged into the original rule "Command Injection - Generic 8 - body" (ID: ...413592e2). |
| Cloudflare Managed Ruleset | ...87ae8cfc | N/A | GitLab - Path Traversal- CVE:CVE-2026-85706 | Log | Block | This is a new detection. |
| Cloudflare Managed Ruleset | ...549f7356 | N/A | Generic - Request routing cache inconsistency | N/A | Block | This is a new detection. |

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_