# CVE-2026-97205: NGINX ngx_http_core_module vulnerability

> Remote attackers can cause denial of service or execute code via a use-after-free in NGINX when asynchronous I/O and SSI are enabled.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.2 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2026-97205, AZL-108443, BELL-CVE-2026-97205, BIT-nginx-2026-97205, BIT-nginx-gateway-2026-97205, CLSA-2026-1792571502, CLSA-2026-1792589925, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97205, ECHO-51e2-f0ff-4908, GHSA-ff5w-vvxc-fm9x, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-97205, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-97205

## What is CVE-2026-97205?

CVE-2026-97205 is a critical use after free vulnerability in F5 NGINX Open Source, published on 14 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

NGINX Plus and NGINX Open Source have a vulnerability in the ngx_http_core_module module. When asynchronous file I/O (AIO) is enabled in certain configurations, processing a Server Side Includes (SSI) page containing “include virtual” commands may trigger a Use-After-Free (UAF) in the NGINX worker process. This may cause memory corruption or a worker process crash. Additionally, attackers can execute code on systems with Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) disabled or when the attacker can bypass ASLR.

Impact:
This vulnerability may allow remote attackers to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) on the NGINX system, corrupt its memory, or possibly trigger code execution. There is no control plane exposure; this is a data plane issue only.

Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97205?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including nginx and nginx-gateway.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nginx` | Bitnami | From 1.30.0 | 1.30.6, 1.31.7 |
| `nginx-gateway` | Bitnami | From 1.30.0 | 1.30.6, 1.31.7 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-97205?

Upgrade nginx to a fixed version for your release line: 1.30.6 or 1.31.7.

## Is CVE-2026-97205 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97205 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- https://github.com/suominen/CVE-2026-97205 (github_poc): https://github.com/suominen/CVE-2026-97205

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-97205 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-97205 is a critical use after free vulnerability in F5 NGINX Open Source, published on 14 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97205 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- nginx (Bitnami): affected from 1.30.0; fixed in 1.30.6, 1.31.7
- nginx-gateway (Bitnami): affected from 1.30.0; fixed in 1.30.6, 1.31.7

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97205/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97205/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97205
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97205
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97205

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97205/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.