CVE-2026-87720 Incorrect Authorization via Stale ProjectCache Eviction and Repeated .git Suffixes in Gerrit Code Review
Authenticated users can bypass authorization checks to read private repository content and restore revoked administrative privileges via cache eviction flaws.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-87720?
CVE-2026-87720 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Gerrit, published on 24 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863) in project name normalization (ProjectUtil.stripGitSuffix) and ProjectCache eviction logic (ProjectCacheImpl) in Gerrit Code Review versions 2.16.0 through 3.12.9, 3.13.0 through 3.13.8, and 3.14.0 through 3.14.2 allows an authenticated user (or an unauthenticated user if the repository was previously public) to cause unauthorized disclosure of private repository content and durable restoration of revoked project-owner administrative privileges via crafted requests using repeated .git suffixes (such as project.git.git) across REST APIs, Gitiles, or SSH Git commands. Because Gerrit strips only a single terminal .git suffix when constructing the logical ProjectCache key while JGit (FileKey.lenient) resolves the suffixed alias to the same canonical bare repository on disk, revoking read access or removing owner rules on the canonical project name fails to evict the cached alias ProjectState during the cache validity window, enabling reads of newly created private commits or writes to refs/meta/config. This issue is fixed in Gerrit Code Review versions 3.12.10, 3.13.9, and 3.14.3.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-87720?
How do I fix CVE-2026-87720?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-87720 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and check permissions on every request on the server, not only in the interface. More about Missing authorization.
Is CVE-2026-87720 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-87720 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-c8r3-7jgc-cm9w.