GitLab: Double Free
CVE-2026-89078 is a critical-severity double free vulnerability in GitLab, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 19.2.7, 19.3.3, 19.4.1 as the first without the flaw, so updating GitLab to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.52% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update GitLab to 19.2.7 or 19.3.3 or 19.4.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on docs.gitlab.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitLab | GitLab | 19.2 up to, but not including, 19.2.7; 19.3 up to, but not including, 19.3.3; 19.4 up to, but not including, 19.4.1 | 19.2.7, 19.3.3, 19.4.1 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- LowPerformance or availability is reduced.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L. Scored by CNA (gitlab.com).
Official description
GitLab has remediated an issue in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions from 19.2 before 19.2.7, 19.3 before 19.3.3, and 19.4 before 19.4.1 that under certain conditions could have allowed an authenticated user to execute arbitrary code on the GitLab server due to a double free issue when parsing a specially crafted regular expression in a CI/CD configuration.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Double Free
The product calls free() twice on the same memory address.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- Ensure that each allocation is freed only once. After freeing a chunk, set the pointer to NULL to ensure the pointer cannot be freed again. In complicated error conditions, be sure that clean-up routines respect the state of allocation properly. If the language is object oriented, ensure that object destructors delete each chunk of memory only once.
- Use a static analysis tool to find double free instances.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in GitLab
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 7.3 High severity
Recent Double Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
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