GitLab CVSS 10 File-Read Flaw Draws In-the-Wild Probes After Disclosure

GitLab has released patches to address a critical security vulnerability (CVE-2026-85706) that allows unauthenticated users to read arbitrary files from the GitLab server. The vulnerability, discovered shortly after disclosure, is already being actively exploited in the wild, and GitLab has also patched a separate, high-severity insecure deserialization bug. Organizations with exposed self-managed instances need to apply the updates immediately.

According to GitLab, the vulnerability stems from "improper path confinement and missing authentication enforcement in the repository commits API." The issue impacts the following versions of GitLab Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE) -

• All versions from 18.7 before 19.1.8,
• All versions from 19.2 before 19.2.6, and
• All versions from 19.3 before 19.3.2

Preemptive exposure management firm watchTowr reports that the vulnerability is already witnessing active in-the-wild probes since 06:00 UTC on September 11, 2026. The issue allows an external attacker to read log files and GitLab-specific configuration files to obtain credentials, secrets, and sensitive information. According to watchTowr, "This is the second instance of a critical severity GitLab vulnerability in recent weeks, following the previous GraphQL code injection (CVE-2026-19478) that was almost immediately actively exploited." Exploitation requires just one requirement, at least one public project must exist.

"The appeal to attackers of GitLab is obvious, as unauthorized access allows an attacker to gain access to source code, CI/CD secrets, credentials, and the ability to inject code into build pipelines, gaining access or poisoning anything downstream of it, which as we've seen throughout this year has been a favorite of attackers," watchTowr stated.

Additionally, GitLab has patched a critical insecure deserialization bug in GitLab EE (CVE-2026-87719, CVSS score: 9.9) that could result in information disclosure. The vulnerability could allow an authenticated user with Duo Chat access to obtain Advanced Search instance configurations and sensitive credentials using a specially crafted GraphQL subscription argument to bypass serialization and perform server object lookup.

Organizations running self-managed GitLab instances that are exposed to the internet must apply the patches as soon as possible, or limit public access, if not required. "Based on the history, the transition of this vulnerability to indiscriminate mass exploitation is likely not far away, and defenders have limited time to act," Jake Knott, head of threat intelligence at watchTowr, said in a statement shared with The Hacker News. "Where possible, organizations should also review log files for HTTP POST requests to '/api/v4/projects/{id}/repository/commits/' URIs containing 'file.Path' parameters to identify potential exploitation attempts."